Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the ten-year strategy, recent agreements have demonstrated that in a number of areas one will not achieve sufficient policy changes or implementation within a short period. One is better off staying consistently with the major issues. They do not change that much from agreement to agreement. Perhaps a few new ones are added, as is the case with employment protection this time. Most of the key issues are the same and there is better implementation of them because they are national issues which have been put forward by NESC following detailed analysis on a wide basis rather than being dropped every few years before being taken up again. It is better to address them on a long-term basis and I hope colleagues agree. Naturally, they will not agree on the pay element but they should at least agree on the policy end of the agreement.

Construction and consumer spend are major issues. The Construction Industry Federation, CIF, and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment are involved in the talks and these issues will be discussed as well.

I refer to the issues relating to integration. We have invested huge resources in the issue of asylum seekers. Staff numbers have increased significantly and the backlog has been dealt with effectively. A quick process is in place to deal with applications. The only delay relates to the appeals process, as applicants keep submitting appeals. Other than that, the system works well. The issues of education, language training and the examination of the structure of employment contracts are being addressed to ensure we do not have difficulties. A study is being conducted on displacement to see if it is a problem and, if so, where and what can be done about it. That work is under way.

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