asked the Minister for Labour when it is intended to set up the headquarters of the foundation to investigate living and working conditions within the European Community; and if he will make a statement on the matter and indicate the location of the headquarters in this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foundation for Living and Working Conditions.
43.
This is a matter which has concerned both the Minister for Local Government, who has also been seeking the establishment of such a centre, and myself.
When the matter came up for discussion at the Social Affairs Council in December last, the decision on the location of the Foundation for Living and Working Conditions became linked to a decision on the location of the European Vocational Training Centre. At that meeting on behalf of our Government I urged the establishment of the foundation in Ireland and succeeded in getting majority support from the delegations present. Since there remained difficulties of a political nature about the location of the vocational training centre, decisions on the location of both institutions were remitted for formal decision at a later council and the decision to locate the foundation in Ireland was taken by the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers on 10th February, 1975.
The aim of the Foundation will be to contribute to the planning and establishment of better living and working conditions through action designed to increase and disseminate knowledge likely to assist this development.
The foundation will deal specifically with the following issues:
(1) man at work,
(2) organisation of work and particularly job design,
(3) problems peculiar to certain categories of workers,
(4) long-term aspects of improvement of the environment,
(5) spatial distribution of human activities and their distribution in time.
The foundation will be controlled by an administration board which will include representatives of workers, employers and Governments from Ireland and the other member states.
It is expected that the administrative board will be appointed in the autumn. A director will then be appointed and the foundation should be in operation before the end of the year.
A provision of over £½ million is provided in the 1975 Community Budget for the foundation. The Commission, however, envisage a budget of about £2 million for the foundation in the first full year of operation.
As regards the actual location of the foundation in Ireland, a decision on this will be taken after consultation with all the interests concerned.
Could the Minister give some indication when the announcement regarding locations will be considered and if to date any geographical locations have been considered? Could he say whether, in line with European regional policy, he might consider a nice rural setting as being suitable headquarters for such a foundation?
As I indicated, the Minister for Local Government and I have been considering that aspect of the problem but I think the Deputy will appreciate it will be a decision to be taken in consultation with all the other interests involved. Certainly the idea of a centre outside Dublin is not excluded at this stage.
What other interests are there besides the Minister for Local Government?
It is obvious that other member Governments will have to be consulted at any rate.
Is the Minister talking about the vocational education basis?
No. The vocational centre was finally situated in Berlin. This was one of the reasons it was postponed to the Foreign Ministers' meeting. The Deputy will appreciate that there were political reasons for its establishment in Berlin. In fact, we looked for that centre for Ireland first but when it looked as though the Germans had majority support we dropped our claim. Instead, we pressed for the community foundation for Ireland which it appeared we could get most support for. We are very pleased to have this first community foundation for Ireland. As I said, there are other governments to be consulted and the Minister for Local Government and I, on behalf of our Government, certainly do not exclude the possibility of its establishment outside Dublin but it will be later in the year before we get to this point.
I hope not for long.
No.