Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on the National Report for Ireland on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2006 to 2008. [43244/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In March 2006, EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers agreed a new framework for the modernisation of Member States' social protection systems and the promotion of greater social cohesion across the European Union. Under this new framework, Member States are required to draw up national reports, covering a three year period, on strategies for social protection and social inclusion which address the specific challenges in each of the following policy areas — social inclusion, pensions, healthcare and long-term care. The new framework envisages a positive interaction, at national level, between the National Reform Programmes for growth and jobs and the strategies for social protection and social inclusion.

All Member States submitted integrated National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion covering the period 2006-2008. Ireland's national report was prepared by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and Children. All other relevant government Departments were consulted including the Departments of An Taoiseach, Finance and Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The preparation of Ireland's strategy took place in the context of the agreement of a new social partnership agreement, Towards 2016. This agreement outlines a new framework within which key social challenges have been developed around the "lifecycle" approach. The agreed 10 year strategic vision and key long-term goals for each stage of the lifecycle, together with agreed priority actions for the initial phase of the agreement, form the basis of measures outlined in this Report. The Agreement also included commitments to the development of a new comprehensive strategy for pensions policy, including the publication of a green paper and to the delivery of tangible improvements in the health outcomes of children, people of working age, older people and people with disabilities.

The social inclusion component of the national strategy reports represent the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAP/inclusion) and present the key priorities in Member States' efforts to promote greater social inclusion and make a decisive impact on poverty over the two year period of the plan. In this context, four key priorities were identified by EU Member States as being common to many of them and as areas where they can benefit most from exchanges of experience and best practice. These include child poverty; access to quality work and learning opportunities; integration of immigrants and access to quality services.

The forthcoming new National Action Plan on social inclusion, to be produced in early 2007, will set out in greater detail the social inclusion elements covered in the national report and will elaborate on the commitments contained in Towards 2016.

With regard to pensions, the national report includes an update on developments in both the State and private occupational pensions systems since 2005. It refers in particular, to the Government's commitments in the Towards 2016 agreement to enhancement of social welfare pensions over the period of the agreement subject to adequate resources and building on the commitment to a rate of €200 per week for social welfare pensions by 2007 and to the publication of a Green Paper on Pensions Policy outlining the major policy choices and challenges in this area.