Michael Noonan
Ceist:10 Mr. Noonan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20920/01]
Ceisteanna–Questions. - Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
Michael Noonan
Ceist:11 Mr. Noonan asked the Taoiseach when he will next meet with the social partners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20921/01]
Michael Noonan
Ceist:12 Mr. Noonan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent activities of the national implementation body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20922/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:13 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the matters discussed and any conclusions reached at the plenary meeting of the social partners on 26 July 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21407/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:14 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach when the next meeting of the four pillars of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness will be held; the likely agenda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21445/01]
Joe Higgins
Ceist:15 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Taoiseach when he is next scheduled to meet with the social partners. [22968/01]
Joe Higgins
Ceist:16 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Taoiseach the conclusions which were reached at the plenary meeting of the social partners on 26 July 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22969/01]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:17 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the progress made to date regarding the implementation of those sections of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness for which his Department has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23716/01]
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Ceist:18 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach if he will report progress on the implementation of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23885/01]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:19 Mr. Sargent asked the Taoiseach when he intends to meet with the social partners again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24214/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 19, inclusive, together.
On 26 July, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance and I attended the plenary meeting to monitor implementation of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
All the social partners were represented at the meeting and its purpose was a review of progress and plans under the broad headings of competitiveness, waste management and housing. The Government and the social partners attach special importance to these areas of particular challenge.
For my part, I emphasised the important role which social partnership can continue to play in bringing about further progress in these and other areas. To that end I made clear the Government's firm commitment to realise the ambitious reform agendas set out, not only in the PPF, but in the national development plan. At the same time I felt it necessary to caution against sectional interests being pursued at the expense of the wider community.
The next PPF plenary meeting will take place tomorrow. The three main items on the agenda are drugs, the strategic review of FÁS and the likely impact on the Irish economy arising from the changing global situation, especially in the United States. In line with well established practice, a detailed progress report on implementation of the PPF has been produced for the meeting and has been lodged in the Oireachtas Library. This report sets out for each Department, including my own, the progress being made under each action point in the PPF.
My Department exercises the lead co-ordinating role for overall implementation of the PPF and is responsible for supporting a number of cross-departmental issues, such as public service modernisation. In addition, my Department chairs the national implementation body which was established under the adjusted PPF terms of December last. The body continues to meet as necessary and its purpose is to ensure delivery of the stability and peace provisions of the PPF and to consider, in particular, the potential implications of any ongoing disputes of special national importance.
As regards meetings, I meet representatives of individual social partner organisations on a regular basis, but I have no plans to meet the social partners collectively in the near future.
Does the Taoiseach intend to involve the social partners in an attempt to avoid chaos in secondary schools if the ASTI withdraws supervision and school managers are forced to close schools for insurance reasons? Arising from this issue, what progress has been made on benchmarking across the public service, including the teaching profession?
The benchmarking body is working to its remit and going through the analytical work necessary to form the basis of its report next year. That work is proceeding satisfactorily and without interference.
The difficulty with directly involving the social partners is that one of the teachers' unions is not involved in the social partnership process or any of the committees. From previous difficulties we know it will not play a part in this process. However, the Minister is directly involved in trying to avoid any of the difficulties we experienced previously.
We are taking many questions together and it will not be possible to raise points on all of them. In his speech to the social partners on 27 July, the Taoiseach referred to the national development plan as a key element in promoting the objectives of social partnership in general and the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness in particular. In reply to questions in the House, the Taoiseach allowed others to describe him as the effective project manager for the implementation of the national development plan.
If the Taoiseach accepts that this is his task as Chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee on the implementation of the national development plan, then no doubt his attention has been drawn to an article in Monday's edition of the Irish Independent to the effect that ten major roads projects are between three and six months behind schedule and that groups of engineers who were assembled and brought back to this country to work on these programmes are facing lay-offs and possible return to other countries. This is just one example of a raft of delays to which I could refer. In view of this report, which has not been refuted or challenged by the Government, will the Taoiseach in his capacity as project manager for the national development plan give an explanation to the House as to the reason for these delays? What course of action, if any, will he take to rectify them?
The Deputy knows what I am going to say because he has endeavoured to raise questions to promote me as project manager rather than as Taoiseach. I am not project manager, I chair a Cabinet sub-committee on a range of—
Liverpool FC is looking for a manager.
I wish its manager well, too.
I will get the Taoiseach a reference.
I am not the project manager. We endeavour to assist the National Roads Authority and all the other bodies in their work. There are some delays, but at the same time there is an enormous amount going on. Some of the delays are due to a failure to come to an agreement with the farming bodies – this has held up a number of the contracts in a very substantial way. Those negotiations are ongoing. It has taken considerable time to acquire the expertise to put teams together. There is an enormous amount of road planning going on. There are about 30 projects across the State, particularly along the six main corridors, and we want to see that work continue. There are delays in some cases, but there are also projects substantially ahead of schedule. Most of the significant delays have been due to the fact that environmental impact studies and other environmental works could not take place during the summer because of difficulties and protests.
It is somebody else's responsibility.
No, it is not somebody else's responsibility. The Government has endeavoured to make available very attractive financial arrangements to resolve the problem, on top of what are already fairly attractive payments. We have been endeavouring to find a solution. If we do not, the roads programme will be substantially delayed. The Cabinet committee, which I chair, certainly does not want this to happen. While there are some difficulties in other roads projects, we will be able to make up quite an amount of time. I hope with more attractive tendering prices we will also get better value for money than in recent years.
The Taoiseach mentioned that there were no plans to meet the social partners in the near future. Does he plan to have a series of meetings in the run up to the budget? Is he concerned at the analysis which the Conference of Religious of Ireland produced which highlighted the gap between, for example, those on a £40,000 salary and those on social welfare benefits, which has widened by £159 in the lifetime of the Government? Is he determined to see that gap widened further, or will he eliminate it by the time he goes to the country?
What I said was that no collective meetings with the social partners are planned. There is, however, a range of pre-budget meetings planned. There was a meeting yesterday with the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs. The Ministers for Finance and Agriculture, Food and Rural Development have been involved in a number of meetings. All the social partners, including the social, community and family pillar, will have or have had meetings. All those issues are under discussion in preparation for the budget.