Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

When social partnership was launched, this country needed to tackle a number of challenges, including unemployment. A number of years on, the challenges which need to be tackled are much more complex and numerous. While social partnership has the capacity to address many of the issues, it needs the capacity to address many more. I do not wish to harp on about it but there was a slight lack of representation of consumer interests. If we are to deal with rip-off Ireland, more consumer interests should have been involved in the negotiations on the agreement.

Over the years, there has been a stream of job losses in traditional manufacturing. The economy, especially in rural Ireland, relies heavily on the construction industry and consumers are required to maintain it. Employment in companies supported by the IDA and so on has fallen consistently in the past four years — an issue which needs to be addressed. Even in a modern economy where there is strong growth in the professions, we cannot afford to ignore internationally traded goods and services.

Social partnership agreements should be preceded by the adoption by the Oireachtas of a motion outlining the key changes. This is an issue about which we could become upset although I believe that at times, there is too much regulation. I am a businessman and an employer and I am happy to see the rights theory has been used. The process of social partnership is anything but transparent and a little more discussion and consultation is needed.

As an employer, I am delighted an additional 0.5% will be given to the low paid, that is, those on €10.25 per hour or less from 1 July 2006. This country was built on the retail, agriculture and the self-employed sectors. In the race for agreement on social partnership, many of these sectors have not been given the attention they deserve. Last week I said in the House that as a small businessman, I was assured IBEC was fighting my case. I have never been a member of IBEC and it has never approached me. It has no time for small retail businesses.