Towards Ten-Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement TOWARDS

Transcription

1 Towards 2016 Te-Year Framework Social Partership Agreemet TOWARDS

2 Towards 2016 Te-Year Framework Social Partership Agreemet Baile Átha Cliath Ara Fhoilsiú ag Oifig a tsoláthair Le ceaach díreach ó Oifig Dhíolta Foilseachá Rialtais, Teach Su Alliace, Sráid Theach Laighea, Baile Átha Cliath 2, ó tríd a bpost ó Foilseachái Rialtais a Raóg Post-Tráchta, 51 Faiche Stiabha, Baile Átha Cliath 2, (Teil: ; Fax: ) (LoCall: ; opw@iol.ie) ó trí ao díoltóir leabhar. Govermet of Irelad 2006 PUBLISHED BY THE STATIONERY OFFICE DUBLIN To be purchased directly from the GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS OFFICE SUN ALLIANCE HOUSE, MOLESWORTH STREET, DUBLIN 2 Or by mail order from GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, MAIL ORDER SECTION, 51 ST. STEPHEN S GREEN, DUBLIN 2, (Tel: ; Fax: ) (LoCall: ; opw@iol.ie) or through ay bookseller. Price ISBN Jue 2006 Departmet of the Taoiseach, Govermet Buildigs, Upper Merrio Street, Dubli 2

3 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Foreword I ackowledge the amout of time ad effort that has goe ito the makig of this agreemet. This reflects both the importace of the issues uder discussio ad the cetral importace attached by all sides to maitaiig our system of social partership. Social Partership has helped to maitai a strategic focus o key atioal priorities, ad has created ad sustaied the coditios for remarkable employmet growth, fiscal stability, restructurig of the ecoomy to respod to ew challeges ad opportuities, a dramatic improvemet i livig stadards, through both lower taxatio ad lower iflatio, ad a culture of dialogue, which has served the social parters, but more importatly, the people of this coutry, very well. Obviously, the challeges of today are differet from those of the dark days of 1987, but they are o less complex, ad meetig them together is o less importat. Now, as the, partership, as a problem solvig mechaism, offers the best way forward. Towards 2016 offers the best way forward by providig a importat ad strategic framework for meetig the ecoomic ad social challeges ahead. Each of the previous social partership agreemets has had a particular focus ad has cotaied sigificat iovatios. I this respect Towards 2016 develops a ew framework to address key social challeges, which the idividual faces at each stage of life. This meas a focus o the eeds of childre, youg adults, people of workig age, older people ad people with disabilities. This ambitious approach will pose a major challege public services will eed to be desiged aroud idividuals ad their requiremets, rather tha based o differet admiistrative boudaries. This approach will take time to deliver ad the agreemet sets out how we propose to measure ad review progress over a te-year framework agreemet. I commed the parties o all sides for the sustaied commitmet ad leadership they have show throughout the log ad protracted egotiatig process. We i Govermet look forward to workig closely with the Social Parters to realise the ambitios we share by the historically sigificat date highlighted by the title, Towards Bertie Aher, T.D., Taoiseach

4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Cotets Foreword 2 Overview 5 PART ONE Macro-ecoomy, Ifrastructure, Eviromet ad Social Policy 8 I Itroductio 9 II Ehacig Irelad s Competitive Advatage i a Chagig World Ecoomy 13 ad Buildig Sustaiable Social ad Ecoomic Developmet Sectio 1. Macroecoomic Policy 14 Sectio 2. Eterprise, Iovatio ad Productivity 15 Sectio 3. Strategy for Sciece, Techology ad Iovatio 17 Sectio 4. Better Regulatio 17 Sectio 5. Kowledge Society 18 Sectio 6. Public Eterprise 19 Sectio 7. Maufacturig Sector 19 Sectio 8. Food ad Drik Sector 21 Sectio 9. Ifrastructure ad Plaig 21 Sectio 10. Public Private Parterships 23 Sectio 11. Trasport 21 ( ) 24 Sectio 12. Road Safety 25 Sectio 13. Housig Policy Framework Buildig Sustaiable Commuities 26 Sectio 14. Costructio 28 Sectio 15. Eergy Policy 28 Sectio 16. Telecommuicatios 30 Sectio 17. Educatio ad Traiig 31 Sectio 18. Evirometal Sustaiability 32 Sectio 19. Rural Developmet 33 Sectio 20. A Competitive ad Profitable Agri-Food Sector 34 Sectio 21. Art ad Culture 35 Sectio 22. Sport 35 Sectio 23. Tourism 36 Sectio 24. Recreatio 36 Sectio 25. Irelad s Natioal Reform Programme (NRP) uder the EU Lisbo Ageda 36 Sectio 26. Exteral Relatios EU ad the Wider World 37 Sectio 27. Official Developmet Aid (ODA) 37 Sectio 28. Irish Abroad 37 III The Lifecycle Framework 39 Sectio 29. Itroductio 40 Sectio 30. Childre Visio Priority Actios Iovative Measures Goverace Framework 47 Sectio 31. People of Workig Age Visio Priority Actios Youg Adults (18-29) Iovative Measures Goverace Framework 58 Sectio 32. Older People Visio Priority Actios Iovative Measures Goverace Framework 65

