Equality Budgeting
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
Equality Budgeting examines public expenditure designed to address inequalities, with the aim of increasing the level of transparency and accountability about how resources are being used to advance equality, reduce poverty and strengthening economic and social outcomes across all sectors of society. It is anchored in the existing performance budgeting framework with progress towards achieving these metric targets reported in the Public Service Performance Report (PSPR).
Substantial progress has been made since Equality budgeting was introduced in Ireland, on a pilot basis in Budget 2018. The number and quality of equality metrics has significantly improved over time. The Public Service Performance Report for 2022, published in June 2023, includes 31 sets of Equality Budgeting metrics, with all Government Departments having submitted at least one set of metrics in the latest report. All Departments continually review and refine these metrics each year to strengthen the reporting of this information and to provide greater insight into the progress that is being made within each sector.
Building on the Equality Budgeting pilot, the Department of Justice and Equality, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform requested that the OECD take stock of actions that the Government of Ireland has taken to mainstream equality considerations as part of the budget process. This Scan provides options and recommendations on future directions for equality budgeting in Ireland, in light of national developments and international experience.
The Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform is committed to working with other Departments and Agencies, and with experts and advocacy groups, in order to advance the Equality Budgeting initiative to best international standards.
Against this background, an Equality Budgeting Expert Advisory Group has been established to assist in the further development and roll-out of Equality Budgeting in Ireland.
In line with the principles of openness and transparency, the Equality Budgeting Expert Advisory Group operates under the guidelines set out in the Transparency Code. This means that the group’s membership, work programme, and the minutes and agendas of all meetings are published here on this website.
Further details on the Transparency Code can be found here.
In 2021 an Interdepartmental Group on Equality Budgeting was established, with the aim to facilitate the embedding of equality initiatives across all Government departments. This group is a key driver in ensuring Equality Budgeting is fully implemented across all Government Departments.
By improving knowledge sharing across departments, this network will help to resolve several challenges highlighted by the OECD. The network will also facilitate cross-government training on the purpose and application of equality budgeting.
In conjunction with the Equality Budgeting Expert Advisory group, this network will also help inform the future direction of equality budgeting policy, in line with broader cross-governmental developments, including the wellbeing framework.
The inter-departmental network includes a senior member of staff from each Department with that member having a broad knowledge of the policy work undertaken by that department and its relevance to advancing the goals of equality and inclusion.
• Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (joint Chair)
• Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (joint Chair)
• Department of the Taoiseach
• Department of Finance
• Department of Health
• Department of Justice
• Department of Social Protection
• Department of Education
• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Department of Transport
• Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
• Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
• Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
• Department of Defence
• Department of Justice
• Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
• Department of Foreign Affairs
• Department of Environment, Climate and Communications
• Department of Rural and Community Development
In line with the principles of openness and transparency, the Equality Budgeting Interdepartmental Network operates under the guidelines set out in the Transparency Code. This means that the network’s membership, work programme, and the minutes and agendas of all meetings are published here on this website.
Further details on the Transparency Code can be found here.