Ireland

In 2018 the Irish government published the National Implementation Plan for the SDGs. It has committed to taking a whole-of-government approach to SDG implementation with every target being assigned to a specific department.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment has lead responsibility for promoting and overseeing the coherent implementation of the SDGs on a whole-of-Government basis. All Ministers retain responsibility for implementing the individual SDGs relating to issues under their aegis and have been actively engaged in the preparation of this Plan.

The Plan provides a ‘SDG Matrix’ which identifies the responsible Government Departments for each of the 169 targets. It also includes a ‘SDG Policy Map’ indicating the relevant national policies for each of the targets.

The Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment established the National SDG Stakeholder Forum. The objective of the Forum is to provide stakeholders with opportunities to contribute to implementing and communicating the SDGs, and inputting to the national reporting framework. The SDG Stakeholder Forum met four times during 2019. Information on previous fora can be found here.

Ireland’s Coalition 2030 is an alliance of civil society organisations committed to and working towards upholding Ireland’s commitment to achieving the SDGs. Coalition 2030 comprises over 70 organisations: international and domestic NGOs as well as youth organisations, environmental groups, academics, and Trade Unions.

Coalition 2030 members meet twice each year in plenary. Two working groups have also been established which meet regularly: a Public Engagement Working Group to engage with the public around the work of the Coalition and Agenda 2030 through education, events and online/social media as well as to support Coalition2030 members in their public engagement and educational efforts around the SDGs; and a Policy Working Group focusing on opportunities and activities for advocating for the improved delivery of the SDGs by Ireland.

In July 2018, during the High Level Political Forum in New York, Ireland presented its first Voluntary National Review. Coalition 2030 delegates were part of the official delegation.