5 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 33. People with Disabilities Visio The Natioal Disability Strategy Priority Actios Goverace Framework 69 Sectio 34. Implemetatio of the Lifecycle Approach Role of the Commuity ad Volutary Sector Fudig the Commuity ad Volutary Sector 71 IV Implemetatio Arragemets 73 PART TWO Pay, the Workplace, ad Employmet Rights ad Compliace 78 V Private Sector Pay ad Related Issues 79 Sectio 1. Private Sector Pay ad Related Issues 80 Sectio 2. Statutory Miimum Pay 82 Sectio 3. Pesio ad Sick Pay Schemes 83 Sectio 4. Ati-Iflatio Group 83 VI Workplace Relatios 85 Sectio 5. Employee Fiacial Ivolvemet 86 Sectio 6. Partership at the Workplace 86 Sectio 7. Workplace Learig ad Upskillig 87 Sectio 8. Pesios 88 Sectio 9. Natioal Framework Committee for Equal Opportuities at the level of the Eterprise 90 Sectio 10. Natioal Framework Committee for Work-Life Balace Policies 90 VII Employmet Rights ad Compliace 91 Sectio 11. Itroductio 92 Sectio 12. Employmet Rights Compliace ad Eforcemet 92 Sectio 13. New Office of Director for Employmet Rights Compliace 92 Sectio 14. Workig Together for Compliace 93 Sectio 15. A Agreed New Approach to Attaiig Compliace 95 Sectio 16. Stregtheig Pealties ad Redress 97 Sectio 17. Trackig Labour Market Treds 98 Sectio 18. Proposal to Address Exceptioal Collective Redudacy Situatios 98 Sectio 19. Dismissals i Idustrial Disputes 102 Sectio 20. Supportig Employmet Stadards through Public Procuremet 102 Sectio 21. Regulatig Employmet Agecies ad Agecy Workers 103 Sectio 22. Moderisig the Joit Labour Committee System 103 Sectio 23. Protectig Employees i the Home 103 Sectio 24. Ecoomic Migratio Policy 104 Sectio 25. North-South ad East-West Co-operatio 105 Sectio 26. EU Legislative Developmets ad the Workplace 105 Appedix 106 VIII Public Service Pay ad Related Issues 109 Sectio 27. Public Service Pay 109 IX Public Service Moderisatio 113 Sectio 28. Moderisatio ad Flexibility 114 Sectio 29. The Civil Service 116 Sectio 30. Health Sector 119 Sectio 31. Educatio Sector 124 Sectio 32. Local Govermet Sector 133 Sectio 33. Performace Verificatio Process 137

6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Overview Backgroud Negotiatios o this agreemet, the successor to Sustaiig Progress, were formally lauched i Dubli Castle o 2 February As with previous egotiatios, the curret NESC Strategy, (NESC Strategy 2006: People Productivity ad Purpose), has provided the backgroud for the egotiatios. The egotiatig parties icluded the Govermet, trade uios, employers, farmig orgaisatios ad the commuity ad volutary sector, as follows: Irish Cogress of Trade Uios (ICTU), Irish Busiess ad Employers Cofederatio (IBEC), Costructio Idustry Federatio (CIF), Small Firms Associatio (SFA), Irish Exporters Associatio (IEA), Irish Tourist Idustry Cofederatio (ITIC) ad Chambers Irelad, Irish Farmers Associatio (IFA), Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Associatio (ICMSA), Irish Co-Operative Orgaisatio Society Ltd. (ICOS), Macra a Feirme, Irish Natioal Orgaisatio of the Uemployed (INOU), Cogress Cetres Network, CORI Justice Commissio, Natioal Youth Coucil of Irelad (NYCI), Natioal Associatio of Buildig Co-Operatives (NABCO), Irish Coucil for Social Housig (ICSH), Society of Sait Vicet de Paul, Age Actio Irelad, The Carers Associatio, The Wheel, The Disability Federatio of Irelad, Irish Rural Lik, The Irish Seior Citizes Parliamet, The Childre s Rights Alliace, ad Protestat Aid. These egotiatios have delivered Towards 2016, the 10-year Framework Social Partership Agreemet, The Social Parters subscribe to the NESC visio of Irelad i the future, the key foudatios of which are: a dyamic, iteratioalised, ad participatory society ad ecoomy, with a strog commitmet to social justice, where ecoomic developmet is evirometally sustaiable, ad iteratioally competitive. The shared overall goal of Towards 2016 is to realise this visio by: Nurturig the complemetary relatioship betwee social policy ad ecoomic prosperity; Developig a vibrat, kowledge-based ecoomy; Re-ivetig ad repositioig Irelad s social policies; Itegratig a islad-of-irelad ecoomy, ad; Deepeig capabilities, achievig higher participatio rates ad more successfully hadlig diversity, icludig immigratio. Towards 2016 is divided ito two mai parts: Part Oe Part Oe sets out the overall objective of the Agreemet, the ratioale for the loger-term perspective beig adopted i this agreemet, ad outlies other key atioal ad sectoral policy istrumets ad strategies i place to meet the challeges ahead. It cosiders the wider policy framework, icludig macroecoomic policy, ad buildig a ew social policy perspective, fouded o the lifecycle approach. It also outlies the role of social partership, ad the implemetatio arragemets for the Agreemet, icludig a agreed protocol for egagemet betwee Govermet ad the Social Parters.

