This chapter presents an overview of the state of localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ireland, beginning with an examination of the challenges that could be addressed within the SDG framework. It identifies housing affordability as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation as two critical issues that Ireland could tackle through the lens of the SDGs. Another section focuses on the alignment between national and local government plans, aiming to ensure policy coherence for sustainable development. The chapter concludes with a series of recommendations to strengthen local governments' capacity to foster sustainable development.
OECD Policy Coherence Scan of Ireland
Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms for Sustainable Development
Abstract
Like in many OECD countries, Ireland faces critical social, economic and environmental challenges that may hinder its journey towards sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a powerful, integrated framework that can help local governments in Ireland address complex, interlinked issues such as housing affordability, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. These challenges, identified in the literature review, OECD studies and data, may compromise Ireland’s efforts not only to meet Ireland’s commitments to sustainable development but also affect people’s quality of life and well-being.
Ireland has been experiencing a housing crisis for over a decade. This is particularly affecting younger adults, lower-income cohorts, the elderly and those seeking housing near Ireland’s main cities. Between 2011 and 2022, the population grew by 560,887, while the housing stock increased by only 117 276 units (Parliamentary Budget Office, 2023[1]). This means that in Ireland there is a pressing need to facilitate a significant increase in housing output whilst creating high-quality accommodation to address a range of housing issues, including homelessness. Housing affordability is a growing concern in the country since, between 2012 and 2022, wages increased by 27% while residential property prices increased 75% and rents by over 90% (Parliamentary Budget Office, 2023[1]). High housing costs reduce the attractiveness of the country for foreign investment and talent. In Dublin, the cost of land and of financing, and the difference between the cost of delivering housing and the sale price are making the housing gap challenge more acute.
Housing affordability in Ireland has deteriorated in recent years due to strong demand, limited supply, and rising costs. Despite pandemic-related disruptions, house prices surged in 2021, fuelled by household savings and a shift toward larger homes; and rising construction costs, driven by inflation and supply chain issues, further strained affordability (IMF, 2023[2]). Policy measures to support buyers and renters have had only temporary effects and risk inflating prices over the medium term. Enhancing housing provision requires boosting housing supply through both public and private efforts. Key barriers to housing supply include limited land availability, low viability of high-density housing, a construction sector dominated by small, low-productivity firms, and skills shortages (IMF, 2023[2]). Moreover, an overregulated rental market has also discouraged investment and reduced labour mobility. Addressing these structural issues will be essential to closing the housing supply gap and improving long-term affordability. According to OECD, tackling housing affordability challenges requires reforms that enhance the housing supply response to growing demand. Key priorities include increasing housing density, improving land use and planning systems, and boosting productivity while reducing costs in the construction sector. Strengthening the supply and funding of social housing is also essential to improve living conditions for vulnerable groups and to address homelessness more effectively (OECD, 2025[3]).
One of the challenges Irish local governments face in meeting the needs of people at different life stages is the declining average household size. This demographic feature highlights the growing need for diverse types of housing that are integrated within neighbourhoods, rather than located in isolated or segregated areas. For this reason, in 2024, the Irish government adopted the ‘Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements: Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ to promote more flexible housing provision. The guidelines encourage density levels and design standards tailored to the size and context of each settlement—whether cities, towns, or villages—and introduce national standards to support innovation and a wider range of housing types (Government of Ireland, 2024[4]). Moreover, single houses made up 42% of all dwellings in 2022, while apartments only accounted for 14% of all housing which is below the OECD average (40%) (OECD, 2025[3]). This suggests a lack of flexibility to meet the demands for housing of a rising number of single-person households and of younger and more professionally mobile population.1 New guidelines will assist in the provision of additional housing typology appropriate to smaller households.
The new Guidelines, along with the amendment to the Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 75 of 2022)2, which aims to facilitate the re-use of eligible vacant commercial properties for residential purposes, are expected to support the expansion of available housing options. For example, Dublin City Council is pursuing active land management and, where appropriate, relaxing certain standards to support residential development on upper floors. The Council also aims to recognise and accommodate specific segments of the housing market, including professionally managed private rentals, student accommodation, and housing for older people. Similarly, Cork City Council has undertaken significant regeneration projects, such as the redevelopment of The Glen area. This initiative includes infill housing, refurbishment of existing units, and the introduction of diverse housing types to accommodate varying needs. The project aligns with the national guidelines by promoting compact growth and enhancing community facilities (MoMA, 2025[5]). Housing is an important component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and an essential driver for achieving not only SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), but also many of other SDGs such as SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Because the housing crisis is a multidisciplinary issue, actions toward adequate and affordable housing have multiple effects.
The Irish authorities have introduced a broad set of measures to tackle housing affordability challenges. The flagship “Housing for All” Plan aims to deliver 300 000 new homes by 2030, including 54 000 affordable units, through reforms in zoning, planning, land use and construction sector productivity, alongside increased investment in social housing (Government of Ireland, 2021[6]). It also supports first-time buyers through financing schemes and tax relief. Further initiatives include the Residential Zoned Land Tax3 to incentivise activation of serviced lands zoned for housing, the Build Digital4 and Future Building5 programmes to boost skills and innovation in construction and rent controls to limit increases. Finally, grant-funded efforts to reduce vacancy and dereliction aim to bring underused properties back into the housing supply.
Without adequate climate adaptation measures, climate change impacts, including an increased risk of floods, have a high risk of negatively impacting life in Ireland, as in the rest of the world. Ireland has committed to an average 7% annual reduction in GHG emissions from 2021 to 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 (Government of Ireland, 2021[7]). However, Ireland is not on track to meet this target as emissions (13.2 tCO2e per capita) remain among the highest in the OECD (9.8 tCO2e per capita) (OECD, 2025[3]). Although Ireland has established strong frameworks for climate mitigation and adaptation, it now needs to shift from planning to delivery by accelerating the implementation of concrete actions. According to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, Ireland must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand the use of renewable energy and improve energy efficiency to meet its EU climate commitments. If climate action is not accelerated, Ireland could face compliance costs of between EUR 8 billion and EUR 26 billion in payments to EU partners. However, by fully implementing the additional measures outlined in its Climate Action Plan, the government could reduce these potential costs to between EUR 3 billion and EUR 12 billion by 2030 (Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, n.d.[8]). A key enabler will be a more efficient permitting and planning system (e.g. Planning and Development Plan 2024 and the revised National Planning Framework6), particularly as electricity demand continues to rise due to population growth, data centres, and the electrification of heating and transport (OECD, 2025[3]).
Moreover, the country has seen an increase in average annual national rainfall of approximately 5% (60mm) between 1981 and 2010, compared to the period from 1961 till 1990.7 Between autumn 2023 and spring 2024, heavy rainfall caused significant disruption to farming activity and storms severely eroded coastlines, damaging roads and properties in Wexford and north Dublin (Climate Change Advisory Council, 2024[9]). Most major cities in Ireland are in coastal locations subject to tides. Any significant rise in sea levels is likely to result in increased coastal erosion, flooding and damage to property and infrastructure. Local governments are expected to play a key role in addressing the consequences of and adapting to climate change. Lack of flood resilience and climate change adaptation can undermine or even undo progress towards the SDGs. In 2018, the government established four Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs) to support local authorities in adapting to climate change. Initially focused on helping develop local adaptation strategies under the National Adaptation Framework and the 2019 Climate Action Plan, CAROs now assist with the implementation of local climate action plans required by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. In 2022, the government began providing annual funding to local authorities to develop and implement local authority climate action plans, specifying the mitigation and adaptation measures to be adopted over the period 2024-2029. These plans include 3 935 actions—544 specifically on adaptation—and replace the earlier adaptation strategies.
These challenges are present in a context of unbalanced regional attractiveness, where all three regions across the country suffer from “…a shortage of technical capacity and limited spending allocated to local and regional governments for project delivery” (OECD, 2023, p. 16[10]). Although the national government seeks to better allocate funds throughout the territories, spending decisions remain with national government (OECD/UCLG, 2022[11])8. Moreover, local authorities have a limited, albeit growing, range of responsibilities compared to other OECD countries (Box 4.1).
Ireland is a unitary state with a parliamentary democracy. Local government in Ireland consists of 31 local authorities, each with an elected council. Local authorities are divided into municipal districts except for the authorities in Cork City, Galway City, and County Dublin, in which area committees operate. A significant recent local government reform in Ireland was the establishment of the Office of a directly elected Mayor of Limerick.1
The Local Government Reform Act 2014 replaced the eight former regional authorities with three ‘regional assemblies’: the North and Western region, the Southern region, and the Eastern Midland region which are indirectly elected and enjoy a low degree of autonomy. Their financing is largely dependent upon their constituent local authorities. They are mainly in charge of regional development, including the adoption of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and management of EU funds. The 2014 reform restructured Ireland’s territorial organisation by introducing municipal districts—a form of sub-county governance — aimed at enhancing democratic governance, subsidiarity and accountability. The reform also strengthened the decision-making powers of elected councillors within the 31 local authorities, giving them greater oversight of decisions made by local authority chief executives.
Local councils are categorised under different types of local authorities of equivalent status: 26 county councils, three city councils (Dublin, Cork and Galway) and two city and county councils (Limerick and Waterford).
Local authorities have a relatively limited range of responsibilities compared to other OECD countries. Under the Planning and Development Act 2024, Irish local governments prepare and align long-term statutory plans with national and regional frameworks to guide sustainable land use. They manage development applications within set timeframes, ensure environmental, climate and heritage protections, enforce planning law, and promote transparency and public participation. These functions aim to support a coherent, plan-led and sustainable planning system across Ireland. Some functions have been recentralised (e.g. water services transferred to the state company “Uisce Éireann”) while others were decentralised (e.g. planning, local and community development).
Elected members of local authorities play a key role in the Irish planning system by setting the policies and objectives of County Development Plans (CDPs). These plans guide all land use and development within their areas, including measures to address environmental issues. Local authorities’ main functions mainly concern economic affairs, environmental issues, urban and land use planning, drainage and waste management, housing, cultural and recreational facilities and community development, roads, urban renewal and infrastructural development. Municipal districts are involved in community engagement and leadership, representation and ceremonial roles.
1. For further information about the reform see: https://www.gov.ie/ga/an-roinn-tith%C3%ADochta-rialtais-%C3%A1it%C3%BAil-agus-oidhreachta/preaseisiuinti/directly-elected-mayor-for-limerick-to-be-given-significant-powers/#:~:text=Directly%20Elected%20Mayor%20for%20Limerick%20to%20be%20given%20significant%20powers,-%C3%93%3A%20An%20Roinn&text=Government%20aims%20to%20legislate%20to,term%20will%20last%20until%202029.
Sources: Government of Ireland (2001[12]) Local Government Act, 2001; OECD/UCLG (2022[11]) 2022 Country Profiles of the World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment; and OECD (OECD, 2023[10]) (OECD, 2023[10]) Towards a balanced regional attractiveness in Ireland. Enhancing the delivery of the National Planning Framework, Government of Ireland (2024[13]) Planning and Development Act 2024.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may enable local governments to overcome those challenges that keep pressure on Ireland’s residents’ quality of life. Local governments are in the best position to facilitate the mobilisation of a wide range of stakeholders, notably NGOs and private sector, local communities, and national and international organisations in the promotion of inclusive sustainable development within their respective localities. The County Development Plan (CDP) process enables local authorities to integrate the principles of sustainable development into local policy objectives and the actions required to implement them.
