Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 159: To ask the Taoiseach if he will include representatives of Opposition parties in the social partnership talks on a national recovery plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30172/09]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Taoiseach his views on expanding social partnership to establish a new pillar for the Opposition parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30175/09]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 162 together.

Social partnership is a structured approach to engagement between the Government and the Social Partners, organised in the following five pillars: Employer/Business, Trade Union, Farming, Community and Voluntary and Environmental. This engagement leads to periodic agreements based on a shared analysis of the needs of the economy and society, and a set of shared objectives, such as those contained in Towards 2016.

The engagement between the Government and the Opposition Parties takes place in the context of the framework of democratic accountability, under which the Government is accountable to the Oireachtas. In this context, the Government is accountable for its management of, and interaction with, the Social Partnership process. Implementation of commitments included in Social Partnership agreements which involve legislative or Exchequer commitments are subject to the same democratic process through the Oireachtas as all other Government proposals, while debate on relevant issues takes place regularly in both Houses and in Oireachtas Committees. The Opposition's engagement with Social Partnership can be developed through these established mechanisms. There is no proposal, therefore, to establish a pillar of Social Partnership to represent the Opposition Parties.