Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 503: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the merits and demerits of including consumer representatives in the social partnership talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11680/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Consumer Strategy Group in its report "Making Consumers Count" expressed the view that the consumer voice should be represented at the social partnership table. To that end the Group included a specific recommendation in its report that social partnership should be expanded to include consumer representation on both the Government and voluntary sides. The High Level Inter-Departmental Committee established to examine the recommendations of the Consumer Strategy Group noted that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment was already representing the consumer voice on the Government side in the Social Partnership process and that it was open to non Government bodies to apply for membership of the Community and Voluntary Pillar of the Partnership process.

It is a matter for the individual bodies wishing to join the Partnership process to make application to the Department of an Taoiseach who will consider their applications having regard to a number of different criteria.