This section compares the SDG performance of Ireland’s large regions (TL2, see Box 4.2) – Eastern and Midland, Northern and Western, and Southern – with national and OECD regional averages, using indexes and indicators from the OECD localised framework for SDGs (Box 4.3), and complemented with additional sources when necessary. The framework helps monitor progress and guide public action by highlighting each region’s distance to the SDGs. These comparisons are based on 2023 data or the latest available. However, significant data gaps remain for some SDGs, which should be considered when interpreting the results.
The OECD classifies subnational regions into two scales: large regions, referred to as Territorial Level 2 (TL2) and small regions, referred to as Territorial Level 3 (TL3). Large regions generally refer to the first government level after the national or federal one. Small regions are contained within large regions and, in the case of European countries, correspond to the NUTS3 nomenclature. For more details, see the OECD Territorial Grid (https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-geographical-definitions/territorial-grid.pdf).
The map in Figure 4.1 shows Ireland’s three large regions (TL2 level) – Eastern and Midland, Northern and Western, and Southern – as well as the eight smaller regions (TL3 level) that fall within them.
Source: (OECD, 2025[14]), OECD Territorial Grids, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-geographical-definitions/territorial-grid.pdf.
Source: (OECD, 2025[14]), OECD Territorial Grids, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-geographical-definitions/territorial-grid.pdf.
The OECD has developed a framework to localise the SDG targets and indicators and measure the distance of regions and cities to each of the 17 SDGs. This consensual, comparable and standardised framework allows for benchmarking of performances within countries and across regions and cities to support public action across levels of government.
Around 105 out of the 169 SDG targets have been identified as very relevant for regions and cities in the context of OECD countries. Through an extensive literature review and expert consultation, the 169 SDG targets from the United Nations (UN) indicator framework have been classified by their level of relevance for subnational levels of government (place-relevant) and advanced economies (OECD-relevant). Afterwards, a subset of these SDG targets has been selected based on its applicability to the context and specificities of OECD countries. The result is a selection of 105 SDG targets and 120 indicators for OECD regions and cities (also referred to as the “subnational SDG targets”).
With its 120 indicators, the OECD localised framework covers at least 1 aspect of each of the 17 SDGs for both regions and cities. Nevertheless, the coverage in terms of indicators and targets is higher for regions than for cities. Moreover, although the set of indicators aims to cover the broad spectrum of all 17 SDGs, the coverage in terms of indicators also varies widely across SDGs.
The OECD localised framework defines end values to shed light on the global trends in OECD regions and cities working towards the SDGs, based on available indicators and with the objective of providing technical guidance for governments on a possible way to use the SDG indicator framework as a tool to advance local development plans and sustain evidence-based policies. By defining end values for 2030, regions and cities can assess where they stand today and grasp how much distance they must travel in order to reach the intended end value. When end values are not inferable from the UN framework, the OECD defines suggested end values for indicators based on the knowledge of experts in the field or, alternatively, based on the best performance of regions and cities in that indicator (for more details, see (OECD, 2020[15])).
To summarise results, the framework combines subsets of selected, normalised indicators into indexes for each SDG. The framework normalises the SDG indicators on a scale from 0 to 100 – where 100 is the suggested end value – and aggregates headline indicators that belong to the same SDG to provide an index score for each of the 17 SDGs.
The indicators and indexes are openly available in the “Measuring the distance to the SDGs in regions and cities” visualisation tool (oecd-local-sdgs.org) (OECD, 2025[16]). The tool was launched in 2020, with values covering 2017-18, and it was recently updated to cover values up to 2022-23.
This framework has been used in policy dialogues with 11 pilot cities and regions including: the City of Bonn, Germany; the Municipality of Kópavogur, Iceland, the City of Kitakyushu, Japan; the Basque Country, Spain; Region of Flanders, Belgium; State of Paraná, Brazil; the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy; the Province of Córdoba, Argentina; the Metropolitan Region of Rhine-Neckar, Germany; the Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark; and the County of Viken, Norway.
Sources: (OECD, 2020[15]; OECD, 2025[16]).
All three regions are close to the suggested end values for 7 out of 15 goals for which data are available. For example, in relation to SDGs 4 (Quality Education) the index score for all three regions is 100 points (index units) (Figure 4.2) due to the low percentage of early leavers from education and training among those aged 18 to 24 as well as the high percentage of 25 to 64 year olds with at least tertiary education. Similarly, for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), the index score for all three regions is 100 points. This is due to the relatively low ratio of average disposable income between the top and bottom quintiles. Regarding SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), the index score is 100 points for the Eastern and Midland Region, 99 points for the Northern and Western region, and 98 points for the Southern region. This is largely due to the low population-weighted levels of exposure to PM2.5 in µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre) in the three regions.
Despite some strong performances, the three regions face significant challenges in several SDGs (Figure 4.2). This is the case of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture) due to decreases in cropland as a percentage of total area, and low productivity in agriculture. SDG 5 (Gender Equality) remains a challenge due to persistent gender gaps in employment rates and in the incidence of part-time employment. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) also presents challenges, particularly due to reductions in water bodies.
Major disparities exist among the three regions in SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 14 (Life below water) and SDG 15 (Life on land). For example, for SDG 1 (No Poverty) the Eastern and Midland region ranks highest with 97 points, while the Southern (86 points) and Northern and Western (75 points) region has lower values. This gap is partly due to the difference in relative poverty rates (percentage of population with a disposable income below the 60% of national median disposable income) between the Eastern and Midland region (11.6%) and the other two (17.5% for Southern and 23.4% for Northern and Western).. The regional gaps in SDG 14 (Life Below Water) are more pronounced. At 50 points, the index for the Northern and Western region is the highest, while the Southern Region and the Eastern and Midland region have 31 and 17 points respectively. This gap is due to the differences in the share of protected coastal area as a percentage of total coastal area: 21% for Northern and Western, 13% for Southern and 7.7% for the Eastern and Midland region. When it comes to SDG 15 (Life on Land), the Northern and Western region scored the highest with an index score of 66 points. It was followed by the Southern region (56 points) and then by the Eastern and Midland region (49 points). These results reflect a good performance in two areas – the share of terrestrial protected areas and the change in tree cover between 2009 and 2022, where the Northern and Western region leads compared to its peer regions.
Note: No sufficient data for SDGs 3, 7, and 12.
Source: Prepared based on https://www.oecd-local-sdgs.org/; For the list of indicators used in the index see Annex B.
The Eastern and Midland region is above the OECD average in 10 out of 15 SDGs with available data. For example, the region scores 97.8 points on SDG 1, compared to an OECD average of 69.5 and a national average of 90 points (Figure 4.3). This strong performance is partly explained by the relative poverty rate, which stands at 11.6% – 9pp below the OECD regional average and 4pp below the national average. In SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) the index for the Eastern and Midland region is 98 points, similar to the national average, while the OECD average is 82 points. This result is partly due to the lower unemployment rate in the region (4.7%) relative to the OECD average (5.1%) in 2023. As for SDG 13 (Climate Action), Figure 4.3 shows an index of 94 points for the region, while the national average is 90 points, and the OECD average is 68 points. Part of the reason is the high percentage (60%) of the population satisfied with efforts to preserve the environment, while the OECD average was 46% in 2023.
However, the Eastern and Midland region is below OECD and national averages in 4 out of 15 indexes with available data (Figure 4.3). In relation to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) the index for the region is 57 points while the national average is 58 points, the OECD average is 61 points. This is mainly explained by differences in agricultural productivity (Gross Value Added per worker in agriculture, forestry and fishing [ISIC rev4], in constant 2010 USD PPP), where the OECD average is twice the productivity of the region. For SDG 6 (Clean and Water Sanitation), the index score for the region is 54 points while the national average and the OECD average were 59 and 60 points respectively. This is partly due to the changes in water bodies (from 1992 to 2015), as the region presents slightly larger decreases than the OECD average. SDG 14 (Life Below Water) also presents a challenge for the region as the index score is 17 points, while the OECD average is 44 points. This is due to the low levels of protected coastal area as a percentage of total coastal area. Finally, for SDG 15 (Life on Land) the index for the region is 49 points while the OECD and national averages are 65 and 55 points respectively. The explanation is partly due to the terrestrial protected areas as a percentage of total area as the region only had 7.3% and the OECD average was 22% in 2024.
Note: No sufficient data for SDGs 3, 7, and 12.
Source: Prepared based on https://www.oecd-local-sdgs.org/; For the list of indicators used in the index see Annex B.
The Northern and Western region is above the OECD average in 8 out of 15 SDGs for which data are available (Figure 4.4). For example, the region has an index score of 100 points in SDG 4 (Quality Education) while the OECD average is 79 points. This is largely due to the low percentage of early leavers from education and training among those aged 18 to 24 (5.5% for the region vs 13.0% for the OECD average) in 2022. Another SDG with positive results is SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) where the index for the Northern and Western region is 100 points, similar to national level, while the OECD average is 71 points. This is due to lower levels of income inequality (measured by the Gini index for disposable income) compared to the OECD average (0.27 for the region vs 0.35 for the OECD), and the lower top-quintile-to-bottom quintile income gap in the region (3.9) relative to the mean OECD region (6.9) in 2019. On SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), the index for both the Northern and Western Region and the national average (shown in Figure 4.4) is 99 points, while the OECD average is 88 points. This is partly due to lower exposure to air pollution (PM2.5) in the region (6.8 micrograms per cubic metre) than in the OECD (12.3 micrograms per cubic metre).
The Northern and Western region, however, still present some challenges. For example, regarding SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) the index in Figure 4.4 for the region (54 points) is below the OECD average (61 points). This is partly because the productivity (Gross Value Added per worker) in agriculture, forestry and fishing was 3.75 times higher across the OECD than in the region in 2021. In SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) the Northern and Western region has an index of 58 points while the OECD average is 60 points. A partial explanation is that between 1992 and 2015 the Northern and Western region had a slightly higher loss of total area covered by water bodies (like lakes, rivers, reservoirs, wetlands) than the OECD countries on average.
Note: No sufficient data for SDGs 3, 7 and 12.
Source: Prepared based on https://www.oecd-local-sdgs.org/; For the list of indicators used in the index see Annex B.
The Southern region is above OECD average in 13 of the 15 SDGs with available data (Figure 4.5). For example, in relation to SDG 4 (Quality Education) the index for the region is 100 points while the OECD average is 79 points. This is partially explained by the high share of population (from 25 to 64 years old) with at least tertiary education (50.2%), which was around 10pp higher than the average of OECD regions in 2022. For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) the Southern region has 100 points in the index while the OECD average is 82 points. This is partially explained by the lower levels of unemployment in the region (4.4%) relative to the OECD (5.1%) in 2023. For SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) the index for the region is 100 points, similar to the national level, while the OECD average is 71 points. This is due to lower levels of income inequality in the region than across the OECD, and the lower income gap between the 20% top richest an the 20% poorest in the region compared to the OECD average.
