The national action plan sets out the Government's strategy to combat poverty and social exclusion in Ireland for the period 2001 to 2003. The plan covers all the relevant policy areas, including the areas for which I have responsibility. Preparation of the plan was co-ordinated by the poverty unit of my Department. It was approved by the Government and submitted to the European Commission by the 1 June deadline.
The legal basis in the treaty for this process of co-operation among member states is already provided for in Article 137.2, resulting from a proposal for a treaty amendment made by Ireland during the negotiations on the Treaty of Amsterdam. At the European Council in Nice, all member states, including Ireland, agreed to specific objectives to combat poverty and social exclusion which now form the basis for the national action plans. These objectives, however, are separate from the treaty, which was also agreed at the same European Council.
The national action plans, including that of Ireland, will undergo a co-ordinated process of joint review with other states and the European Commission. This is designed to assist member states in learning from the best practice of other states and, in the light of this, improving their strategy on combating poverty and social exclusion on an ongoing basis. This will be done through the existing Social Protection Committee which comprises representatives of the Social Affairs Ministers of each member state.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the Nice Treaty ratification process, the Social Protection Committee will continue on the existing basis to work closely with both the Employment and Economic Policy Committees to ensure issues such as social exclusion are examined from an economic and social perspective in a balanced and integrated manner.
At the Stockholm European Council in March this year, the Taoiseach, together with the other Heads of State and Government, affirmed that "the fight against social exclusion is of the utmost importance for the Union". It is the Government's intention that Ireland will be in the forefront of these developments. The national action plans, which will be reviewed every two years, set down strategies for an assault on exclusion which will be a key priority for member states for the foreseeable future.