Vol. 487 No. 6
86 Mr. Perry asked the Taoiseach the way in which the National Centre for Partnership fulfilled its aims of partnership through facilitatory trust and co-operation between employers, employees and unions; if its work programme is available; the benefit, if any, he hopes it will achieve; the amount of Exchequer funds that will be spent in its first year; if there will be regional centres; and if additional jobs can be created. [4731/98]
Partnership 2000 provided for the setting up of the National Centre for Partnership whose mission is to foster, directly and indirectly, partnership arrangements, involving the acceptance of employees as stakeholders, which will secure the competitiveness, viability and prosperity of enterprises and the modernisation of the public service.
Partnership 2000 has, as a key objective, the promotion of enterprise in both the private and public sectors. This is crucial for the achievement of sustainable growth. If partnership is to be successful it must work at the level of each workplace, where the players can work in harmony towards commonly agreed objectives. This inclusiveness will help to secure competitiveness, viability and prosperity in enterprise. It will also facilitate the modernisation of the public service so that it can continue to contribute to national growth and prosperity.
Successful partnership in both the private and public sectors will give this country a sound platform on which to build for the new millennium as a competitive, dynamic and results-driven economy. The work of the National Centre for Partnership is designed to support this approach and I am confident that the centre is progressing well towards the achievement of its overall aims of facilitating trust and partnership between employers, employees and unions in both the private and public sectors at the level of the workplace.
