Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

In the original Towards 2016 agreement, there were to have been quarterly meetings to review, monitor and report on progress, as well as an annual formal meeting of all the parties to the framework agreement. Do I understand from the Taoiseach correctly that the last quarterly meeting of the full social partnership body took place almost three years ago in February 2008? If that is the case, is it not then the case that the social partnership arrangements have in effect come to an end? Specifically, what is the Government's policy at present in respect of social partnership? In his recent interview on "Morning Ireland", the Minister for Finance suggested that a report that was being drawn up in his Department on the financial crisis would find that social partnership did enormous damage to the financial system. I find this to be difficult to understand and invite the Taoiseach to state whether he agrees with this assessment by the Minister for Finance. If he does agree with it, can he explain to the House what it means?

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