However, despite strong performance in several indicators, the Southern region still faces some challenges in achieving the SDGs. According to Figure 4.5, the region is below the OECD average in SDG 14 (Life Below Water) (31 points vs 44 points). This is because 13.5% of the Southern region’s coastal area was under some form of environmental protection, compared to 19.5% across the OECD on average in 2024. For SDG 15 (Life on Land) the index score for the Southern region is 56 points while the OECD average is 65 points. This is partly because across OECD countries 22.6% of total land area was designated as terrestrial protected area, while in the Southern region the share was 12.7% in 2024.
Note: No sufficient data for SDGs 3 and 12.
Source: Prepared based on https://www.oecd-local-sdgs.org/; For the list of indicators used in the index see Annex B.
Ireland provides conducive national policies and regulations for local governments to advance the SDGs
In Ireland, nine main strategic documents regulate the action of local governments and provide direction in integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into local governments activities. In particular:
The Local Government Act 2001 defines how local governments are organised and their main responsibilities (Government of Ireland, 2001[12]).
The Planning and Development Act 2024, whose primary objective is to modernise and streamline the country's planning system, ensuring it is more transparent, consistent, and capable of supporting sustainable development across national, regional, and local levels. This Act aligns planning processes with the National Planning Framework, introduces mandatory decision-making timelines, and restructures planning bodies to enhance efficiency and accountability (Government of Ireland, 2024[13]). The Act makes specific reference to settlements. It mandates that planning authorities include objectives tailored to individual settlements within their development plans, ensuring that local needs and characteristics are adequately addressed. These objectives are integral to the broader planning framework, aligning with national and regional strategies to promote cohesive and sustainable development across various settlements (Government of Ireland, 2024[13]).
The National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP) defines the key priority areas for investment to support social, economic, environmental and cultural development across the country, whose objectives are aligned to the SDGs and implemented under a whole-of-government approach (Government of Ireland, 2021[17]).
The National Planning Framework (NPF), adopted in 2018 and revised in 2025, is a long-term strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development for urban and rural areas aimed at securing balanced regional development and sustainable compact growth by 2040 (Government of Ireland, 2025[18]). All regional strategies and local development plans must be aligned with the National Planning Framework to ensure policy coherence.
The ‘Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government’ sets out the vision for local government as “the main vehicle of governance and public service at local level – leading economic, social and community development, delivering efficient and good value services, and representing citizens and local communities effectively and accountably.” (Government of Ireland, 2012, p. iii[19]).
Ireland’s Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2022-2024 (second NIP), developed in consultation with government departments, a wide array of stakeholders, and the input from two public consultation processes, acknowledges the importance of integrating the SDGs into local authorities work to translate them into tangible actions (Government of Ireland, 2022[20]).
The Guidelines for Local Authorities in the Preparation of Corporate Plans 2024-2029 is a key document to support local authorities in the preparation of corporate planning (Government of Ireland, 2024[21]).
The 2022 Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities set out national policies and objectives for the preparation, making, variation, and implementation of development plans (Government of Ireland, 2022[22]). In accordance with the Planning and Development Act, the Guidelines define the county or city development plan as the principal planning strategy document guiding the development of a local authority area over the statutory duration of the plan.
Other plans also contribute to guide the implementation of the SDGs at local level. The Local Authority Biodiversity Action Plan serves as a strategic tool to support and guide local authorities in the conservation of biodiversity in their jurisdictions (The Heritage Council, 2024[23]). They directly support SDG 15 (Life on Land) by aiming to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; SDG 13 (Climate Action) by helping to mitigate climate change and increasing ecosystem resilience; SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by integrating biodiversity into urban planning; SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by improving water quality and enhancing natural water filtration. This Plan includes, in general, actions to conserve native habitats, protect endangered species and enhance ecological connectivity.
Ireland’s second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024 (Second NIP) is the product of a process of collaboration and co-ordination among a wide range of stakeholders from a multiplicity of policy domains, and levels of government. Different counties and cities, organisations, citizens, NGOs, private sector organisations took part in this process to ensure policy coherence. This was essential to avoid contradictions, conflicts and trade-offs that can result from the complex interconnection of goals and strategies. This was an essential process to gather evidence from different stakeholders and their knowledge and experience as well as to promote local ownership of a national SDG strategy. This was also a way to channel local priorities in the definition of the key national document to implement the SDGs. Participants in the consultation processes provided policy suggestions and good practices aimed at enabling local governments to integrate the SDGs into their strategies, and long-term development vision.
The Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) state that there is significant alignment between the SDGs, the National Planning Framework’s National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs), and the Regional Strategic Outcomes (RSOs) of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies. This alignment is also reflected in local authority development plans (Government of Ireland, 2022[22]). Efforts to ensure consistency with national policy were reflected in the results of the OECD Survey on Localising the SDGs in Ireland, where local governments highlighted their actions to implement sustainable development within the framework of national legislation (Box 4.4). The City and County Development Plan (CDP) process enables local authorities to embed the principles of sustainable development within local policy objectives and the corresponding delivery actions. By adhering to the Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) during the preparation of City and County Development Plans, the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is ensured across all tiers of the planning policy hierarchy, namely the National Planning Framework (NPF), Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES), and CDPs. Moreover, the alignment of investment priorities set out in the National Development Plan with the National Strategic Objectives of the NPF - and the resulting project priorities at RSES and CDP levels - ensures that the planning system engages effectively with both the fiscal and governance arms of government. This supports the delivery of outcomes that are fully aligned with the SDGs on a cross-sectoral basis.
Between 26 April and 31 July 2024, the OECD conducted a survey on localising the SDGs in Ireland with the support of the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and the County and City Management Association (CCMA) of Ireland. The objective of the survey was to collect information on the main challenges, priorities and policy actions of local governments (counties and cities) in pursuing sustainable development in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda (see Annex C). This survey was part of the project 23IE10 – Building Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) across national and local government in Ireland. The project seeks to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ireland by providing analysis and recommendations for enhancing Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) at national and local level.
Respondents included 15 of the 31 county and city councils in the country. The local authorities that completed the questionnaire included:
1. Carlow County Council
2. Clare County Council
3. Cork City Council
4. Cork County Council
5. Kerry County Council
6. Kildare County Council
7. Limerick City & County Council
8. Meath County Council
9. Mayo County Council
10. Offaly County Council
11. Roscommon County Council
12. Sligo County Council
13. Westmeath County Council
14. Wexford County Council
15. Wicklow County Council
The second NIP has been widely used as a reference for preparing different plans and strategies. In general, local governments have taken the second NIP as a framework for their local development plans, age friendly strategies, climate action plans, green growth strategies, green business hubs, sustainable tourism strategies, and other initiatives. For example, Clare County Council used the Implementation Plan as a basis to develop ‘Clare’s Tourism Strategy 2030’ to position the county as a national and international tourist destination known for its commitment to responsible tourism and sustainability.
The second NIP highlighted some good practices for the localisation of the SDGs. For example, the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028; and the Dublin City Council Corporate Plan 2020-2028 have been recognised for their innovative approach to localising the SDGs. In other cases, local and regional officials took part in the different forums of discussion for the elaboration of the second NIP. All statutory plans are expected to align with national and regional planning frameworks, and they are monitored and reviewed by the Office of the Planning Regulator to ensure this is being done. For example:
Elected members of the Kerry County Council have taken part in discussions at the Southern Regional Assembly for the preparation of the second NIP, ensuring consistency of the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 with higher level plans and strategies such as the National Planning Framework and the Regional and Spatial Economic Strategy for the Southern Region (RSES).9 The Southern Regional Assembly (SRA) is one of three regional assemblies in Ireland, established to promote coordinated regional development and strategic planning.
Westmeath County Council has fully aligned its Local Economic and Community Plan 2023-2028 sustainable economic development and community objectives to the SDGs as set out in the action and implementation plan.
Cork City Council has established a research centre focused on the futures of the city that seeks to encourage collaborative solution-oriented approaches to advance the SDGs and the Paris Agreement through research, education and engagement at local, regional, national, and international level. This approach supports the National Implementation Plan for the SDGs to integrate the 2030 Agenda into the work of local authorities.
Not all counties have used the second NIP as a reference, as their local plans and strategies were prepared prior to 2022. However, revised versions are now being developed. The Planning and Development Act 2000, the National Planning Framework (2018–2040), and the Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) require County Development Plans to be reviewed every six years. As a result, the second (and third) NIP has been (and will be) considered in the preparation of these statutory plans, helping to ensure alignment of local policy with the SDGs.
The consultation processes for the preparation of the second NIP, and the results of the OECD survey, revealed that that there is still a need to enhance capacity at the local level. The development of accountability frameworks and annual reports from each local authority were recommended. During the consultation, there were suggestions that each county development plan and associated local area plans include a policy objective to commit to achieving the SDGs, but that it was necessary to guarantee proper resourcing of local authorities to this end. To localise the SDGs, it was deemed essential to foster public participation including minority and marginalised groups and enhance the role of local councils in SDGs promotion (Government of Ireland, 2022[24]). In response, the second NIP contains five specific actions to build on the role of local governments: i) showcasing, sharing and building on existing initiatives; ii) capacity building and awareness raising; iii) embedding the SDGs in governance and reporting frameworks; iv) incorporating the SDGs within local planning frameworks; and v) community engagement (Government of Ireland, 2022[20]).
Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2030 plays a significant role in supporting local governments in implementing the SDGs. This is done via the definition of investment priorities and the numerous funding streams that fall under its broader remit, and on which local authorities are heavily dependent. Since the NDP defines the government’s investment framework and priorities, in line with the policy priorities for well-being of Project Ireland 2040, it ensures policy coherence and influences local government actions and priorities in relation to sustainable development. The NDP forms the infrastructure spending plan for the delivery of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and therefore takes into account the SDGs as they are a fundamental part of the NPF. The SDGs provide a comprehensive, globally agreed blueprint for achieving sustainable development, which aligns directly with the long-term vision of the NPF.
The NPF supports local governments through investments in local projects that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. For example, the Roscommon Leader Partnership and Roscommon County Council have benefited from significant investment from the NPF, which supports local initiatives for community groups and businesses. In the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028, nine strategic objectives are mapped against the 17 SDGs and the 10 national strategic outcomes stated in Project Ireland 2040. In Westmeath County, the NDP drives and supports the delivery of projects such as urban and rural regeneration which are aligned with the SDGs 4, 11, 13, 8, 9 and 10. In Kildare County, the NDP funds sustainable transport initiatives such as greenways and dedicated cycle lanes as well as rural and urban regeneration projects. The Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 seeks to improve access to quality childcare, education and health services through initiatives and projects under the NDP.
