Economic Policy

Principal Officer: John Shaw

The Economic Policy Unit advises the Taoiseach on economic policy to support him in his role as Head of Government. The Division plays a key role in overseeing progress in implementing the economic priorities set out in the revised Programme for Government. It also promotes a co-ordinated approach to implementing a range of other Strategic policy frameworks including the Government’s programme for sustainable economic renewal, ‘Building Ireland’s Smart Economy: a Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal’ ( December 2008), the National Development Plan 2007-2013 and the National Climate Change Strategy.

A key element of the work of the Unit is its support of two Cabinet Committees:

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Renewal
• The Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security

The Unit also supports the Government in meeting targets and obligations to be achieved as a consequence of our membership of the European Union including the EU 2020 Strategy.

In addition the Unit provided the Secretariat for the Innovation Taskforce which reported in March 2010.

A number of bodies under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach provide advice on economic policy issues including the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) which analyses and reports to Government on strategic economic and social issues and the Central Statistics Office (CSO) which is the Government Agency responsible for the collation and publication of official statistics.

Other sources of useful information on economic policy issues include the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Any queries in relation to the work of the Economic Policy Unit should be addressed to:

Contact: Economic and Social Policy Division: economicpolicy@taoiseach.gov.ie