7 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Itroductio The itroductory text (Chapter 1) sets out the overall goal of the Agreemet, which is to achieve the NESC visio of a dyamic, iteratioalised ad participatory Irish society ad ecoomy, fouded o a commitmet to social justice, ad ecoomic developmet that is both evirometally sustaiable ad iteratioally competitive. Govermet ad the Social Parters are agreed that realisatio of this visio requires a loger-term framework, ad developmet of a ew social policy perspective, based o the lifecycle of the citize. Ehacig Irelad s competitive advatage i a chagig world ecoomy ad buildig sustaiable social ad ecoomic developmet The key macroecoomic policy focus over the lifetime of the Agreemet will be the cotiuatio of a supportive policy framework, which mitigates the idetified atioal ad iteratioal risks, while ehacig productivity ad competitiveess, ad facilitatig the developmet of a iclusive ad sustaiable ecoomy ad society. Chapter 2 details the key priciples iformig that policy, icludig promotig sustaiable growth ad a socially iclusive ad evirometally friedly society, ad maitaiig a soud budgetary positio that supports stable ecoomic growth ad esures our ability to meet future expediture eeds, eve i times of lower ecoomic growth. It also outlies the key strategies to be pursued to maitai ad develop that framework. Maitaiig ad ehacig our competitiveess will require icreased ivestmet i huma resources ad iovatio, ad improvig competitio withi the ecoomy. The chapter idetifies the key priciples uderpiig our approach i this area, ad details key actios plaed or already i place i relatio to specific sectors, i.e., sciece, techology ad iovatio, better regulatio, public eterprise, the maufacturig sector, ad the food ad drik sector. Ivestmet i physical ad social ifrastructure will be critical to the achievemet of the idetified ecoomic ad social goals. This ivestmet will be prioritised i the cotext of a strategic ad log-term framework, which eables plaig for acceleratig regioal populatio ad employmet growth. Govermet ad the Social Parters are agreed o the eed to cotiue the major ifrastructure programme uderway. Chapter 2 also sets out the key strategies that iform that ivestmet, icludig the NSS ad NDP, together with the specific sectoral strategies beig pursued i key areas, i.e. trasport, housig, eergy, telecommuicatios, educatio ad traiig, the eviromet, rural developmet, the agrifood sector, arts, sport, ad tourism. The chapter also details a agreed approach to our relatios with the EU ad the wider world, to our commitmets uder the Natioal Reform Programme uder the EU Lisbo Ageda, ad i relatio to official developmet assistace. The Lifecycle Framework The adoptio of the lifecycle framework, as set out by NESC i its report, The Developmetal Welfare State, is a key iovative feature of the Agreemet. The lifecycle approach places the idividual at the cetre of policy developmet ad delivery, by assessig the risks facig him/her, ad the supports available to him/her to address those risks, at key stages i his/her life. The key lifecycle stages are idetified as: Childre, People of Workig Age, Older People, ad People with Disabilities. The Chapter outlies a ew framework withi which to address key social challeges for each lifecycle stage. A agreed visio ad key log-term goals for each stage of the lifecycle, together with agreed priority actios for the iitial phase of the Agreemet, are idetified. The chapter also outlies relevat goverace frameworks ad moitorig mechaisms.

8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Key areas to be addressed i relatio to childre iclude early childhood developmet ad care, improvig educatio outcomes, improvig health outcomes, promotig recreatio, sports, arts ad culture, icome support, ad childre ad their families. Employability, access to employmet ad icome, improvig health outcomes, carig resposibilities, ad housig, will be the key focus i relatio to people of workig age. The particular eeds of youg adults i respect of educatio, traiig ad employmet, health ad social services, housig ad motor isurace, are also cosidered. Priority areas idetified for attetio for older people iclude pesios/icome supports, log-term care services, housig ad accommodatio, esurig mobility, esurig quality health services, ad promotig educatio ad employmet opportuities. I respect of people with disabilities, Govermet ad the Social Parters have agreed that the Natioal Disability Strategy provides a comprehesive strategy for this lifecycle cohort ad are agreed that its implemetatio should be the focus of policy over the lifetime of the Agreemet. Key issues highlighted iclude health ad educatio services, icome, measures to promote employmet opportuities, accessible housig ad public trasport services ad iformatio ad advocacy services. The Agreemet icludes a rage of proposals desiged to support the role of the Commuity ad Volutary sector i respodig to the particular challeges associated with the implemetatio of the lifecycle approach. These iclude the provisio of ehaced fudig for the Sector ad commitmets to promote social fiace ad philathropic activity. Implemetatio Arragemets Govermet has committed to ivolvig the Social Parters i the developmet of policy, to esure meaigful iput by the Parters ito the shapig of appropriate idividual policy issues, o the desig of implemetatio arragemets, ad to provide the Parters with sufficiet otice, iformatio ad appropriate process for egagemet. The Steerig Group established uder Sustaiig Progress will be recoveed ad will assume overall resposibility for maagig the implemetatio of this te-year framework Agreemet. As heretofore, there will be ogoig quarterly meetigs to review, moitor ad report o progress, ad a aual formal meetig of all parties to the framework Agreemet. I additio, the Agreemet provides for a streamlied outcomes-focused approach to moitorig ad reportig of progress o social iclusio matters uder the lifecycle framework. A formal review will be coducted durig Part Two Part Two sets out the terms of the Draft Pay Agreemet for the private sector (pages 80 to 83) ad the public service (pages 110 to 112), ad addresses a umber of related issues, icludig statutory miimum pay; employee fiacial ivolvemet; partership at the workplace; workplace learig ad upskillig; pesios; equal opportuities; ad worklife balace. It also provides for a rage of measures to protect employmet stadards i the cotext of a rapidly chagig labour market. Part Two also sets out the ageda for moderisatio of the public service. Paymet of the geeral roud icreases for the public service is depedet o verificatio of satisfactory implemetatio of this ageda.