The NDP supports local strategic planning by providing a long-term investment framework that aligns national priorities with regional and local development goals. Since the NDP is a core component of Project Ireland 2040, alongside the NPF, local development plans must demonstrate consistency with the NPF, ensuring that local strategies contribute to national objectives such as balanced regional growth, compact urban development, and sustainability. In this sense the NPF provides a framework to prepare local development plans that reflect local priorities aligned with the SDGs. These priorities are included in the local development plans which also contribute to national and global goals. As public participation in the development of draft plans is a statutory requirement, the Roscommon Town Draft Local Area Plan 2024–2030 incorporates the views from local stakeholders, giving them the opportunity to express their views on how the SDGs should be implemented at the county level. In some other instances, the central government is reliant on local authorities to conduct investment projects that are related to the SDGs. For example, to ensure a universal and equitable access to drinking water as well as adequate, safe and affordable housing by 2030, central government departments rely on local authorities to implement relevant national policy such as the River Basin Management 2022-2027 and the Housing for All plans.
Several national level departments impact sustainable development at the local level, thus the need for co-ordination across levels of government for the SDGs. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is responsible for supporting the sustainable and efficient delivery of well-planned homes and effective local government (Government of Ireland, 2021[25]) . One of its goals is to ensure that planning and building in regions and communities contributes to sustainable and balanced development.10 The activities of other central government departments may influence local governments’ capacity to localise and enable them to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, through the statutory planning system. For example, the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; of Education; of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; of Health; of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht; and of Climate, Energy and the Environment have responsibilities that will affect directly or indirectly local governments’ ability to work towards sustainable development as their activities touch upon different SDGs.
In Ireland, the process of achieving the SDGs encourages collaboration among stakeholders from the public, private sectors, voluntary community and civil society. This collaboration generally aims at developing the action plans for sustainable economic development or SDGs awareness raising campaigns. For example, Clare County Council has been working with the private and voluntary sector and civil society to achieve the Global Sustainability Tourism Council (GSTC) standard, in a process informed by the SDGs. After participating in the 2023 SDG Champions Programme, Clare County Council now serves as an SDG Ambassador. In this role, the council contributes to the promotion, awareness-raising and implementation of the SDGs at local, regional and national levels. The preparation of the Cork County Local Economic and Community Plan was developed under a bottom-up approach to allow the participation of a wide array of stakeholders to provide feedback and shape the plan including the integration of the SDGs. Mayo County Council has been selected as one of the 20 SDG Champions for the 2024–2025 programme. As a Champion, the council is expected to advocate for the SDGs, act as a good practice example of how an organisation or group can contribute to the SDGs and integrate the SDGs into their work or activities and share learnings with others.
A key challenge for Ireland is how to ensure that the cross-sectoral and integrated approach which underpins the SDGs is fully grasped, and implemented, across levels of government and within the local administrations. Departments and agencies at local level still operate on the basis of traditional “silos”. This needs to be adapted to address the cross-cutting nature of the SDGs. Achieving the SDGs requires co-ordination with different stakeholders. For example, Kerry County Council engages with a wide range of stakeholders through various forums including Strategic Policy Committees, Kerry Local Community Development Committee, Kerry Economic Stakeholder Forum, Kerry Community Integration Forum, Kerry Tourism Industry Federation, Tech Industry Alliance, and Kerry Public Participation Network (PPN), where SDGs help to frame and inform the discussions. Cork City Council organised a CityLab – multi-stakeholder workshops delivered through a collaborative approach between University College Cork and Cork City Council – and focus on a diverse range of topics including the ongoing planning, investment and regeneration of City Docklands. Each CityLab includes a module on the importance of localising the SDGs and accelerating progress toward their implementation.
In Ireland, there are different channels and institutions that support collaboration and promote awareness towards the SDGs in local governments and communities.
The Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) plays a key role in strengthening capacity among local governments and serves as a dialogue platform for sharing experiences. The AILG is a national body that represents elected city and county councillors. It is a networking, policy development and training resource for the elected members of Ireland’s 31 county and city councils and through regular interaction with government departments acts as a liaison between local and national governments.11 The AILG provides training to elected members on issues such as climate action, financing and budgeting, housing, planning and the SDGs. Part of the objectives of the training modules is to ensure that local authorities embed the SDGs in their county and city development plans, corporate plans, local area plans and local economic and community plans. The aim is to support local governments to integrate the SDGs in all policies across all departments.
Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are statutory bodies established in each local authority geographical area of responsibility and comprise representatives from both public and private sectors. LCDCs help ensure the SDGs are embedded into plans, funding programmes, and community engagement. Drawing on a wide range of expertise and experience, LCDCs are tasked with coordinating, planning, and overseeing local and community development funding. Their role includes fostering a more integrated and cohesive approach to the operation of local development programmes and services, ensuring coordination across various providers and delivery structures. LCDCs develop and implement Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs) that must be aligned with the NPF and the SDGs. LCDCs also aim to promote meaningful citizen and community engagement in the planning and evaluation of development initiatives, which is in line with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Moreover, they strive to enhance administrative efficiency, align resources with identified priorities and ensure better value for money in programme management and delivery. Emphasis is placed on continuous learning and feedback to strengthen the connection between service delivery and policy development. In addition, LCDCs actively pursue opportunities to secure additional funding from national, EU, private or other sources in support of local development objectives (Government of Ireland, 2025[26]).
The Public Participation Networks’ (PPNs) main purpose is to provide representation for the community sector (i.e. non-profit, voluntary and community-based organisations) in local government policymaking structures, giving local volunteers a greater say in local government decisions which affect their own communities. PPNs are established in each local authority area with membership open to all volunteer-led/ not-for-profit groups in that area – this can include, for example, sporting clubs, choirs, art collectives, residents’ associations and Tidy Towns groups. The PPNs may contribute to localising the SDGs through their capacity-building activities, access to information and actors, and lesson-sharing opportunities (Box 4.5). Subject to priorities identified at local level, PPNs could potentially be a way to explain the relevance of the SDGs to community groups. For example, just over ten years ago, County Carlow established its Public Participation Network as a formal channel for community groups to influence local government and help shape a more sustainable future for the county.12 However, according to research, a problem has been that PPN input is sometimes seen as informational rather than decision-shaping, with many representatives feeling their contributions are not fully reflected in policy decisions.13 In other cases, PPNs struggle to build enduring partnerships with local authorities as co-creation efforts often lack institutional support.14
In 2014, the Report of the Working Group on Citizen Engagement with Local Government recommended the establishment of Public Participation Networks (PPNs) in each of the 31 local authority areas. PPNs were established following the enactment of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, section 46 of which sets out the legislative basis for PPN.
PPNs have three key functions and areas of activity, to:
facilitate participation and representation in policy and decision-making fora,
build the capacity of member groups to carry out this role, and
serve as a networking and information hub for member groups in their area.
Where community representation is required on local authority committees, such as Strategic Policy Committees or Local Community Development Committees, it must be sourced through the PPN. PPNs also act as networking and information hubs for local volunteer-run groups. They keep the community informed of relevant local issues, events and supports through regular newsletters and events. They also provide space for community groups to grow and develop through training on topics such as governance, social media, communications, and specific policy issues. The PPNs may contribute to localise the SDGs through their capacity building activities, access to information and actors, and lesson sharing opportunities.
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) is responsible for funding and supporting the development of the Public Participation Networks (PPNs) at national level. The Department provides a range of supports to PPNs and works to promote best practice across the network. In line with Action 41 of the Second National Implementation Plan (NIP), which calls for the promotion and integration of the SDGs into the work of PPNs, DRCDG funded a series of training courses in 2023 and 2024, including one specifically focused on the SDGs.
Source: Government of Ireland (2014[27]) Working Group Report on Citizen engagement with Local Government.
The SDG Champions Programme, organised by the national government, provides local governments, NGOs, private sector organisations and civil society with the opportunity to learn from their peers on working towards the SDGs and their localisation efforts. Participating as an official SDG Champion is not required to benefit from the programme—peer learning from designated Champions lies at its core. One of the programme’s key contributions to SDG implementation has been the promotion of SDG mapping tools, such as the SDG Acceleration or Action Tool. Moreover, the SDG Champions can continue to promote the SDGs as ‘SDG Ambassadors’, after their term as Champions. Similarly, the National Stakeholder Forum serves as a platform to develop innovative ideas for achieving the SDGs in an inclusive manner (Box4.6).
The Local Authority Climate Action Training Programme, funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment in 2020, and delivered by Kildare County Council, as the lead authority for the Eastern and Midlands Climate Action Regional Office (CARO), in conjunction with the Local Authority Services National Training Group. The local authority climate action training programme has been designed to increase understanding of climate change and the need for action among local authority staff and elected members. Training has been delivered in areas such as climate science, international and national climate policy, and practical adaptation and mitigation measures. Training has also been rolled out to support local authorities with developing their local authority climate action plans, although not specific SDG training is provided.
In 2019, the Irish central government through the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment established the SDG Champions Programme to raise public awareness of the SDGs through partnership and promotion activities. The programme contributes to the localisation of the SDGs as organisations and individuals share lessons and good practice on different areas of sustainable development. Champions are selected from across the public, private, community, voluntary, youth and NGO sectors. The first edition 2019-2020 had 12 champions while the second edition 2023-2024 had 26, with 20 organisations appointed for the 2024-2025 Programme.
The role of the champions involves advocating and promoting the SDGs and sustainable development, acting as a good practice example of how an organisation or group can contribute to the SDGs and integrate the SDGs into their work or activities; and sharing lessons learnt with others. Champions must conduct a continuous promotion of the SDGs, provide a quarterly report of work and activities, and organise an SDG-related event. Three local authorities have been selected as champions so far: Carlow County Council, Clare County Council and Mayo County Council.
The Government of Ireland established the SDG National Stakeholder Forum to support the development of the national SDG framework and to provide a platform for stakeholders from all sectors to discuss and propose innovative ideas and solutions to achieve the SDGs. The Forum is guided by a committee comprising representatives from diverse sectors and backgrounds, whose primary responsibility is to develop an annual work plan aimed at ensuring the Forum remains accessible and inclusive.
Sources: Ireland SDG Champion Programme, at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cc350-sdg-champions-2023/ and SDG National Stakeholder Forum at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-environment-climate-and-communications/policy-information/sustainable-development-goals/#sdg-national-stakeholder-forum.
There are several other mechanisms conducive to the localisation of the SDGs in Ireland. For example, City and County Childcare Committees; Educational and Training Boards (ETBs); and Regional Authorities15 have a role in coordinating local government departments in different areas whose activities may directly or indirectly contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. In particular, Regional Authorities have been created to coordinate the activities of public authorities in regions as well as to influence the development plans of the constituent local authorities. Their planning coordination function could be seminal in the localisation of the SDGs and their role could be further enhanced to serve as a communication or linkage between national and local authorities in the implementation of the SDGs. Wicklow County Council, in partnership with the Public Participation Network, has developed an interactive policy map to showcase how local projects, actions, and policies contribute to achieving the targets of the SDGs, and highlights the ongoing work across the county on sustainable development (Wicklow County Council, n.d.[28]). Serving as a resource hub, it encourages the sharing of ideas, cross-learning, and strategic co-ordination among community organisations. This exercise was evaluated during SDG Week 2022, where county authorities used the exercise “Fill the Wheel & Map the Goals” to encourage broad community input.16 The 2024–2029 Climate Action Plan for County Wicklow explicitly references the SDG mapping tool as part of its framework (Wicklow County Council, 2024[29]).
