Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together.

As I indicated in my reply in the House on 13 February last, the inaugural plenary meeting with the social partners under the new social partnership agreement Towards 2016 took place on 15 February in Dublin Castle.

The Government was represented by myself together with my colleagues, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Finance and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for labour affairs.

The papers from the inaugural plenary, including the addresses by myself, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance, together with the presentations by senior officials, on the following broad Towards 2016 themes — the National Development Plan 2007-2013, the national spatial strategy, sustainable development, developing the lifecycle approach, health service reform and North-South co-operation — have been laid before the Oireachtas, as has the first progress report, which was circulated at the meeting. The first progress report has also been made available on my Department's website.

A seminar was held on 2 April for the social partners focusing on the implementation of the lifecycle framework under Towards 2016. Collaboration and engagement with the social partners is important in helping to deliver the ambitious social agenda we have set out in Towards 2016, the new National Development Plan 2007-2013 and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016. This event provided a useful opportunity to engage in some joint thinking on the key issues and challenges that lie ahead as we begin implementation.

As I indicated to the House on 13 February, the mechanisms for implementation of the new agreement are set out in detail in Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Towards 2016.

The reconvened steering group will continue to have overall responsibility for management of the implementation of the agreement as it applies to the wider non-pay issues. The quarterly plenary meetings of the social partner pillars will continue and there will also be an annual meeting of the parties with myself, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance.

The next steering group meeting has been arranged for Monday, 30 April. The meeting will focus on the people of working age lifecycle stage and will also receive updates on Transport 21, the Government's White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland, and the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012. The date for the next plenary meeting will be confirmed shortly.

I also met with the leadership of the ICTU last Wednesday to review and discuss issues that generally arise under Part 2 of Towards 2016.

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