9 Part 1 Macro-ecoomy, Ifrastructure, Eviromet ad Social Policy

10 I Itroductio

11 1 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The Agreed Objective of the Agreemet The shared overall goal for this ew te-year framework agreemet coverig the period is to realise the NESC visio for Irish society by: Nurturig the complemetary relatioship betwee social policy ad ecoomic prosperity; Developig a vibrat, kowledge-based ecoomy ad stimulatig eterprise ad productivity; Re-ivetig ad repositioig Irelad s social policies; Itegratig a islad-of-irelad ecoomy, ad; Deepeig capabilities, achievig higher social ad ecoomic participatio rates ad more successfully hadlig diversity, icludig immigratio. The Parters subscribe to the Visio of Irelad i the Future articulated by NESC. The key foudatios of which are: a dyamic, iteratioalised, ad a participatory society ad ecoomy with a strog commitmet to social justice, where ecoomic developmet is evirometally sustaiable ad is iteratioally competitive. Ecoomic ad social progress i Irelad is ow more broadly based ad has deeper roots tha i the past. At the same time ecoomic progress is vulerable i a umber of ways, some of which are ew. I the past the performace of the ecoomy set limits to our social ad evirometal possibilities. However, ecoomic policy ad social provisio ca be mutually reiforcig ad complemetary. Achievig the goals set out i this framework agreemet withi the timescales evisaged depeds o attaiig the levels of growth idicated i Chapter 2. Should ecoomic growth exceed these levels, ad subject to the key priciples of macro-ecoomic policy set out i this agreemet, additioal resources will be distributed i a balaced way to accelerate progress across the priority objectives of the agreemet, particularly social iclusio. However, if ecoomic growth falls below the projected levels, it will be ecessary to re-prioritise or make more gradual progress i order to adhere to these key priciples while emphasisig the eed to protect the most vulerable people. This aspect will be kept uder review by the Steerig Group. Adoptig a Loger-Term Perspective Dramatic chages are already takig place i the level ad compositio of Irelad s populatio ad i the global market which preset sigificat opportuities ad challeges. A large icrease i populatio is expected i the comig years, which while represetig opportuities for Irelad will put further pressure o services, ifrastructure ad the eviromet. This ad other chages make a compellig case for takig a loger-term view to policy aalysis, formulatio ad implemetatio. The Govermet ad the Social Parters accept that to achieve the NESC Visio of Irelad requires a loger-term strategic plaig perspective, which, i tur, warrats a loger-term partership framework. Thus a te-year framework has bee agreed with the Social Parters. Withi this te-year framework agreemet it is uderstood by the parties that there are idetified strategies ad actios to be achieved durig the first phase of this agreemet (27 moths).

12 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The major ecoomic, ifrastructural, social ad evirometal issues which require a loger-term focus ad a coheret ad joied up policy approach pose challeges to the goverace of public service orgaisatios. Departmets ad agecies will eed to work closely with the social parters ad others to become etworks that udertake delivery, outreach ad aalysis effectively. Natioal Istrumets Cosiderable work has already bee doe i preparig ad settig out the chage ageda to address the challeges ahead. A umber of istrumets are either already i place or are beig fialised that will cotribute to the realisatio of this ageda. These iclude: The ew Natioal Developmet Pla ; The Natioal Spatial Strategy (NSS); Natioal Actio Pla o Social Iclusio; At EU level, the revised Lisbo Ageda to which Irelad subscribes fully ad through the Natioal Reform Programme, which is prepared uder it. Buildig a New Social Policy Perspective The life cycle approach adopts the perspective of the citize as the cetrepiece of buildig a ew social policy approach, withi this te-year framework agreemet. The key lifecycle phases iclude childre, people of workig age, older people ad people with disabilities. Chapter 3 of this agreemet sets out the key goals ad strategies across these key phases for the provisio of three critical ad overlappig types of itervetios idetified by NESC: key services, icome supports ad activatio measures requirig ew ad iovative resposes. The developmet of the lifecycle approach is further iformed by a rage of ifrastructural policy supports as set out i chapter two. The lifecycle approach also poses major challeges i terms of coordiated policy formulatio, ad leveragig the public service moderisatio programme to esure itegratio at service delivery level. North/South Co-operatio ad Recociliatio The Govermet ad the Social Parters remai committed to full implemetatio of the Good Friday Agreemet, icludig the early establishmet of the North/South Cosultative Forum with the participatio of the social parters. North/South co-operatio eeds to be at the heart of strategic plaig o the islad. The focus must be o mutual gais to demostrate that the ecoomic ad social success of each part of Irelad is advatageous to the other. Coversely, ecoomic ad social failure i oe part is damagig to the other. There is also a historic task of completig the process of recociliatio betwee the two traditios o the islad of Irelad. There is a clear role for social parters ad the social partership process i eergisig the peace process ad addressig crucial issues for the islad of Irelad over the ext te years, so that a ew-shared future ca be built ad sustaied. The Role of Social Partership It is recogised that cosultatios take place regularly betwee Govermet, the wider civil society ad a rage of iterests. The process of Social Partership is a set of relatioships based o trust ad problem solvig. The te-year framework agreemet allows those relatioships betwee Govermet ad the Social Parters to evolve.

13 1 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Implemetatio Arragemets Chapter 4 addresses the implemetatio arragemets for the te-year framework agreemet, icludig a agreed protocol for egagemet betwee Govermet ad the Social Parters, mechaisms for egagemet at atioal ad sectoral level ad more streamlied arragemets for moitorig ad review. The valuable role of the Commuity & Volutary Sector is also recogised. The moitorig ad review arragemets for the duratio of the agreemet are also set out.

