Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 to 17, inclusive, together.

The social dialogue unit co-ordinates and supports the Government’s overall approach to social dialogue through a variety of mechanisms, including the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, which engages with representatives of employers and trade unions on economic and employment issues insofar as they affect the labour market and which are of mutual concern. The most recent plenary meeting, which I chaired, took place on 7 September. This was an opportunity to look at current challenges, in particular in the areas of energy and the cost of living. Under the auspices of LEEF, there has been significant progress on issues such as the introduction of statutory sick pay, workplace safety during Covid-19 and the report of the high-level review of collective bargaining.

The social dialogue unit also supports my engagements with representatives from the environmental pillar, the community and voluntary pillar and the farming and agriculture pillar. This includes meetings I held in recent weeks with the community and voluntary pillar and the environmental pillar to discuss how social dialogue can be further strengthened, as well as issues of concern to the sectors. Social dialogue and engagement between Government, the trade unions and other representative groups also takes place through structures like the national economic dialogue, the National Economic and Social Council, the national dialogue on climate action, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, and through many sectoral groups and with Ministers and Departments directly. Another model for broad-based social dialogue are citizens' assemblies, including the current assemblies on biodiversity loss and on a directly-elected mayor for Dublin. Next month will also see the first civic forum which will support dialogue between the community and voluntary sector and local and central government. The unit will continue to support me and the Government as we look forward to enhanced social dialogue, given the many challenges we face as a country in the period ahead.

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