Citizens’ participation in decision-making is widely encouraged and enabled across counties and cities in Ireland. Different channels of communication and interaction between local authorities and citizens exist, such as: sectoral forums, public consultation (online or in person), public events (e.g. workshops, working groups, conferences), advisory committees, library services, among others. All these mechanisms are designed to foster community engagement and ensure that the voices of civil society considered in the decision-making processes, fostering an inclusive and participatory approach to local development. This helps strengthen accountability and transparency and build trust in institutions, which is a key aspect of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Citizens are more likely to support and engage in climate action and environmental conservation when they are involved in shaping decisions. This participatory approach directly contributes to SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Local initiatives, such as community biodiversity plans or energy transition projects, are more successful and sustainable when communities have an active voice in their development and implementation. For example, in Kildare County sectoral forums were used during the preparation of the County Development Plan with specific meetings held with the Public Participation Partnership Network, the Chamber of Commerce and specific environmental groups. Roscommon County encourages civil society participation in decision-making through the Strategic Policy Committees which provide, inter alia, opportunities for sectoral and community representatives to input into local authority policymaking processes, including at an early stage. The Roscommon County Council also uses forums where representatives from different sectors of society come together to discuss local issues and propose solutions, allowing for a targeted engagement on specific topics relevant to the community. For example, community forums focus on reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy (SDG 13 Climate Action and SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy); attracting and retaining employment, supporting SMEs (SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth); and promoting Roscommon’s natural, built and cultural heritage (SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities) (Roscommon County Council, 2023[30]). The Westmeath Local Economic and Community Plan 2023-2028 was developed following public consultation, which was informed by the Guide for Inclusive Community Engagement in Local Planning and Decision Making and was developed in accordance with principles for inclusive community engagement.
Enhancing inter-county co-operation to jointly assess their respective needs and define priorities for the localisation of SDGs as well as develop programme and strategies at a more regional level is in its early stages. Regional governments in Ireland have more of a co-ordination than an executive role which may explain this lack of inter-county co-operation among counties and city councils. Although Ireland has implemented a shared services programme in areas such as waste management, payroll functions, building control, treasury management and procurement through contractual arrangements local governments there is little evidence that this contributes to the localisation of the SDGs. The activities of the Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) seem to foster inter-county co-operation. CARO plays an active role in promoting inter-county cooperation to jointly assess needs and priorities for localising the SDGs. In some cases, regional authorities hold regular meetings to identify and address shared concerns. In the Eastern and Midlands region, for example, this collaborative approach led to Kildare County Council and Meath County Council preparing a joint Local Area Plan—marking a significant improvement in coordination, which had previously been limited. Similarly, in the Greater Dublin Region, local authorities regularly engage with Uisce Éireann to discuss key water infrastructure needs.
Local governments in Ireland link their sustainable development plans and priorities to the SDGs
Some cities and counties in Ireland are using the SDGs as a framework for setting local development agendas. Most local governments have referenced and linked the SDGs to their priorities in their city and county development plans, economic and community plans, climate action plans, and housing delivery plans. The aim is to showcase the contribution of local programmes to achieving sustainable development and improving quality of life while achieving economic growth. Linkage with the SDGs has helped some counties (e.g. Clare County, and Cork City Council) to develop indicators with outputs and outcomes to measure the level of progress.
According to the answers to an OECD survey, although all the SDGs are considered useful to frame and strengthen local development initiatives, some are considered more relevant for the work of local governments. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), followed by SDG13 (Climate Action), and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) are reported as the most relevant to the local development goals as are linked to policy actions in areas such as sustainable mobility, compact city development, climate resilience, clean energy and affordable housing. For example, Cork County Council uses the SDGs to prioritise sustainable mobility to contribute to climate resilience; and Sligo County Council has implemented a co-creation programme to revitalise towns and villages and encourage walkability as a way to pursue sustainable urban development. Other SDGs considered critical for counties’ work are SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) which are also being used to frame local policies.
Raising awareness of the SDGs among citizens and public officials has been a priority of the local governments’ activities. The use of Internet (webpages) and social media are some of the tools used by local governments to raise awareness among residents and public officials on the importance of the SDGs, their implications for people’s daily lives, and how government programmes and activities are contributing to their achievement. Moreover, some local authorities such as Carlow County and Clare County have been selected to participate in the first and second edition of the SDG Champions Programme respectively. The aim is to raise awareness of the SDGs, advocate and promote their use, and show good practices on how an organisation can contribute to the SDGs and integrate them into its work and activities.17
Efforts to localise the SDGs have not changed per se how local authorities collaborate and co-operate among them. However, the SDGs have been used to clarify the policy priorities of this collaboration, to tackle common challenges or engage in common investment projects. For example, for the Roscommon County Council the SDGs offer a common language and set of objectives that enable aligning objectives with neighbouring authorities.
In Ireland, despite progress, local governments still face some challenges in the localisation of the SDGs. According to the results of the OECD Survey on Localising the SDGs in Ireland, there are three critical challenges: access to adequate financial resources, data gaps and capacity and training of local officials.
Localising the SDGs in Ireland is challenged by the weak financial capacity of local governments
Local governments depend heavily on central government funding to fulfil their responsibilities. Most subnational government expenditure is dedicated to transport infrastructure such as local roads, general public services, housing and community amenities, and environmental protection. For example, in Ireland, subnational government revenue represented only 12,7% of GDP in 2022, a lower share than for OECD average (16,8%) and EU27 (17,1%) (OECD, 2024[31]). Table 4.1 shows that subnational governments in Ireland receive a larger share from grants and subsidies than the OECD and EU27 average, but a lower share on taxes. According to DHLGH, around 57% of subnational revenue came from grants and subsidies from the central government in 2023. In 2022, Ireland’s subnational expenditure as a percentage of public spending was lower than the OECD and EU27 averages (Table 4.1). Section 106 of the Local Government Act states that a local authority may borrow money in any manner it considers suitable for the effective performance of its functions.
However, local governments need the agreement of the elected members of the local authority and prior approval of the central government to borrow. They are further constrained by an annual debt ceiling for new annual borrowing, as the sector must remain neutral in terms of the General Government Balance (GGB). Controls in relation to the local government contribution to the GGB were introduced under the EU/IMF Programme of Support, when Ireland committed to implementing a range of reform measures in the area of budgetary management. This means that in any year the local government sector can borrow the equivalent value of the principal that will be paid on non-mortgage loans in that year. This figure is EUR 118 million for new annual borrowing in 2025.18
As a result, local government debt, at 2.1% of GDP and 4.6% of public debt, is significantly below the OECD average for unitary countries (respectively 12.6% of GDP and 10.7% of public debt in 2022) (OECD, 2024[31]).
The mismatch between local expenditure and revenue suggests that local governments in Ireland may be suffering from unfunded or underfunded mandates, as they may not be adequately funded to work towards the localisation and attainment of the SDGs. Local governments should be able to diversify their sources of revenue in order to finance the localisation of SDGs, through enhanced tax collection, user charges and fees, or debt instruments, such as loans and bonds. This will require improving human capacity in terms of public financial management. Financial support for SDG localisation has been limited, and it has mostly been provided to support specific sectoral projects such as road infrastructure projects and new energy efficient social housing. The Kerry County Council, for example, has received funding from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) to implement projects included in the Local Economic and Development Plan which may contribute to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
Although Ireland’s current age profile remains relatively favourable, forecasts indicate that the country is set to experience one of the largest proportional increases in the old-age dependency ratio—measuring the number of people over the age of 65 relative to those of working age—by 2050 (OECD, 2025[3]; EC; OECD, 2019[32]). This demographic shift is expected to dampen GDP growth over the next three decades, as labour supply expands at a slower pace. The implications for public finances at both national and local levels are significant. According to the Department of Finance, in the absence of policy reform, population ageing is projected to require over EUR 16 billion in additional annual expenditure (in 2022 prices).19 At the subnational level, an ageing population presents serious fiscal challenges, as it may lead to a shrinking local tax base—through reduced income tax revenues and lower consumption taxes—further straining the financial sustainability of local government budgets.
The Town Centre First policy, which aims to revitalise towns across Ireland, constitutes a way to assist local governments in preparing application for funding from a variety of national and regional sources through anchoring them in locally developed Town Centre First Plans. Its integrated structure ensures both bottom-up Town Centre First Plans and national level policy aligned, making it an example of integrated policymaking and targeted investment. For example, the town of Boyle in County Roscommon (see Box 4.7) has benefited from this initiative. By investing in town centres, Town Centre First supports towns in reaching their full potential, enabling them to thrive as key service, social, cultural and recreational hubs for their local communities. In addition, Ireland introduced THRIVE: The Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, which is a grant programme for local authorities, funded under Ireland’s ERDF Regional Programmes. It focuses on revitalising key towns, strategic growth centres and cities by breathing new life into publicly-owned vacant or derelict heritage buildings through renovation, renewal and adaptive reuse. The scheme supports the delivery of locally driven regeneration plans that take a holistic approach to town centre revitalisation.20
Boyle was selected as a pilot town under the Town Centre Living Initiative (TCLI), building on the existing Boyle 2040 masterplan developed with Roscommon County Council. The TCLI project focused on revitalising the town’s historic core, particularly through the conservation of key heritage buildings. As a result of this work, Boyle secured over EUR 4 million in funding from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) for two major projects: the refurbishment of the old Royal Hotel into a multi-use Enterprise Centre, and the Energising Boyle Town Centre and King House project, which will enhance the public realm and cultural quarter to create a more vibrant and attractive town centre.
Source: Government of Ireland (n.d.[33]) Town Centre First. A Policy Approach for Irish Towns.
Heterogeneous capacity for data management may hinder SDGs implementation and monitoring
Although data seems to be produced regularly, its availability and governments’ capacity to produce, collect, analyse and store data varies from county to county. The results of the survey conducted for this report suggest that Ireland’s local governments have a varying degree of access to quality, timely and reliable data. Different sources of data are used: census data, surveys, data collected from administrative departments or agencies at local and national level, etc. There are no common reporting mechanisms that could be used to compare information. These mechanisms vary widely depending on the initiative of the local administration and may include: dashboards, monthly management reports, delivery plans. Similarly, data collection, analysis and reporting exercises are not always related to assess the implementation and progress on the SDGs. While achievable, this task would require scoping and additional resources and funding to be undertaken in a meaningful and impactful way. According to the answers to the OECD Survey on localising the SDGs in Ireland, support from national government on how to go about reporting on the implementation of projects, what baseline data to use, how to gather data, when and how and to whom to report progress has been rather limited.
Some counties invest themselves in enhancing their data capacity, while others have implemented reporting mechanisms on a project basis that will require further resources in the future. Some examples include:
Clare County Council has developed a set of indicators linked to the SDGs and has collected most of the data needed to measure progress through open platforms such as the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Moreover, the County Council has developed a collaborative project with the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) to strengthen the capacity to collect and analyse tourism indicators aligned with the SDGs. Tourism specific data has been collected through surveys and progress has been reported through dashboards detailing the indicator results. The Clare Tourism Department has recently created a new role, the ‘sustainable destination development officer’, to increase the capacity to align the new Sustainable Destination Action Plan and that is aligned to the SDGs.
