Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 20, inclusive, together.

Together with my colleagues, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, I met the social partners on Wednesday, 14 June last at the conclusion of the negotiations on a new social partnership agreement. The negotiations on this occasion were particularly protracted, which was perhaps a reflection of the breadth and complexity of the issues involved, and I would like again to put on record my appreciation of the considerable time and effort given by all the parties to the negotiations, and of their continued commitment, both to the immediate goal of securing a new agreement and to social partnership itself.

I acknowledge at this stage that some issues remain to be settled in the discussions with the farm organisations, which are continuing. Over the summer, the other social partner pillars have been engaged in the ratification process on Towards 2016, Ten-Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement 2006-2015, and I am very pleased it has received such overwhelming support in that process. We are now focusing on the implementation of the agreement.

The mechanisms for implementation are broadly the same as applied under Sustaining Progress. The steering group representing Government and each of the social partner pillars will be reconvened to take overall responsibility for the management of the implementation of the ten-year framework agreement as it applies to the wider non-pay issues. As heretofore, there will be quarterly meetings of the social partner pillars and an annual meeting of the parties with myself, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance. It has also been agreed that a formal review will be undertaken during 2008. My Department will contact the social partners shortly to arrange the initial steering group and plenary meetings.

Work has already begun in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the preparation of the necessary legislation to give effect to the comprehensive package of measures contained in the agreement on employment standards. Initial meetings of the group on labour market trends and employment standards, the pensions review group and the anti-inflation group, all of which will be chaired by my Department, are currently being arranged. The national implementation body, which has been in existence since 2001, is continuing to meet as required to oversee delivery of the industrial peace and stability provisions in Towards 2016.

The Government looks forward to working closely with employer and trade union interests in progressing the wide-ranging reform programme set out in the new agreement regarding pay, the workplace and employment rights and compliance. I believe it will prove to be of real benefit to employers, employees and the economy more generally in the period ahead.

A number of studies have been completed recently by the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, which will help to inform future debate and implementation of policy. These include Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy, published in December 2004; The Developmental Welfare State, published in May 2005; the NESC Strategy 2006, People, Productivity and Purpose, published in December 2005, which was the key input to the negotiation of the new social partnership programme, Towards 2016; Migration Policy, published on 22 September 2006; and Managing Migration in Ireland: a Social and Economic Analysis, a study prepared for the NESC by the International Organisation for Migration, based in Geneva, which was also published on 22 September 2006. Further studies nearing completion include a study on child poverty and child income supports which examines the possibility of merging child dependent allowance and family income supplement. The NESC, along with the other bodies in the NESDO, is now embarking on the learning society exercise outlined in Towards 2016.

In the coming months, the council will consider its future work programme. The Government has also requested that the council prepare a periodic social report. The NESC plans to undertake a study on environmental policy in its next work programme that will reflect on the appropriate mix of policy approaches for achieving specific environmental goals.

Since its reconstitution in May 2004, the NESF has published reports on early childhood care and education, care for older people and creating a more inclusive labour market. In addition, the NESF holds an annual national anti-poverty strategy social inclusion forum. The third such forum was held on 15 February 2006. The social inclusion forum gives those who are not directly involved in the social partnership process an opportunity to contribute their views and experiences to the implementation of the national anti-poverty strategy. Work is at an advanced stage on projects in respect of cultural citizenship, delivery of quality public services and mental health.

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