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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 7

Written Answers. - Comite Des Sages Report.

Chris Flood

Ceist:

34 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Social Welfare the steps, if any, he will take to advance the recommendations set out in the report of the Comite Des Stages which was presented to the European Social Forum in March 1996. [10377/96]

The Minister for Social Welfare attended the European Social Forum in Brussels last March, and received a copy of the Comite des Sages' report, "For a Europe of Civic and Social Rights" which was presented there.

The committee set out to conduct a very fundamental inquiry into the part that social matters and social rights should play in the next stage of European development. Their conclusion can be summarised in the following extract from the report's introduction:

Europe will be a Europe for all it's citizens, or it will be nothing. It will not tackle the challenges now facing it —competitiveness, the demographic situation, enlargement and globalisation—if it does not strengthen it's —SIC— social dimension and demonstrate it's ability to ensure that fundamental social rights are respected and applied.

This is a vision with which I wholeheartedly agree.

The report goes on to make recommendations, some of which lie outside my Department's area of responsibility. I am aware that copies of the report have been received by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform and the Minister of State for Labour Affairs.

In relation to social welfare, the report makes recommendations about a number of the crucial strategic issues which we, and our fellow member states, must address—for example, the need to make our social welfare system an effective force for competitiveness and social cohesion; and the need to facilitate greater flexibility in reconciling work and family responsibilities.

A major element in my Department's Presidency will be to advance the debate among member states on a communication issued by the Commission last October on "The Future of Social Protection". Ireland will, during our Presidency, be leading a "co-operative reflection" among the member states on the leading issues facing our social protection systems. We will be devoting an Informal Social Affairs Council meeting on 10-11 July to one of the principal concerns to be addressed there—the challenge of ensuring that social protection is a positive force in the fight against unemployment. We will also be hosting two conferences on aspects of this debate, one in October on social protection systems and the particular needs of women, the second in November on new approaches to social protection which are being implemented or under consideration in the various member states. Finally, at the formal Social Affairs Council in December, we will be inviting fellow Ministers to draw conclusions on the debate to date.
The report of the Comite Des Sages is very relevant to this reflection and I would envisage that we will be drawing heavily on it when leading this process. We are, incidentially, hoping to have one of the committee members address the November Conference.
Finally, I would like to point out that the committee's report specifically recommended that the Union be involved in "a co-ordinating and experimental role in terms of combating social exclusion". Deputies will be familiar with the Minister's often expressed support for such a role. This again is something that we would hope to advance, in the context of the debate on "The Future of Social Protection" during our Presidency.
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