Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Gilmore has unfairly characterised the talks that have been taking place in recent weeks and months. That is my answer to his question. He is suggesting it is all process and no substance. It has substance. We are working to a ten-year framework agreement. Much of the effort we have made on the budgetary position arises from the framework agreement, which has content, and getting the agreement of the social partners on the need to reduce the deficit position to 3% over a period of years. The framework agreement of January outlines in detail the areas where we have continued discussion and where we have been working on what we introduced legislatively last week. That was an effort to improve the situation for those pension schemes that are insolvent and are experiencing problems and to try to assist in some way deferred and active people in the pension schemes and pensioners themselves. Further consideration must be given to that area, which is a difficult and complex one, but it is one that has been highlighted as important by the social partners and we are working through those issues with them.

We have brought forward active labour policies and expanded programmes. That has come about as a result of social partnership discussions. We have had insights and perspectives from all pillars of the social partnership process. On the question of to what extent we can now develop those and the need to try to develop them, it was always the case that the budgetary response was a first step in that process. That continues to be discussed between us. I would like to see some measure of agreement on it. It is not fair to say that this is all about a process not substance. In fairness to all the people who are at the talks, the reason all of these discussions are taking place is for the purpose of trying to devise a framework for stability and recovery.

Progress can be reported in some areas and there are some areas on which it has not yet been possible for us to reach agreement for the purpose of trying to devise an accord. That process is continuing. We are at the stage in the process where both sides have had their discussions, offered their insights, shared analyses and considered all the facts. Rather than saying the process has collapsed, it is my intention that the social partnership talks would resume in the coming days and weeks so that the Government can put its views based on all of the discussions we have had. That is the right way to proceed.

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