14 II Ehacig Irelad s Competitive Advatage i a Chagig World Ecoomy ad Buildig Sustaiable Social ad Ecoomic Developmet

15 1 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 1. Macroecoomic Policy The overridig policy focus ad priority, i pursuit of the overall objectives as idicated i chapter 1, is to build a strog ecoomy ad society by maitaiig a supportive macroecoomic policy framework i order to ehace productivity ad competitiveess. Cotext The curret ecoomic backgroud is broadly favourable ad it is likely that there will cotiue to be strog growth i employmet over the medium term. The global ecoomy is expected to grow by 4.4 per cet i 2006 ad by 4.3 per cet thereafter i the medium term up to The ESRI has projected average GNP growth i Irelad of betwee 3.5 per cet ad 4.9 per cet over the period to 2010, ad betwee 3.1 per cet ad 3.3 per cet from 2010 to There are curretly a umber of sigificat risks domestically ad iteratioally: for example the housig market is vulerable to a dowtur ad the US curret accout deficit is a risk. A sudde correctio of this deficit could be associated with a sharp depreciatio of the dollar ad a large rise i US iterest rates, leadig i tur to a US ad global recessio. This agreemet is based o the judgemet that, o balace, there will be a cotiuatio of strog growth i the Irish ecoomy i the comig years. However these risks ad challeges caot be igored ad the possibility of more adverse ecoomic coditios eeds to be seriously take ito accout. Therefore this Agreemet has bee draw up with a objective of mitigatig these risks ad stregtheig the competitiveess ad productive capacity of the ecoomy. Priciples uderlyig Macroecoomic Policy Maitaiig a supportive policy framework for a small ope ecoomy i the loger-term will require adherece to a umber of key priciples: A icreased focus o high value-added ecoomic activity; Workig to restore ad improve Irelad s competitiveess i all its dimesios ad to maitai low iflatio; Promotig sustaiable growth ad a socially iclusive ad evirometally friedly society; Buildig a equitable tax system which ecourages ecoomic growth so as to esure employmet growth, ad cotiuig improvemets i livig stadards for all; The Govermet will be pressig for the maiteace of the curret VAT regime i relatio to labour itesive services ad costructio i whatever commo EU VAT system may emerge i the future; Maitaiig a soud budgetary positio that supports stable ecoomic growth ad esures that the public fiaces will be i a positio to meet future expediture pressures, eve i times of lower growth; Providig a balace betwee et exports ad domestic cosumptio ad ivestmet as drivers of ecoomic growth.

16 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Actios to be take With moetary policy set by the Europea Cetral Bak, macroecoomic policy is ow essetially cocered with maagemet of the public fiaces, icomes policy ad structural reform. The key priciples referred to, particularly sustaiability ad prudet fiscal policy, will guide the maagemet of the public fiaces. The followig strategies will be pursued withi the Govermet s budgetary ad ecoomic framework: A Fiscal Policy which will provide sufficiet room for maoeuvre to meet our obligatios i the evet of a ecoomic dowtur; Govermet capital ivestmet ratio i the order of 5% of GNP, to provide the level of ivestmet required to tackle the ecoomy s ifrastructural deficit; Taxatio Policy desiged to maitai ad stregthe the competitive positio of the ecoomy, foster improvemets i productive capacity, ecoomic ad social developmet, ad equity, while maitaiig a soud fiscal stace. The Govermet will seek to maitai a tax policy at EU level that fosters ecoomic growth ad employmet, without the requiremet of tax harmoisatio at all levels; A Public expediture profile that reflects the growth i the ecoomy, provides for ivestmet i a sustaiable way i public services, ad a public expediture allocatio ad maagemet system that optimises value for moey, icludig implemetatio of public procuremet reforms. Sectio 2. Eterprise, Iovatio ad Productivity While Irelad has oe of the most globalised ecoomies i the world, global competitio geerates the ecessity to iovate ad add value across all aspects of busiess. Thus, with the objective of buildig a kowledge ecoomy, greater ivestmet i huma resources ad i iovatio, particularly aroud ICT applicatio ad use, are critical areas for ivestmet to ehace Irelad s competitiveess. The complex issue of productivity is importat ad is of cocer to Govermet ad the social parters. Stregtheig our productive capacity ad performace will icrease the resources available for higher livig stadards ad further ivestmet i social ad ecoomic ifrastructure. The NESC i its strategy report also reaffirmed its belief that the etworks approach should play a more sigificat role i the areas of iovatio ad etrepreeurship. Stregtheig Cosumer Protectio Improvig competitiveess also meas brigig more competitio ad a fair deal to cosumers. Providig better cosumer iformatio ad protectio will empower cosumers to achieve good value for moey ad help lower costs. The value of a pro cosumer ageda will be promoted i stroger terms as the Natioal Cosumer Agecy (NCA) stregthes its operatios ad as its madate develops ito cosumer advocacy, research, iformatio, eforcemet, educatio ad awareess. The NCA will become a forceful, statutory advocate for cosumer rights ad will be empowered ad resourced to promote the cosumers case with regulated idustries ad idividual regulators.

