asked the Taoiseach if the Government accept in principle the NIEC Report No. 27 on Incomes and Prices Policy.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Incomes and Prices Policy.
1.
I refer the Deputy to the statement issued by the Government and presented to the Dáil regarding the National Industrial Economic Council's Report. In this statement, the Government indicated that they were inviting the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Irish Employers' Confederation to join with them in a statement of commitment to, and support for, the principles and objectives of incomes and prices policy as set out in the report. Government Ministers and I met representatives of these organisations on Friday last to consider the report.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I am circulating with the Official Report the text of the press release which was issued after that meeting:
Following is the text of the press release:
The Taoiseach, accompanied by the Ministers for Finance, Labour and Industry and Commerce met representatives of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Irish Employers' Confederation to discuss the NIEC Report on Incomes and Prices Policy. It was agreed that a small ad hoc working party be set up consisting of representatives of ICTU, IEC and the Government, in its capacity as an employer, to consider what arrangements might be made to establish the new employer/ employee body envisaged in the NIEC Report.
While welcoming the initiatives the Taoiseach is taking in this matter may I inquire, in view of the importance of these recommendations, if the price surveillance machinery should be specially strengthened and enlarged if the Government intend to act promptly in this particular section in addition to the incomes field?
I indicated to the employers' and workers' representatives last Friday that the Government were willing to strengthen each of these institutions, the prices section of the Department of Industry and Commerce, the Fair Trade Commission and the Labour Court, in so far as it would be necessary to carry out the desires of the report.