Cork City Council collects data from each directorate in the City Council monthly to inform the Chief Executive’s Monthly Management Report. Data is also collected annually for the Annual Service Delivery Plan which provides information on the financial and operational performance to elected members, management, local public officials and citizens. However, the wide range of data created, gathered and analysed by Cork City Council is currently not collectively used to measure the progress of implementing the SDGs within the overall organisation.
Cork County Council created a socio-economic profile of Cork County with data from the 2022 Census to develop the high-level goals-based on the SDGs and objectives included in the Cork County Local Economic and Community Plan. The profile includes key social and economic indicators that have been uploaded onto the Council’s GIS system and provide the baseline data from which to measure progress through the implementation of the Plan and the SDGs.
Kildare County Council is currently utilising a spreadsheet and dashboard format to monitor and track actions of the Climate Action Plan. All departments are provided access to the spreadsheet to provide an update on progress on a regular basis which is then used for reporting purposes.
Westmeath County Council monitors the implementation of its Local Economic and Community Plan 2023 – 2028 through an Advisory Steering Group, which conducts a review every two years. Westmeath Libraries collate the number of events held in library venues throughout the year and link each event to relevant SDGs where appropriate.
Local governments identify training as a key need to advancing the SDGs
The training of public officials throughout the policy cycle to better integrate sustainability in local governments’ work (i.e. when translating high-level strategies into medium-term actions and goals) is the most important activity and need (Figure 4.4). Of the 15 responses, 11 local authorities (73% approximately) considered the need of training of local public officials as a priority for supporting sustainable development. This mainly refers to the lack of training and specialised skills for evaluating, understanding, and implementing the SDGs as well as aligning different strategies as some SDGs may require a blend of social and environmental science skills to be implemented. To try to address the lack of training different actions have been implemented:
The national government has provided guidelines and technical assistance in the elaboration of the different plans and strategies. For example, the Local Economic and Community Plans of Cork and Westmeath counties were developed under the Local Economic and Community Plans Guidelines 2021 issued jointly by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG).21 This guidance included specific reference to the implementation of the SDGs.
In 2022, DRCDG organised a series of webinars aimed at equipping each Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) with the knowledge and skills required to implement their Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs). One of these sessions specifically addressed the themes of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate action.
Local authorities stated that more targeted support from the central government in specific areas, for example sustainable tourism, would be welcome. The second NIP could benefit from better highlighting the relationship between the tourism sector and specific SDG goals. The reason is that the NDP indicates that of the estimated 260 000 jobs supported by tourism in 2019, 70% were outside Dublin, and 1 in 5 people in the west of Ireland are employed in tourism and hospitality industry (Government of Ireland, 2021[17]). This shows the importance of sustaining the tourism industry, particularly in rural areas, as outlined in SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
Ireland is committed to localising the SDGs. However, a housing affordability and supply crisis, and climate change mitigation and adaptation are some of the interconnected challenges that affect both the pace and quality of sustainable development. The housing crisis undermines efforts to ensure inclusive and sustainable communities, with rising costs and limited supply increasing the risks of poverty, homelessness and poor health, particularly for the youth and low-income households. Climate change exacerbates these problems, as Ireland remains off track to meet its 2030 emissions targets. Slow progress in expanding renewable energy infrastructure, upgrading transport and housing systems, and implementing adaptation measures weakens the country’s ability to respond to environmental risks, protect biodiversity, and ensure access to clean energy and water.
Localising the SDGs ensures global goals are translated into concrete actions that reflect local priorities, needs and contexts. It empowers communities to drive sustainable development from the ground up. Ireland is well poised to make further progress towards the localisation and achievement of the SDGs. It has a comprehensive planning framework and relatively solid institutional framework to localise the SDGs. However, the lack of a trained local public workforce, limited financial resources and insufficient data management capacity are some challenges Ireland needs to address to further advance this process. To support those efforts, Ireland may wish to consider the following recommendations:
Policies and strategies
Expand options for accessing affordable housing (ownership and rental) in already urbanised areas and in proximity to transit lines. DHLGH, in line with the National Planning Framework, should continue encouraging local governments to adopt a more compact and connected approach to help address the housing crisis—by focusing on regenerating central urban areas and promoting transit-oriented development. The Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 provides a valuable example of how to foster a compact and connected approach to deal with urban challenges such as housing and transport (Cork City Council, 2022[34]). Ensuring proximity of housing to transport hubs is critical in the context of an ageing population to allow elderly adults to access services and other urban opportunities. The case of Toyama City (Japan) offers an example of how to pursue a compact and connected model by aligning transport and housing to tackle the effects of an ageing population while ensuring a more sustainable development (Mori, n.d.[35]). The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) may consider requiring the inclusion of a minimum number of social or municipal housing units within transit-oriented development (TOD) projects. This would help to prevent potential gentrification and promote inclusive, sustainable urban environments—not only in Dublin but also across the main urban centres. Alternatively, local authorities could offer density bonuses, permitting developers to build higher or increase floor space in exchange for incorporating social housing units, and some of them could be reserved for residents over 65 years old in need of housing. The overarching aim is to ensure that existing lower-income residents are not displaced as a result of new TOD initiatives.
Strengthen climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Local governments can leverage Local Climate Action Plans (LCAPs) to accelerate the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, helping to keep Ireland on track to meet the national net-zero emissions targets. Local governments may ensure that LCAPs are in line with national objectives on energy efficiency and renewable energy contributing to transit to cleaner modes and modernising their energy infrastructure. LCAPs could also foster public building retrofit to manage energy upgrades in public housing, offices and infrastructure. Local governments could also use their LCAPs to promote the use of public transport to reduce GHG emissions and encourage the electrification of both public transport and private cars using non-fossil fuel electricity. The shift to electric vehicles in local authorities’ fleets is a step in the right direction. Procurement for clean energy and green technologies for public services and transport may be part of this strategy alongside city planning and incentivising shifts in modes of travel of citizens. Fostering a circular economy approach, in particular for wastewater treatment, together with the digital transition could place urban areas in a better position towards achieving climate goals. Local governments could also introduce nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts such as floods, heatwaves, droughts and sea level rise, while providing co-benefits for biodiversity and communities; for example, urban greening (e.g. green wall and roofs), restoration of wetlands and floodplains, restoration of coastal areas, tree planting and urban forests, agroforestry, etc.
Move beyond referencing the SDGs in local plans and give priority to implementation. Efforts to localise the SDGs have so far focused primarily on referencing the SDGs in plans and strategies. However, a more comprehensive and action-oriented approach is needed. County and city councils could strengthen SDGs implementation including by joining forces with neighbouring local authorities and developing SDGs budgeting and financial strategies in the context of limited resources. To ensure policy coherence, local governments must not only understand the interlinkages between SDG targets but also coordinate actions across different policy areas. From a planning perspective, this can be advanced through the City and County Development Plan process by incorporating cross-sectoral input to support sustainable development aligned with the SDGs.
Continue promoting the elaboration of SDG policy maps in co-ordination with the local Public Participation Network (PPN). The reason is that these policy maps help link targets to departments and major programmes and track SDG achievement. The experience of County Wicklow could be instrumental in demonstrating the value of SDG policy maps, as it spatially displays how local projects and policies contribute to different SDG targets, while enabling citizens and groups to submit their own initiatives for consideration in decision-making processes.
Data and indicators
Leverage the statutory role of the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) to strengthen oversight and monitoring of the SDGs in local governments. The reason is that NOAC holds a clearly defined statutory role under Section 126B of the Local Government Act 2001 to oversee the local government sector in Ireland. As part of its mandate, NOAC could monitor the performance of local government against relevant indicators on the achievement of SDGs. Since NOAC already oversees the implementation of national and local government policy in key areas such as housing, digitisation, climate action, and other strategic priorities, it is in a key position to monitor progress in localising the SDGs. It could also play a vital role in supporting the development and sharing of best practices among local governments.
Improve local capacity for data management for monitoring and assessing SDGs implementation. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) should support local governments in the development of indicators for monitoring progress on the SDGs. These could be based on the experiences of counties that have already developed their own indicators and monitoring tools. A peer-to-peer learning mechanism on indicators development could be established under the leadership of the CSO.
Multi-level Governance, Financing and Stakeholder Engagement
Ensure that the right subnational fiscal capacity is in place to enable the mobilisation of subnational revenue for localising the SDGs. The national government should estimate and correct any vertical fiscal imbalances that may emerge between the tasks assigned to subnational governments and their limited resources. Local governments should be granted the legal power to levy taxes and set their rates with the aim of gathering sufficient resources to effectively implement their local development plans and ensuring accountability to local communities. Ireland should give priority to reinforce local tax revenues to strengthen subnational finances although this is a long-term effort. Local governments could also partner with the private sector to fund urban development projects related to the SDGs. Financial assistance and support should be provided to local authorities for the production of the voluntary local reviews. In addition, a well-defined and adequately funded framework for the role of local governments in delivering the SDGs should be developed jointly by the national government and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).
Strengthen training for local governments to localise the SDGs, which could include more concrete training and guidance from central government on sustainability priorities when formulating policies; training courses for public administration on sustainable development issues and the SDGs; adjustments to how public funds are planned, allocated and spent to support sustainable development; mechanisms for intersectoral consultation and dialogue; and information events specific to local government personnel.
Foster horizontal co-operation among local governments to conduct joint assessments of needs and capacities towards the achievement of the SDGs. This is done to a certain degree as counties and city councils work together in service delivery and infrastructures, but more could be done to guarantee a more integrated and efficient approach to territorial development through joint planning and even through the pooling of resources and capacities. Regional bodies, the national government, the LGMA and the AILG could champion supra-local initiatives to localise and achieve the SDGs.
Develop a much wider awareness raising campaign of the third NIP among local governments. Not all local governments are familiar with the second NIP, therefore the national government should make sure to disseminate, promote and encourage the use of the document in the preparation of the strategic orientations of the local development plans. Moreover, local councils, with the support of the national government and the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), should organise internal awareness raising events with the local administration to generate awareness on the second NIP and the SDGs among a wider range of local public representatives and officials. The AILG should make councillors aware of their role in both the implementation of the SDGs and in the definition and evaluation of national and local strategies, as well as take further steps to strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of their members with ongoing bespoke training. Ireland may also wish to evaluate the role of Public Participation Networks (PPNs) in communicating the SDGs at local level. PPNs have strong potential to localise and advance the SDGs in Ireland. This national evaluation could focus on the role these networks have played in localising the SDGs and draw lessons for the near future.
Give continuity to the SDG Champion Programme to promote awareness-raising and lessons drawing. Its activities have been important to reach out to several sectors of the society to raise awareness on the SDGs. The appointment of a local SDG champion could help enhance the work of the programme. Alternatively, Ireland may consider the establishment of a local authority SDG network for the sharing of best practices to better support the localisation of the SDGs.