17 1 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Priciples uderlyig Eterprise, Iovatio ad Productivity The approach to Eterprise, Iovatio ad Productivity withi this te-year framework agreemet is iformed by the followig uderlyig priciples: Buildig o successful adoptio ad operatio of advaced techologies to achieve greater iovatio i products, processes ad orgaisatio both to improve productivity ad improve service delivery; Stregtheig the competitive advatages of our ecoomic ad idustrial base ad promotig a more etrepreeurial culture; Improvig ivestmet i huma capital ad adaptig the educatio ad traiig systems, icludig emphasis o upskillig those already at work ad those who wish to retur to work, icludig older people, ad those whose eed for learig is greatest, ad focusig o icreasig educatio participatio ad completio at all levels ad i all sectors; Creatig a more competitive busiess eviromet ad ecouragig private ad eterprise iitiative through better regulatio, greater competitio ad stroger cosumer protectio ad advocacy; Developig ad broadeig iovatio ad productivity to iclude a orgaisatioal culture which will eable the delivery of high quality services i the private, public, commuity ad volutary sectors; Adaptig more resposively to chages eeded to maitai high levels of employmet; Maitaiig a strog focus o attractig iward ivestmet while supportig the developmet of the services sector, with particular emphasis o the idigeous sector, as a driver of exports. Overall Policy The overall policy focus is to icrease ad improve the levels of activity i research ad developmet, i the public ad private sectors, ad to facilitate greater levels of creativity ad iovatio, through greater ivestmet i huma resources. The key developmet i the last decade has bee the icreased ivestmet i basic research. However, there is a eed for a more strategic directio i policy ad iovatio. Actios to be take The parties to this te-year framework agreemet edorse the approach set out i NESC Strategy which articulated three strategic directios of eterprise ad iovatio policy. This ivolves deepeig ad wideig Irelad s iovatio policy, developig the etwork approach, ad regulatio i the service of competitive advatage ad other goals. Sectoral Strategies I the cotext of globalisatio ad growig competitio for both trade ad ivestmet, the lifecycle of policymakig is gettig shorter. Log-term progress i social ad ecoomic terms will require cosistet improvemets i competitiveess together with the productive capacity ad scale to adjust with flexibility to chages as they arise i the markets i which we trade. To esure our ecoomy, eterprises ad our labour force have the capacity ad skills to adapt to the curret of iteratioal busiess, there will be periodic policy reviews throughout this agreemet to esure there is o dimiutio i the competitive capacity of the ecoomy to be attractive for higher value added activities.

18 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Over the life of the te-year framework agreemet ew arragemets will ievitably emerge to deal with evolvig competitiveess issues, to amplify their importace for eterprise ad to cosider policy chages that better meet both ecoomic ad social objectives. This will see a differet process of commuicatio betwee Govermet ad broader iterests o those issues of greatest importace to sustaiig a vibrat eterprise ecoomy. Sectio 3. Strategy for Sciece, Techology ad Iovatio Govermet has published a comprehesive Strategy for Sciece, Techology ad Iovatio for the period The strategy provides for the cotiued developmet of a world-class research system uderpied by the essetial physical ad huma ifrastructure, doublig the umber of PhD graduates over its lifespa. Top-level researchers will also be draw from both home-grow talet ad the brightest who ca be draw from oversees. The strategy also proposes mechaisms to 1) esure that the ivestmet i research is tured ito commercial value to the greatest extet possible, ad 2) i regard to eterprise, the strategy will set out structures ad mechaisms to ehace supports to idustry ad ecourage firms to become more egaged i R&D activity. The strategy will be judged over the te-year framework agreemet i terms of the achievemet of the followig outcomes: Icreased participatio i the scieces by youg people; Sigificat icreases i the umbers of people with advaced qualificatios i sciece ad egieerig; Ehaced cotributio of research to ecoomic, social ad evirometal developmet; Trasformatioal chage i the quality ad quatity of research udertake by compaies both directly ad i cooperatio with third level istitutios; Icreased participatio i iteratioal S&T cooperatio ad tras-atioal research activity; A established iteratioal profile for Irelad as a premier locatio for carryig out world class research ad developmet i key sectors. Sectio 4. Better Regulatio Irelad s regulatory ifrastructure is a importat factor that has cotributed to our ecoomic growth ad competitive advatage. Irelad s flexible regulatory framework, has bee a key factor i ecouragig a umber of foreig compaies to ivest here, ad has allowed idigeous compaies to flourish ad expad. Good quality regulatio is essetial to prevet market failures, to esure the health ad welfare of the citize, the worker, the cosumer ad of busiess. It is importat that our regulatory framework remais flexible, proportioate ad up to date. The parties to this agreemet recogise that much has bee achieved i the area of regulatory reform, particularly the itroductio of Regulatory Impact Aalysis i Buildig upo the progress made, Govermet will advace the followig priority areas: Cotiue to moitor levels of compliace with requiremets i relatio to Regulatory Impact Aalysis. Govermet Departmets will publish withi their Aual Reports details of legislatio ad regulatios published durig the relevat year ad how RIA was applied i such cases;

