Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for the delivery of a national workplace strategy, as outlined in a recent report of the Forum on the Workplace of the Future, particularly in relation to the work and life balance aspects of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12452/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach launched the Report of the Forum on the Workplace of the Future on 9 March 2005. The report contains 42 separate recommendations, which form the basis for a national workplace strategy. The strategy aims to create a climate conducive to supporting change and new forms of work organisation at national and organisational level.

A high level group comprising senior representatives of a number of Departments, ICTU, IBEC and semi-State agencies and bodies will oversee the appropriate implementation of the national workplace strategy, including aspects relating to work-life balance. I have been asked by the Taoiseach to chair this group and I expect to convene a meeting of the group in the next few weeks.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I welcome the report but we have heard the same comment for many years. In 1997, the OECD Ministers, including our own, said they would put a particular urgency on trying to bring flexible work arrangements and work-life balance into the workplace. In 2002, the then Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, the Minister of State's predecessor, said that providing flexibility was an essential part of the labour market supply. The Taoiseach and the Minister of State, at the launch of this latest report, again emphasised the competitive as well as social advantages we would get from providing a more flexible system, but what do we have in reality?

A central part of policy of the Progressive Democrats friends of the Minister, Deputy Martin, is that we use schools from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to try to get some flexibility into our lives, without anyone having asked a child whether that might be a clever policy in the long run. The current Parental Leave Bill gives nothing in addition and could have been written by the worst elements of IBEC, who do not believe in providing any practical benefits for people. What practical legislative measure does the Minister intend to proceed with immediately to fulfil the commitment given in the seven years this Government has been in office? What other additional measures in terms of maternity leave, parental leave, flexible working conditions and ability to engage in term work and part-time work does the Minister of State intend to legislate for or is it all just talk from the Government on this issue?

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the considerable work that was done in preparing this report and the fact that it arises from the deliberations of the social partners, among others. We sometimes fail to acknowledge the value of social partnership. I thought the Deputy might say that I was one of the least qualified people to be chairperson of the group in view of the type of unfriendly working hours Members of the House undertake on an ongoing basis. To some extent it is perhaps a matter of saying, "Do as I say and not as I do". It is true, however, that the findings of the report set the agenda for the future in terms of work-life balance. We have a tradition of partnership which must be developed. It offers the opportunity to significantly improve work-life balance in the workplace. I welcome the fact that the social partners have been so proactive in this regard and reached a considerable level of agreement, particularly when one examines the 42 recommendations in the report. I look forward to implementing the recommendations which are directly within the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and to encouraging other Departments in the areas of their responsibilities.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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To be practical, on the issue of parental leave, for example, the Minister rightly said we have a social partnership model here. In the negotiation on that Bill, which is one aspect of the type of work-life balance arrangements we could set in place, IBEC almost ruled out any possible changes despite the fact that we are one of the few countries in the European Union that does not allow for paid parental leave. Our provisions in that regard run completely counter to the intent of the report he has just lauded. How can the Minister explain the Government, on the one hand, talking up work-life balance and trying to provide for quality of life while, on the other, legislation yet to be passed by the House provides nothing in that direction?

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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As Deputies will be aware, there have been considerable improvements in legislation in a number of areas in recent years. Deputy Ryan might say that the rate of progress has been much slower than he and others would like.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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"Pathetic" is the word.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Nevertheless, the group undertook a very difficult job and is to be lauded for having formulated its report and recommendations. A vision was presented of a future workplace which is agile, customer-centred, knowledge intensive, responsive to employee needs, networked, highly productive, involved and participatory, continually learning and proactively diverse. It is the kind of workplace we all aspire to create. I am prepared to give the report every chance and to work closely with the social partners and others to deliver the quality of workplace envisaged.