Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The National Economic and Social Forum comprises public representatives who are the overseers of the various documents that come about through social partnership. It is not correct to say that there is no direct involvement by this House in the social partnership process. It is right that there should be. On the pay end, the Government acts as employer, the trade unions act as negotiators and IBEC and the other employer interests contribute on the issue. Full reports come to the House and to committees of this House on the other issues and that should continue to be the case.

In reply to Deputy Sargent's question, the Government has received the decision of the board of the Great Southern Hotel Group and the view of the Dublin Airport Authority. The Minister will act in any way that can be helpful on these issues, but they have made their decisions and the Government accepts them. Now we must see how the decisions can be implemented to take account of staff interests and to ensure the group is kept as a going concern and as many as possible if not all of the jobs are protected into the future.

The ten-year programme is a ten-year strategy. Some elements of it might only last a year but for others it might be three years. The special initiatives of Sustaining Progress and of previous agreements such as Partnership 2000 and others show that one needs a longer period to achieve consistency of policy to try to resolve issues such as those currently arising relating to elder care and affordable housing. One needs a longer period than just three years to implement these policies. It is better that they form part of a ten-year strategy but obviously the process would be negotiated every three years. That makes sense and it would bring greater coherence into policy over the next ten years.

See this speech in context