19 1 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The Departmet of the Taoiseach to review the operatio of RIA by the ed of 2007 ad use the fidigs of this review, to refie ad amed RIA requiremets ad processes. This will help to esure that RIA cotiues to support the developmet of proportioate, effective ad targeted regulatios; Publish a database of the key public ad private sector bodies that curretly have regulatory fuctios i Irelad; Coduct a wide-ragig survey to ascertai busiess attitudes to regulatio. This will better iform Govermet of those regulatory areas causig most cocer to busiess, either i terms of their impacts o the effective operatio of markets ad/or their impositio of admiistrative burdes. Based o the fidigs of this survey, Govermet will cosider proposals from the Social Parters, the Better Regulatio Group ad the Busiess Regulatio Forum to address ay egative impacts of regulatio o busiess, competitiveess ad the cosumer; As part of icreased efforts to improve accessibility of legislatio, the tools of restatemet, cosolidatio, repeal ad reform will be used to esure the Irish Statute Book is more readily accessible. I developig this programme, particular attetio will be paid to those legislative areas that have most impact o the citize ad o busiess, ad to areas where restatemet would be most useful; The programme to remove all obsolete ad redudat Acts that predate the foudatio of the State will cotiue. Repealig redudat or obsolete Acts will assist i esurig that there is greater clarity regardig the legislatio that remais i force i Irelad, ad that this is more coheret ad easily accessible to all citizes. Work will also progress o makig secodary legislatio available electroically at a earlier stage; It is essetial that regulators decisios are ope to scrutiy ad challege by affected parties who cosider that they have ot bee properly treated i accordace with the law. Govermet will publish a cosultatio documet i 2006 seekig views of the Social Parters, represetative groups ad other iterested stakeholders o the most appropriate appeals mechaisms for the key ecoomic regulators, reflectig best iteratioal practice, as well as the specific regulatory arragemets ad market structures operatig i idividual sectors. Sectio 5. Kowledge Society The Govermet will publish a Kowledge Society Actio Pla durig This will build upo the advaces made ad the outcomes achieved by the two previous Natioal Actio Plas while recogisig the ubiquity of techology, the eed to use techology as a tool i the drive towards Kowledge Ecoomy activities ad the eed to provide for greater iclusiveess. It will be i lie with the EU i2010 Iitiative, A Europea Iformatio Society for Growth ad Employmet, ad will provide for the cotiued exploitatio of ICTs by all; icludig govermet, busiesses, public sector ad the commuity ad volutary sector. It will iclude specific actios o awareess of, access to, ad applicatio ad greater exploitatio of ICTs with a view to stimulatig ad ecouragig greater egagemet with ad participatio i the Kowledge Society. Its commitmets to addressig the digital divide, eiclusio, are set out uder the key life cycle phases i Chapter 3. Followig o from the work of the Iformatio Society Commissio, the Kowledge Society Foresight Iitiative, focusig o Irelad s advacemet to the iovatio-drive stage of socio-ecoomic developmet, will be pursued by the Natioal Ecoomic ad Social Developmet Office.

20 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 6. Public Eterprise The Govermet is committed to active egagemet with the social parters o the future of the commercial semi- State sector o the basis of the Govermet s commitmet to its role i providig services of world-class quality at a competitive price to the cosumer with a viable log-term future for idividual compaies based o the most appropriate form of owership or structure for its particular eeds. The Govermet s approach will be grouded o a umber of priciples: we should have a strategy for sharig iformatio ad aalysis about issues ad optios facig each major State compay ad the sector i which it operates; this should iclude systematic learig from the experiece of other coutries as a guide to dealig with issues that may arise; the egagemet should be such that the Govermet s thikig is shared at the earliest appropriate time; our policy will, i all cases, be based o servig the public iterest, i particular that of meetig the eeds of people to best effect without ay ideological assumptio as to what corporate structure or strategy best meets that objective; all of this egagemet should be based o a recogitio that the public iterest is best served by a culture of iovatio, flexibility ad cost effectiveess i the operatios of our State compaies; ad where a commercial public eterprise makes a good busiess case for further ivestmet, the govermet will cosider the project ad respod rapidly. Sectio 7. Maufacturig Sector The Govermet, employers ad trade uios ackowledge the critical role played by maufacturig i the developmet of the Irish ecoomy ad, recogisig the challeges facig the sector at preset ad that all three parties have a role to play i meetig those challeges, commit to takig the measures required to esure that maufacturig cotiues to play a cetral role i the Irish ecoomy i the future. To that ed the followig measures are agreed: Provide a proportio withi the overall provisio of additioal resources for upskillig those i employmet (as provided for i sectio 7 of Part Two of the agreemet relatig to Pay, the Workplace ad Employmet Rights ad Compliace), to which projects to up-skill workers i maufacturig would have priority access, with priority also beig give to the low-skilled; Appoit a Director for the Framework R&D Programme Support Structures to support maufacturig compaies to maximise their ivolvemet with these programmes; Udertake a dedicated promotioal campaig to icrease awareess withi the maufacturig sector of the Export Orietatio Programme, the Diploma i Iteratioal Trade ad EI s key sales ad marketig persoel grats ad review the operatio of these programmes with a view to idetifyig further measures by which the take-up by maufacturig compaies ca be icreased.

