OECD Policy Coherence Scan of Ireland and SDGs

The OECD has published a policy coherence scan of Ireland and the SDGs.  Policy coherence has been identified by the OECD as critical for integrated policymaking that leaves no one behind. This report provides an overview of Ireland’s legislation, institutional mechanisms, policy tools and processes for promoting policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD). It focuses on three key pillars: political commitment and long-term vision; mechanisms to manage policy interactions; and tools to anticipate and address policy impacts. The report identifies strengths, weaknesses and possible ways forward. 

Report – key findings:

Pressure to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is mounting. Complex global challenges and existential risks such as climate change, biodiversity loss, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions are adding to the urgency. 

With the adoption of the United Nations Pact for the Future in September 2024, countries committed to act collectively in a number of critical areas, including sustainable development and financing for development; international peace and security; science, technology and innovation and digital co-operation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance.

Ireland is taking important steps to achieve the SDGs. Ireland’s efforts are reflected in several strategies and plans that help integrate sustainability into the policymaking process, supported by a network of government entities and structures. Its Third National Implementation Plan for the SDGs presents an opportunity to scale up efforts and strengthen mechanisms to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) – a key enabler for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – across national and local government in Ireland. 

This is critical for integrated policymaking that leaves no one behind. This report provides an overview of Ireland’s legislation, institutional mechanisms, policy tools and processes for promoting policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD). It identifies strengths, weaknesses and possible ways forward. Ireland’s efforts are reflected in several strategies and plans that help integrate sustainability into the policymaking process, supported by a network of government entities and structures. 

Deadline approaching

With only five years to go until 2030 – the global deadline countries have set themselves for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – governments around the world continue to grapple with a confluence of urgent, interlinked sustainability challenges, including climate change and environmental degradation, geopolitical tensions and wars, and persistent socio-economic inequalities. Out of 169 SDG targets, only 17% are on track, according to The United Nations Global Sustainable Development Report 2024.

Accelerating the implementation of the SDGs require adaptive, responsive and integrated governance systems that can anticipate risks, navigate complex policy interactions, mitigate negative impacts and seize opportunities for sustainable and equitable growth. 

Ireland, currently developing its Third National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrates a strong commitment and policy foundation to sustainable development. The Second NIP for the SDGs 2022-2024 sets out the framework for integrating the SDGs into national policy and governance. However, the translation of strategic commitments into coherent implementation remains a challenge. The forthcoming NIP for the SDGs presents an opportunity to strengthen PCSD through more explicit mandates and mechanisms that enhance interdepartmental collaboration and policy alignment.

Ireland can enhance its efforts by clearly defining mandates for policy coherence among coordinating bodies and securing the necessary resources for effective implementation. Additionally, aligning budget allocations with SDG targets will enable a clearer assessment of financial commitments to achieve the SDGs, paving the way for more impactful and effective sustainability measures.

A key challenge for Ireland is how to ensure vertical coherence as well. The cross-sectoral and integrated approach that underpins the SDG agenda needs to be fully embraced and applied across levels of government and within local administrations. Departments and agencies at the local level still operate within traditional “silos” of responsibility. This needs to be adjusted to reflect the realities of the SDGs and the cross-cutting nature of the work. Achieving the SDGs requires co-ordination with different stakeholders, as they provide important input to discussions where local authorities participate.

Stakeholder engagement is a key feature of SDG implementation in Ireland. The National SDG Stakeholder Forum and public consultation processes provide opportunities for civil society, the private sector, and local governments to contribute to sustainable development policies. However, engagement remains largely ad hoc, with limited systematic integration into decision-making processes. Strengthening political co-ordination and fostering a more structured, inclusive and transparent engagement framework could improve policy coherence and ensure broader participation.

Ireland applies a range of tools to anticipate and monitor policy impacts, including strategic environmental assessments and regulatory impact assessments. However, the systematic mapping of policy synergies and potential trade-offs remains limited. Enhancing impact assessment methodologies, particularly for long-term and cross-border effects, would support more informed policy decisions and better policyoutcomes. Additionally, strengthening Ireland’s monitoring and evaluation systems to better capture impacts on sustainable development, including improving data collection and reporting mechanisms, would improve policy coherence and track progress towards the SDGs more effectively.

Main findings: 

• Ireland demonstrates political commitment to PCSD in its Second National Implementation Plan for the SDGs and, more generally, to sustainable development in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and Project Ireland 2040. The Programme for Government commits to accelerating Ireland’s progress toward the SDGs by 2030
• Ireland has robust policy frameworks such as the National Planning Framework and the Well-being Framework, which contribute to ensuring policy integration for sustainable development. 
• Ireland ensures high-level co-ordination via the SDG Senior Officials Group and the SDG Interdepartmental Working Group.
• While there is strong national-level commitment, unclear mandates and inadequate resources limit subnational authorities' ability to contribute effectively to SDG implementation.
• Ireland applies the global SDG indicators for monitoring and reporting on progress, but has not yet reported on SDG indicator 17.14.1 (Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development). 

Possible ways ahead: 

• Strengthen political commitment to PCSD by embedding specific PCSD actions into the Third National Implementation Plan for the SDGs and outline clear government mandates, responsibilities and functions for PCSD.
• Improve policy integration by immersing the SDGs into policymaking at all levels, including into existing policy tools such as the Cabinet Handbook, memoranda to the government, the Public Spending Code, Infrastructure Guidelines and regulatory impact assessment (RIA) guidelines.
• Establish clearer responsibilities and accountability mechanisms within existing government structures for effective co-ordination, drawing on, for example, the SDG Policy Map.
• Increase funding and clarify roles for local governments in SDG implementation and engage local level authorities through enhanced training and capacity-building programmes tailored to PCSD principles.
• Strengthen data collection on policy impacts – going beyond outputs – and develop tools for systematic mapping of policy synergies and transboundary impacts. Report on the global SDG indicator 17.14.1 (Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development).

Social Justice Ireland view:

Social Justice Ireland welcomes the publication of the OECD policy coherence scan of Ireland’s progress regarding the SDGs.  In the recommendations of our annual publication monitoring and assessing Ireland’s progress on each of the SDG’s ‘Measuring Progress: Sustainable Progress Index’, we have continuously identified policy coherence and improved data collection as areas that require attention if Ireland is to achieve it’s SDG targets by 2030.   

The OECD Policy Coherence Scan of Ireland: Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms for Sustainable Development is available here.