Vol. 489 No. 2
76 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action, if any, she proposes to take on the recent report of the National Competitiveness Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7124/98]
The Government has welcomed the publication on 11 March 1998 of the first Annual Competitiveness Report and Summary Statement on Competitiveness by the National Competitiveness Council. The report and statement will provide useful inputs into policy formulation. As such, both documents have been referred to relevant Ministers and Government Departments for further consideration in that context. It is the Governments intention that both the report and the summary statement will be debated in the Dáil.
The Deputy will have noted that the annual competitiveness report highlights 11 key priority areas of action to improve competitiveness. These include skills, education, tailored policies (needs in different sectors), EMU, costs, taxation, trade diversification, labour market, innovation, telecommunications and the information society, and public administration.
It is the council's intention, as stated in the summary statement, to focus its attention on four areas in particular, over the coming 12 months; these are skills, costs, telecommunication and the information society. The council is working to develop a series of statements of what is needed in competitiveness terms for the future successful performance of the Irish economy. The Government looks forward to receiving advice from the council as it develops its programme of work.
