Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach makes it sound as though the social partnership process is alive and well. What is remarkable about the meeting this week with the social partners is that it appears to be the exception. What is on the agenda for that meeting? I appreciate that he cannot be specific, but can the Taoiseach broadly indicate what the Government will be putting to the social partners at the meeting? In his opening remarks, he indicated that agreement was secured in January to meet certain targets on the public finances and to make adjustments to them. There has been continued comment on the Government's intention to secure an adjustment of €4 billion in the forthcoming budget. Does that remain the position? What is the position with regard to the mix of measures that will make up that €4 billion? I am referring here to expenditure cuts, taxation measures and the capital programme. Does the Government intend to put any position to the social partners on pay and if so, what will it consist of in broad terms?

When I asked the Taoiseach about the social partners in the summer, he informed me that the Government was announcing a new job subsidy scheme with an allocation of €250 million. What progress has been made on the scheme? What kind of applications have been made to it? What moneys have been expended on it to date?

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