Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis labhairt in ainneoin cé chomh gairid is atá an t-am agam sa díospóireacht seo ar chlár leasú náisiúnta Lisbon. Chuala an Teach cheana ó mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, a léirigh na torthaí diúltacha atá ann maidir le ceart agus le cosaint oibrithe de thairbhe an chláir seo, agus tá gnáth meon an Rialtais i leith tromlach ceisteanna soiléir sa chlár seo: go bhfuil brostú i gceist ar aon chostas ina dhiaidh competitiveness. Díreoidh mé isteach ar conas atá an clár seo ceangailte le hathrach don dul chun cinn ag leibhéal an Aontais Eorpaigh i leith chlár Lisbon.

The Lisbon strategy has been used to provide political justification for many anti-social measures across Europe, such as the privatisation of public services and utilities, cutbacks in unemployment and other social welfare provisions, punitive measures against social welfare recipients, the harassment of thousands into low paid and unsuitable work, pressure to reduce salaries and the weakening of regulations on business and industry on the grounds that they are anti-competitive.

With promises of partnership and lip service to social inclusion, many European trade unions and NGOs in the social field were brought on board the Lisbon strategy. However, with the re-launched agenda or new start for the Lisbon strategy in February, the mask has slipped. The pretence of a social dimension to the original Lisbon strategy was jettisoned and the entire focus of the new start, as reflected in the Government's Lisbon Agenda national reform programme is on growth and jobs. Environmental, employment and social legislation under the reformed Lisbon strategy is to be assessed to ensure it does not decrease the competitiveness of business and industry. Progress in Europe will be benchmarked against the US and emerging economies in Asia rather than against the achievement of greater equality and work life balance for all.

From the beginning, the Lisbon strategy has been fundamentally flawed and has had the effect of leading to greater inequality and job insecurity across Europe. Today in the European Parliament, the Commissioner for Internal Markets and Services, Mr. McCreevy, effectively promoted social dumping and confirmed that the EU will oversee the undermining of social protections and workers' rights. It is no surprise that the national reform programme proposed by the Government is a carbon copy of its European equivalent.

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