The fact is that Ireland pioneered the idea of area based employment pacts. We were doing this under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress before the European Union decided it should be done on a wider basis in Europe. The area based partnerships we have established represent the model which we expect many other European countries will follow in their response to the Santer proposals.
As far as the wider question posed by the Deputy about the Santer pact is concerned, it would not be correct to say that the Florence summit did not respond positively to the pact. On the contrary, the Santer pact, which involves governments of the member states and the social partners in agreeing a programme of action on employment, will proceed.
There is a difficulty in financing the trans-European networks which are large infrastructural projects such as the TGV Est, for example, the new train line from Paris to the German border. There is a problem given the pressure on a number of member states' budgets and the requirements of the Maastricht criteria, which are quite exacting for some member states that are already over the limit, in putting aside the money. However, there is no lack of commitment to the concept of these trans-European networks and, while there may be some delay in financing them, I am confident that they will go ahead.
Having discussed in some detail with President Santer what he has in mind for the pact, my view is that it will be similar to the approach taken in Lord Cockfield's White Paper on the internal market. In other words, you take a range of initiatives — some of which are at a fairly advanced stage while others are at an early stage of preparation — and present them together in a concerted programme as a unit.
Given the decision making process of the European Union, which is inherently slow and tentative, the concept of bringing a range of pro-employment measures together in one package, as President Santer is doing, is a good one. There will be much more progress on a whole range of issues — the number of issues contained in the Santer package proposals are very extensive — such as pro-employment measures, at European level as a result of situating them in a broad employment pact rather than attempting to approach their advancement on a case by case, Council by Council, proposal by proposal basis.