Written Answers. - Council of Social Affairs Ministers.
Mary Flaherty
Question:
25
Miss Flaherty
asked the
Minister for Labour
if, in his capacity as President of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers, he will outline the meetings he has had since 1 January 1990 with other members of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers; if he will give details of the matters discussed; and, in particular, the initiative he has taken to promote the European Social Charter.
Fergus O'Brien
Question:
35
Mr. O'Brien
asked the
Minister for Labour
if, in his capacity as President of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers, he will outline the meetings he has had since 1 January 1990 with other members of the EC Council of Social Affairs Ministers; if he will give details of the matters discussed; and, in particular, the initiative he has taken to promote the European Social Charter.
Michael Noonan
Question:
42
Mr. Noonan (Limerick East)
asked the
Minister for Labour
if, in his capacity as President of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers, he will outline the meetings he has had since 1 January 1990 with other members of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers; if he will give details of the matters discussed; and, in particular, the initiative he has taken to promote the European Social Charter.
Michael Joe Cosgrave
Question:
50
Mr. Cosgrave
asked the
Minister for Labour
if, in his capacity as President of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers, he will outline the meetings he has had since 1 January 1990 with other members of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers; if he will give details of the matters discussed; and, in particular, the initiative he has taken to promote the European Social Charter.
Richard Bruton
Question:
55
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Labour
if, in his capacity as President of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers, he will outline the meetings he has had since 1 January 1990 with other members of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers; if he will give details of the matters discussed; and, in particular, the initiative he has taken to promote the European Social Charter.
Pádraic McCormack
Question:
57
Mr. McCormack
asked the
Minister for Labour
if, in his capacity as President of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers, he will outline the meetings he has had since 1 January 1990 with other members of the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers; if he will give details of the matters discussed; and, in particular, the initiative he has taken to promote the European Social Charter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 35, 42, 50, 55 and 57 together.
Since 1 January 1990, I have had a number of meetings with other Community Social Affairs Ministers.
On 20 February 1990, in the context of the Troika of Social Affairs Ministers, comprising the current and two succeeding Presidencies, I had a meeting with the Italian and Luxembourg Ministers, at which the Irish Presidency work programme was discussed. The main item for discussion was a timetable for dealing with Commission proposals under the action programme following adoption at the European Council in Strasbourg in December, 1989, by 11 member states, of the Charter of Fundamental Social Rights.
On 22 February 1990, I met Mr. Michael Howard, who had recently been appointed to the post of the UK Secretary of State for Employment. We discussed the Social Affairs Presidency programme, in particular proposals to tackle long-term unemployment and to assist Hungary and Poland to develop vocational training.
An informal meeting of Social Affairs Ministers held in Dublin on 1 and 2 March was attended by Ministers from all Community member states except Luxembourg. At that meeting, we discussed the Presidency paper on long-term unemployment, proposals to assist vocational training in Hungary and Poland, particularly through the establishment of a European training foundation. Commissioner Papandreou also gave a progress report on the social dialogue, which involves consultations between the social partners at Community level.
Concerning the European Social Charter, the position is that this will be implemented by way of series of individual measures based on an action programme of proposals presented by the Commission. I decided that, in addition to advancing the individual Commission proposals as they arose, there was a need for an initiative that would bring a longer term coherent perspective to bear on the Council's work in this area. The action programme is complex and substantial, comprehending as it does almost 50 items, many of them proposals for legal instruments. I considered that a programme of work covering a number of Presidencies was essential if the programme was to be completed within a reasonable time.
At the meeting of the Troika on 20 February, Commissioner Papandreou indicated the proposals the Commission would put forward in 1990 and those which she would endeavour to present in 1991. Following the consultations with my Troika colleagues, I prepared a timetable containing particulars of the proposals which the Commission proposes to present. The procedure was an attempt on my part to ensure that by the end of 1992 all the proposals in the action programme would have been examined and decided. The other Troika members agreed to co-operate through their Presidency programmes to facilitate the achievement of that target. I believe that the initiative which I have taken will ensure that maximum progress is made in implementing the action programme.