References
[110] Central Statistics Office, Ireland (2025), Regional EU Sustainable Development Indicators for Ireland, https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/unsustainabledevelopmentgoals/regionaleusustainabledevelopmentindicatorsforireland/.
[109] Central Statistics Office, Ireland (2023), Measuring Ireland’s Progress towards the SDG Targets - 2019/2022, Central Statistics Office, https://irelandsdg.geohive.ie/documents/faece47bb51d45c18c7781cbc3031810/explore.
[97] Clean Energy Wire (2025), RNE - German Council for Sustainable Development, https://www.cleanenergywire.org/experts/rne-german-council-sustainable-development.
[9] Climate Change Advisory Council (2024), Preparing for Ireland’s Changing Climate. Annual Review 2024, https://www.climatecouncil.ie/councilpublications/annualreviewandreport/AR2024-Adaptation-3P.pdf.
[54] Community Work Ireland (2023), Social Inclusion Forum 2023, https://www.cwi.ie/sif2023/.
[34] Cork City Council (2022), Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e6d297d107fa44249c1010cf2390320e.
[39] Department of Foreign Affairs (2015), September: UN Sustainable Development Goals, https://www.dfat.ie/annualreport/2015/our-values/negotiating-the-sustainable-development-goals/.
[61] Department of Justice and Equality (2017), National Strategy for Women and Girls, Government of Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/95975/bd524a60-e19f-44e8-80ce-9cdc58853403.pdf#page=null.
[50] Department of Social Protection (2024), Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2025: Ambition, Goals, Commitments | Third Progress Report, July 2022 to June 2023, Government of Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/285231/d3ff6026-1031-4b08-85ef-59da90bdf0d3.pdf#page=null.
[51] Department of Social Protection (2023), Mid-term Review of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, Government of Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/259391/5bcb78ff-a5fd-45db-9e6a-f187980f603c.pdf#page=null.
[53] Department of Social Protection (2023), Technical Paper on the Poverty Indicators for Social Inclusion in Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/259311/2f3ea3d8-1b31-4011-addc-12121942b835.pdf#page=null.
[40] Donoghue, D. (n.d.), How Ireland is Adopting the Sustainable Development Goals, https://drukjournal.bt/how-ireland-is-adopting-the-sustainable-development-goals/.
[32] EC; OECD (2019), State of Health in the EU. Ireland. Country Health Profile 2019, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/ireland-country-health-profile-2019_2393fd0a-en.html.
[95] Eduskunta RIksdagen (n.d.), Committee for the Future, https://www.eduskunta.fi/EN/valiokunnat/tulevaisuusvaliokunta/Pages/default.aspx (accessed on 15 April 2025).
[36] EPA (2025), SEA Legislation, https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/assessment/strategic-environmental-assessment/sea-legislation-/.
[114] Federal Statistical Office of Switzerland (n.d.), Information on the system, https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/sustainable-development/monet-2030/information-system.html (accessed on 15 April 2025).
[92] Fetting, C. (2021), Parliamentary Mechanisms in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, European Sustainable Development Network, https://www.esdn.eu/fileadmin/ESDN_Reports/ESDN_Report_August_2021_Parliaments_and_SDGs_Final.pdf.
[78] Future Generation Wales (2023), Future Generations Commissioner Equality Strategy 2023-2027, https://futuregenerations.wales/public-information/future-generations-commissioner-equality-strategy-2023-2027/.
[113] Government of Canada (2024), Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment, https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation/sustainability/strategic-environmental-economic-assessment/cabinet-directive.html.
[115] Government of Canada’s Sustainable Development Goals Unit (2023), Canada’s 2023 Voluntary National Review: A Continued Journey for Implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/canada/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030/voluntary-national-review/2023-report/VNR_Main%20Report_EN_August%202.pdf.
[73] Government of Finland (2020), Finland’s 2020 VNR.
[105] Government of Ireland (2025), Climate Action Plan 2025, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/value-for-money-framework/.
[18] Government of Ireland (2025), First Revision to the National Planning Framework (NPF), https://www.npf.ie/.
[68] Government of Ireland (2025), Gender equality, https://www.ireland.ie/en/irish-aid/what-we-do/gender-equality/.
[26] Government of Ireland (2025), Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Department of Rural and Community Development, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development/policy-information/local-community-development-committees-lcdcs/#purpose-of-lcdcs.
[76] Government of Ireland (2025), Understanding Life in Ireland: The Well-being Framework, https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/second-report-a-well-being-framework-for-ireland-ae844ac9-3195-4546-94f4-2a1a4d6eb213.pdf.
[62] Government of Ireland (2024), Consultations for the successor strategy to the National Strategy for Women and Girls, https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/d7e09-consultations-for-the-successor-strategy-to-the-national-strategy-for-women-and-girls/.
[21] Government of Ireland (2024), Guidelines for Local Authorities in the preparation of Corporate Plans 2024-2029, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/guidelines-for-local-authorities-in-the-preparation-of-corporate-plans-2024-2029/.
[91] Government of Ireland (2024), Minister O’Brien launches report on the application of the ‘Values and Principles’ by government departments and agencies, https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1cc43-minister-obrien-td-launches-report-on-the-application-of-the-values-and-principles-by-government-departments-and-agencies/.
[42] Government of Ireland (2024), Planning and Development Act 2024.
[13] Government of Ireland (2024), Planning and Development Act 2024, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/campaigns/planning-and-development-act-2024/.
[47] Government of Ireland (2024), SDG Champions 2024-2025, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-environment-climate-and-communications/publications/sdg-champions-2024-2025/.
[4] Government of Ireland (2024), Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements: Guidelines for Plannign Authorities, https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/2cd4f729-sustainable-residential-development-and-compact-settlements-guidelines-for-pl.pdf.
[83] Government of Ireland (2023), Green budgeting, https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/a92af-green-budgeting/.
[100] Government of Ireland (2023), Infrastructure Guidelines, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-ndp-delivery-and-reform/collections/infrastructure-guidelines/.
[80] Government of Ireland (2023), Performance budgeting, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-ndp-delivery-and-reform/collections/performance-budgeting/.
[48] Government of Ireland (2023), Report from the SDG National Stakeholder Forum Meeting ‘Leaving No One Behind’, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/255215/3ed8eba9-090b-4f3e-b54c-4ac5d0360c7f.pdf#page=null.
[84] Government of Ireland (2023), Statement of Strategy 2023-2025, Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-ndp-delivery-and-reform/publications/statement-of-strategy-2023-2025/.
[101] Government of Ireland (2023), Value For Money Framework, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/value-for-money-framework/.
[24] Government of Ireland (2022), A summary of feedback provided as part of the final round of consultation on Ireland’s draft national implementation 2022-2024, https://assets.gov.ie/233049/44cbbcc0-639b-4f1b-b401-8011e6bca988.pdf.
[43] Government of Ireland (2022), Cross-government launch of new National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024, https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/69a2a-cross-government-launch-of-new-national-implementation-plan-for-the-sustainable-development-goals-2022-2024/.
[22] Government of Ireland (2022), Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities, https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/development-plans-guidelines-for-planning-authorities.pdf.
[20] Government of Ireland (2022), Ireland’s Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiRvPKbm7OJAxVHRKQEHagjC5IQFnoECC0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.ie%2Fen%2Fpress-release%2Fadcb3-ireland-is-performing-well-in-achieving-the-sustainable-development-goa.
[71] Government of Ireland (2022), Minister for Health and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine support cross government and cross sectoral actions on One Health, https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/45ab6-minister-for-health-and-minister-for-agriculture-food-and-the-marine-support-cross-government-and-cross-sectoral-actions-on-one-health/.
[44] Government of Ireland (2022), National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e950f-national-implementation-plan-for-the-sustainable-development-goals-2022-2024/.
[7] Government of Ireland (2021), Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/act/32/section/5/enacted/en/html.
[46] Government of Ireland (2021), Climate Action Plan 2021, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-environment-climate-and-communications/publications/climate-action-plan-2021/.
[6] Government of Ireland (2021), Housing for All: A New Housing Plan for Ireland, https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/housing-for-all-a-new-housing-plan-for-ireland.pdf.
[25] Government of Ireland (2021), Local Government: Structure and Functions, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/organisation-information/local-government-structure-and-functions/.
[17] Government of Ireland (2021), National Development Plan 2021-2030, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwicuamj4bOJAxW2SKQEHZoNDe8QFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.gov.ie%2F200358%2Fa36dd274-736c-4d04-8879-b158e8b95029.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1TZxsyMgbeD0GDiaduxhKd&opi=89978449.
[59] Government of Ireland (2021), Open Government in Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/d79a2-open-government-in-ireland/.
[55] Government of Ireland (2021), Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2025, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/1feaf-pathways-to-work-2021/#:~:text=Pathways%20to%20Work%202021-2025%20is%20the%20government%E2%80%99s%20national,the%20economy%20and%20labour%20market%20recovers%20from%20COVID-19.
[56] Government of Ireland (2020), Members of The Labour Market Advisory Council, https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/984411-members-of-the-labour-market-advisory-council/.
[49] Government of Ireland (2020), Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/46558/5cea3d74aa934fe780cc521ddbe477a7.pdf#page=1.
[81] Government of Ireland (2019), Equality budgeting, https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/aec432-equality-budgeting/.
[58] Government of Ireland (2019), Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019-2024, https://assets.gov.ie/26890/ff380490589a4f9ab9cd9bb3f53b5493.pdf.
[41] Government of Ireland (2018), Project Ireland 2040, https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/09022006-project-ireland-2040/.
[102] Government of Ireland (2018), Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) and Related Legislation, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/regulatory-impact-analysis-ria-and-related-legislation/.
[86] Government of Ireland (2018), The budget cycle, https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/dc09f0-budget-cycle/.
[117] Government of Ireland (2016), Public Consultation Guidance, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-ndp-delivery-and-reform/publications/public-consultation-guidance/.
[27] Government of Ireland (2014), Working Group Report on Citizen engagement with Local Government, Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, https://www.socialjustice.ie/system/files/file-uploads/2021-09/2014-02-28-workinggroupreport-published-final01.pdf.
[38] Government of Ireland (2012), Our Sustainable Future: A Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland, https://developmenteducation.ie/media/documents/Our%20sustainable%20future%20irish%20framework.pdf.
[19] Government of Ireland (2012), Putting People First- Action Programme for Effective Local Goevernment, https://assets.gov.ie/3577/291118175859-d2d605bd596f408f9120ffaa62359e4f.pdf.
[12] Government of Ireland (2001), Local Government Act, 2001, https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/37/enacted/en/html.
[70] Government of Ireland (n.d.), Food Vision 2030: A World Leader in Sustainable Food Systems, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/179717/910771f6-05ed-43f1-b8ce-52ef7c602710.pdf#page=null.
[85] Government of Ireland (n.d.), Green Tenders: An Action Plan on Green Public Procurment, http://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/crops/crops/GreenTendersPublicProcurement.pdf.
[33] Government of Ireland (n.d.), Town Centre First. A Policy Approach for Irish Towns, https://www.leitrim.ie/invest/growing-leitrim/economic-development/town-and-village-regeneration/town-centre-first/.
