I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together.
In fulfillment of a provision in Partnership 2000, I attended the last plenary meeting in Dublin Castle on 28 July. The Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance also attended. The matters discussed were wide-ranging but focussed mainly on social inclusion and equality and the modernisation of the public service. Obviously, matters relating to tax reform were raised and I emphasised in particular the Government's commitment to focus in a special way on the low paid and those most marginalised in our society.
Looking to the future, I firmly believe the best way to ensure a successor to Partnership 2000 is to fully implement the terms of the current agreement. My Department, along with the social partners, is overseeing the implementation of all outstanding commitments. The agreement has still more than one year to run, which is certainly adequate to ensure full implementation.
At the same time, however, the Government is already putting in place the necessary logistical and analytical structures to secure a successor to Partnership 2000. Principal amongst these are the restructuring of the National Economic and Social Council and the National Economic and Social Forum. The NESC will continue to provide strategic analysis through its reports and will thus develop the framework within which discussions on future national programmes will take place, while the NESF will focus on the detailed monitoring of initiatives taken in the context of social partnership, especially with regard to social exclusion and long-term unemployment. The National Centre for Partnership, established under Partnership 2000 to facilitate partnership at the level of the enterprise in both the public and private sectors, has been working with the social partners and with individual organisations in embedding partnership and this work will be built on in future social partnership arrangements.
A decision on what, if any, additional organisations will be represented in the negotiations on a successor agreement will be made closer to their commencement.