Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State. While I have no knowledge of the situation pertaining to the secretarial assistants, if the facts are as stated by Senator Higgins, I would have a good deal of sympathy with the case made.

The Senator also gave a very fair historical analysis of one of the most notable achievements of the past 15 years, social partnership. While it is not the only ingredient of our economic success and social progress, it has certainly been a very powerful one. This is the sixth agreement. As somebody who has come from the Department of the Taoiseach, the acronyms roll off the tongue: Programme for National Recovery, PESP, PCW, P2000 and PPF. I am not sure what this agreement is – perhaps SP, although I do not think it has been worked out yet.

I congratulate all of the social partners, especially the trade union leader, Senator O'Toole. The trade unions have always been a key partner in the process. I also pay tribute to a group which is perhaps mentioned less often, civil servants. They are involved in all the committees and, certainly in regard to the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance, immensely committed to the process. They have built up tremendous expertise.

The critics of the process come from both directions. On the one side, there is the ultra-leftist element in the trade union movement which would clearly prefer a kamikaze, Scargill-type leadership and, on the other, the rigorous, right wing neo-liberals who always dismiss these agreements as just wage agreements. They are a great deal more than that. If they were just that, they would only have half the merit. The inclusivity of all social partners is important. I am glad that the farmers' organisations and the social and community pillars decided, though not without hesitation, to come on board. As far as the farmers' organisations are concerned, it is far more important to get increases on the REPS than the 20% on roll-over relief for what in many cases is a significant windfall payment.

One does hear odd voices from different parts of the spectrum, arguing that social partnership in some way detracts from democracy. I have always disagreed with that argument. It is an addition and an amplification of democracy. Democracy, in my definition, means the greatest possible popular participation. This House was an early attempt – one can argue not very far-reaching – to recognise the different vocational elements in society, agriculture, labour, industrial, and so on. Social partnership in that regard is more effective in achieving that recognition.