[111] Government of Italy (n.d.), Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, http://mase.gov.it (accessed on 15 April 2025).
[94] Houses of the Oireachtas (2024), Towards Harmonisation of National Legislation with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/33/joint_committee_on_disability_matters/reports/2024/2024-01-24_towards-harmonisation-of-national-legislation-with-the-united-nations-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities_en.pdf.
[93] Houses of the Oireachtas (2021), About committees, https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/about-committees/.
[64] IHREC (2021), Strategy Statement 2022-2024, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, https://www.ihrec.ie/app/uploads/2022/02/IHREC_StrategyStatement_FA-v2.pdf.
[63] IHREC (n.d.), “Homepage”, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, https://www.ihrec.ie/.
[2] IMF (2023), Housing Affordability in Ireland, https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2023/412/article-A003-en.xml.
[52] Ipsos (2022), Mid-Term Review of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 | Report on Stakeholder Consultation, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/259310/879efece-8b7e-4611-9a59-529303c67976.pdf#page=null.
[69] Irish Aid (2023), Annual Report 2022, https://www.ireland.ie/en/irish-aid/news-and-publications/annual-reports/annual-report-archive/annual-report-2022/.
[8] Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (n.d.), A colossal missed opportunity. ireland’s climate action and the potential costs of missing targets, https://www.fiscalcouncil.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Irelands-climate-action-and-the-potential-costs-of-missing-targets.pdf.
[87] Jaquiery, A. (2022), New Zealand: Changing the Conversation on Well-Being, IMF, https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/01/26/cf-new-zealand-changing-the-conversation-on-well-being.
[57] Labour Market Advisory Council (2022), Pathways to Work Progress Report (July 2021 – June 2022), https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/242268/94141b17-fba6-4777-aad3-896190d83fc4.pdf#page=null.
[116] MacCarthaigh, Muiris (2013), The Changing Strcuture of Irish Sub-national governance, Local Government research Series, IPA, Report No. 4., https://www.ipa.ie/_fileUpload/Documents/LocalGov_RS_No4.pdf.
[66] Maynooth University (n.d.), STEM Passport for Inclusion: Bridging the Gap in STEM Access for Disadvantaged Students, https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/all-institute/all-projects/stem-passport-inclusion?msclkid=4643359ec65311ec9e4f92f4bab564ec.
[88] Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (2024), Where did the $1.9 billion Wellbeing Budget go?, https://www.mhwc.govt.nz/news-and-resources/budget-investment-report/.
[5] MoMA (2025), Glen Regeneration Project, http://www.mattomahony.ie/portfolio-item/glen-regeneration/.
[35] Mori, M. (n.d.), Building Toyama with the compact city strategy, https://future-city.go.jp/doc/pdf/english/forum/toyama.pdf.
[65] O’Sullivan, K. et al. (2021), “A just digital framework to ensure equitable achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals”, Nat Commun, Vol. 12/6345, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26217-8.
[16] OECD (2025), Measuring the Distance to the SDGs for Regions and Cities, https://www.oecd-local-sdgs.org/.
[3] OECD (2025), OECD Economic Surveys: Ireland 2025, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9a368560-en.
[107] OECD (2025), OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2025, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/56b60e39-en.
[14] OECD (2025), OECD Territorial Grids, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-geographical-definitions/territorial-grid.pdf.
[79] OECD (2024), OECD Performance Budgeting Framework, GOV/SBO(2023)1/REV1, Unclassified, https://one.oecd.org/document/GOV/SBO(2023)1/REV1/en/pdf.
[77] OECD (2024), OECD Youth Policy Toolkit, OECD Publishing, https://doi.org/10.1787/74b6f8f3-en.
[31] OECD (2024), Subnational Governments Structure and Finance, https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-issues/subnational-finance-and-investment/subnational-governments-infrastructure-finance-2024.pdf/_jcr_content/renditions/original./subnational-governments-infrastructure-finance-2024.pdf.
[60] OECD (2024), Together for Children and Young People in Ireland: Towards a New Governance Framework, OECD Public Governance Reviews, OECD Publishing, https://doi.org/10.1787/12f4dfb2-en.
[108] OECD (2023), “Policy Methods and Tools in Ireland”, in Strengthening Policy Development in the Public Sector in Ireland, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/f17d83a7-en.
[75] OECD (2023), Strengthening Policy Development in the Public Sector in Ireland, OECD Public Governance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/6724d155-en.
[10] OECD (2023), Towards a balanced regional attractiveness in Ireland. Enhancing the delivery of the National Planning Framework, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/towards-balanced-regional-attractiveness-in-ireland_3df116ad-en.html.
[112] OECD (2022), Italy’s National Action Plan for Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/54226722-en.
[74] OECD (2021), “Civil service capacities in the SDG era: An assessment framework”, OECD Working Papers on Public Governance, No. 47, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/a20bad7c-en.
[103] OECD (2021), “Ireland”, in OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2021, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-regulatory-policy-outlook-2021_38b0fdb1-en/full-report/ireland_3d6d3c7e.html#indicator-d1e26714.
[106] OECD (2021), OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2021, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/38b0fdb1-en.
[82] OECD (2021), OECD scan of equality budgeting in Ireland: Equality mainstreaming and inclusive policy making in action, GOV/PGC/SBO(2021)12, Unclassified, https://one.oecd.org/document/GOV/PGC/SBO(2021)12/en/pdf.
[15] OECD (2020), A Territorial Approach to the Sustainable Development Goals: Synthesis report, https://doi.org/10.1787/e86fa715-en.
[96] OECD (2020), Romania: OECD Scan of Institutional Mechanisms to Deliver on the SDGs, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dezvoltaredurabila.gov.ro/uploads/documents/Romania-Institutional-Scan_final.pdf.
[104] OECD (2012), Recommendation of the Council on Regulatory Policy and Governance, OECD Legal Instruments, https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0390.
[11] OECD/UCLG (2022), 2022 Country Profiles of the World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment, https://www.sng-wofi.org/country-profiles/.
[1] Parliamentary Budget Office (2023), Housing Affordability for Private Household Buyers in Ireland, https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/parliamentaryBudgetOffice/2023/2023-10-05_housing-affordability-for-private-household-buyers-in-ireland_en.pdf.
[30] Roscommon County Council (2023), Roscommon County Local Economic and Community Plan 2023-2029, https://meetings.roscommoncoco.ie/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?AIId=8901.
[98] SDG Global Forum (n.d.), The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), https://sdgglobalforum.org/members/detail/rne (accessed on 15 April 2025).
[99] The 2030 Panel (n.d.), About the 2030 Panel, https://www.2030-panelet.dk/about-the-2030-panel/ (accessed on 15 April 2025).
[90] The Citizens’ Assembly (2023), Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, https://citizensassembly.ie/wp-content/uploads/ReportonBiodiversityLoss.pdf.
[89] The Citizens’ Assembly (2021), Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality, https://citizensassembly.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/report-of-the-citizens-assembly-on-gender-equality.pdf.
[23] The Heritage Council (2024), Local Authority Biodiversity Action Plan. Guidelines, https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/content/files/Local-Authority-Biodiversity-Action-Plan-Guidelines.pdf.
[72] UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (2025), Germany, https://hlpf.un.org/countries/germany (accessed on 11 April 2025).
[45] UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (2023), Sustainable Development in Ireland: over 80% of targets achieved, https://unric.org/en/sustainable-development-in-ireland-over-80-of-targets-achieved/#:~:text=Over%2080%25%20of%20the%20169,and%20wellbeing%20(SDG%203).
[67] UN Women (2015), Ireland vows gender equality a foreign policy priority in the push for the Sustainable Development Goals (updated), https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/step-it-up/commitments/ireland.
[37] UNECE (2012), UNECE welcomes ratification by Ireland of the Aarhus Convention, its amendment on genetically modified organisms and its Protocol on PRTRs, https://unece.org/environment/press/unece-welcomes-ratification-ireland-aarhus-convention-its-amendment-genetically.
[29] Wicklow County Council (2024), Wicklow County Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, https://www.wicklow.ie/Portals/0/Documents/Environment/Climate%20Action%20Plan/Wicklow%20County%20Council%20Climate%20Action%20Plan%2015-01-24%20Adopted.pdf.
[28] Wicklow County Council (n.d.), Sustinable Development Goals, https://www.wicklow.ie/Living/Services/Environment/Climate-Action-and-Biodiversity/Sustainable-Development-Goals (accessed on 13 June 2025).
← 1. The Irish government is working on a series of guidelines to assist in provision of additional housing typology, appropriate to smaller households.
← 6. For further information see: National Planning Framework at: https://www.npf.ie/.
← 7. For further information see: https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/climate-change/what-impact-will-climate-change-have-for-ireland/.
← 8. See: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/about/projects/cfe/effective-public-investment-toolkit/effective-public-investment-country-fact-sheet-ireland.pdf and https://www.uclg-localfinance.org/sites/default/files/IRELAND-EUROPE-V3.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
← 9. In Ireland, all statutory plans are required to align with national and regional planning frameworks and are subject to monitoring and review by the Office of the Planning Regulator to ensure compliance.
← 10. For further information see: About the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, at: https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/370584-about-the-department-of-housing-planning-and-local-government/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20Housing%2C%20Local%20Government%20and%20Heritage%27s%20mission%20is,homes%20and%20effective%20local%20government.
← 11. For further information see: https://ailg.ie/.
← 12. For further information see: https://www.carlowppn.ie/e-bulletins/June-E-Bulletin-2025.html#Grants.
← 13. For further information see: https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/33/joint_committee_on_environment_and_climate_action/submissions/2022/2022-11-08_opening-statement-cliona-kelliher-kildare-ppn-secretariat-network_en.pdf; Donoghue, M., Moran, K (2025) Public Participation Networks ad Local Democracy. Addressing Challenges and Amplifying Opportunities, Public Policy, June, at: https://publicpolicy.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Public-Participation-Networks-and-Local-Democracy.pdf.
← 14. For further information see: https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/legacy/file/Social%20Policy%20Conference/2017/Book/chapter_9.pdf
← 15. For further information see: MacCarthaigh (MacCarthaigh, Muiris, 2013[116]) The changing structure of Irish sub-national governance.
← 16. See: https://countywicklowppn.ie/wicklow-campaign-for-sustainable-development-goals-week-2022-fill-the-wheel-map-the-goals/.
← 17. For further information on the SDG Champion Programme see: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cc350-sdg-champions-2023/.
← 18. For further information see: https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-gfsa/governmentfinancestatistics2024april2025/keyfindings/#:~:text=The%20general%20government%20balance%20shows,24.5%20billion%20higher%20than%202023.
← 19. For further information see: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-finance/press-releases/minister-mcgrath-publishes-reports-on-population-ageing-and-the-public-finances-in-ireland/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
← 20. For further information see: https://southernassembly.ie/erdf-priority-3/thrive/.
← 21. The LECP sets out six-year objectives and actions for economic and community development within each local authority area, in line with sustainable development principles and national commitments to the SDGs under the Programme for Government and the SDG National Implementation Plan.