Vol. 514 No. 3
69 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the groups represented at the national pay talks under the voluntary and community pillar; when each group was given recognition at the talks; the individuals each group claim to represent; the other groups which have applied for status at the talks and are not yet approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter and the way in which this voluntary and community pillar evolved. [3881/00]
The organisations under the community and voluntary pillar which were represented in the negotiations on the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness were: the National Youth Council of Ireland; the Congress Centres for the Unemployed; Protestant Aid; and Community Platform comprising the following 22 organisations – Community Action Network, Community Workers Co-operative, Conference of Religious of Ireland, European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland, Focus on Children, Forum of People with Disabilities, Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, Irish Association of Older People, National Adult Literacy Agency, Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas, Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, Irish Rural Link, Irish Traveller Movement, National Women's Council of Ireland, National Traveller Women's Forum, One Parent Exchange Network, Pavee Point, Threshold, Vincentian Partnership for Justice, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Women's Aid, and Voluntary Drug Treatment Network.
None of the above organisations was involved in the pay aspects of the negotiations.
The organisations represented by the community and voluntary pillar were included for the first time in the social partnership process during the negotiations on Partnership 2000. The additional organisations which expressed an interest recently in participating in the negotiations were the Irish Council for Social Housing, the United Farmers Association, the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, and the Women in the Home Movement.
The Government is satisfied that a very broad spectrum of opinion and interests were represented in the negotiations on the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