21 2 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t I additio, it is agreed that a High Level Maufacturig Group will be established to review the challeges facig the maufacturig sector ad idetify further measures to meet those challeges. This Group will be chaired by a idustry figure with sigificat experiece of the maufacturig sector, ad will report periodically to the partership process. Havig regard to the iitiatives uderway followig the reports of the Eterprise Strategy Group ad the Small Busiess Forum, the Group will cosider the full rage of issues affectig the competitiveess of the maufacturig sector icludig the followig: Maagig chage to sustai competitiveess, i particular measures to: Create a awareess of the critical importace of a flexible ad positive attitude to chage i techology, systems ad processes. This embraces ivestig i eablig techologies ad orgaisatioal restructurig with a view to addressig imbalaces i productivity performace; Assist smaller maufacturig firms to realise the potetial of iformatio techology; Support upskillig of low-skilled workers i the maufacturig sector; Support the chage process i compaies through advice ad assistace; Ehacig the cotributio of research, developmet ad iovatio, i particular measures to: Support the establishmet of R&D uits i maufacturig compaies; Support compaies applyig for R&D grats uder EU Framework Programmes; Improvig the eviromet for maufacturig, i particular measures to: Esure good quality regulatio; Esure that there are o ureasoable icreases ad impacts i local charges; Icrease kowledge ad awareess of the chagig coditios i the sector, icludig explorig the possibility of creatig a post of Chief Maufacturig Advisor; Better exploitatio of domestic opportuities, i particular measures to: Ecourage greater likages betwee MNCs ad idigeous maufacturers to support iovatio, research ad marketig; Facilitate compaies i applyig for public sector cotracts; Growig sales i export markets, i particular measures to: Provide access to market iformatio ad opportuities; Ehace the sales ad marketig capability withi maufacturig compaies; Ehace the effectiveess of the Export Orietatio Programme ad the Diploma i Iteratioal Trade i the maufacturig sector.

22 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 8. Food ad Drik Sector The Govermet recogises the key importace of the food ad drik idustry to the ecoomy ad ackowledges the sigificat challeges ad opportuities it faces i the light of chagig atioal, EU ad iteratioal trade policies ad major market developmets. The Agri-Visio 2015 Actio Pla set out a visio for the developmet of sector ad a wide rage of actios to meet these challeges. I this cotext a Committee, chaired at Miisterial level ad comprised of seior represetatives of the idustry will be established to idetify issues impedig the developmet of the sector ad develop appropriate strategies for dealig with them i a holistic maer. While recogisig that may of the challeges facig the sector are iteratioal i scale, a importat issue to be addressed by the Committee is the chagig relatioship betwee the retail ad processig sectors i Irelad. This will iclude establishig the ature of demad ad the structure of the market. Challeges to be addressed will iclude issues such as competitio i both atioal ad iteratioal retail sectors, costs ad cost recovery, the icreasig focus o improvig cosumer welfare, reform of CAP, WTO. Treds i their characteristics ad their implicatios will be assessed havig regard to iteratioal practice with a view to supportig the developmet of the overall strategy. As part of its separate review of the structure ad operatio of the grocery trade, the Competitio Authority will be asked to assess, over time, the impact of the ew regulatory eviromet i the cotext of abuse of a domiat positio icludig both excessive ad predatory pricig. As part of this process the Authority will be asked to report to Govermet periodically ad to make ay recommedatios it cosiders appropriate havig regard to its fidigs. Sectio 9. Ifrastructure ad Plaig The overall policy focus is to prioritise ivestmet i public ad social ifrastructure withi a strategic ad log-term framework which plas for acceleratig regioal populatio ad employmet growth. Overall Cotext Irelad is at preset egaged i a major programme of capital ivestmet by Govermet, with close to 5 per cet of GNP beig used for this purpose. This programme has greatly improved ifrastructure from a low base ad while further sigificat improvemets are i prospect, a sigificat ifrastructural deficit still remais. Despite levels of curret icome which compare favourably with may of our EU couterparts, Irelad s total accumulated wealth, of which ifrastructure is a part, still lags may other developed coutries. For this reaso Govermet ad the social parters support the cotiuatio of a major ifrastructure ivestmet programme ad the eed for more balaced regioal developmet, particularly i the cotext of the dramatic chages i the level ad compositio of Irelad s populatio. A ogoig challege is to provide for more effective ad timely plaig decisios ad better coordiatio across policy, regulatory ad implemetatio agecies while also esurig robust aalysis of proposals, with due regard paid to evirometal ad other issues ad the views of the public. I this cotext, the Plaig ad Developmet (Strategic Ifrastructure) Bill 2006 which, amog other thigs will provide a mechaism to accelerate plaig decisios o relevat ifrastructure, is expected to be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before the summer 2006 recess. The legislatio will facilitate A Bord Pleaála, i essece, becomig a oe-stop shop for plaig decisios o strategic ifrastructure developmets. A parallel iitiative is uderway by the Presidet of the High Court to provide greater efficiecies i the hadlig of such cases by the High Court.

23 2 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Natioal Spatial Strategy The Natioal Spatial Strategy (NSS) provides the strategic ad log-term framework withi which to pla for balaced regioal developmet. Withi the first phase (durig 2008) of this te-year framework agreemet the followig outcomes will have bee achieved: The ew NDP will have prioritised capital ivestmet i lie with the NSS; All City ad Couty Developmet Plas will have icorporated the policies ad aims of the NSS ad Regioal Plaig Guidelies; Each Gateway will have i place a overall framework for strategic developmet ad ivestmet adopted by its costituet local authorities; The agreed framework will be i place to eable collaboratio ad cooperatio i relatio to spatial plaig issues o the islad of Irelad; Research programmes will be uderway deliverig iformatio o the ecoomic potetial ad performace of the Gateways ad their more rural hiterlads. The high level outcomes sought withi the loger-term te-year framework agreemet are as follows: Substatial ad faster growth evidet i all of the Gateways; Gateways both idividually ad collectively providig alterative locatios for ivestmet ad ecoomic activity complemetig Dubli; Hub Tows extedig the impact of Gateways more widely withi their regios; Ehaced quality of life through more balaced developmet of the Gateways ad their wider regios, the coordiated delivery of ifrastructure ad ameities ad improved coectivity betwee urba ad rural areas. The effectiveess of the NSS Strategy itself i meetig its objectives ad the medium ad loger-term outcomes idetified over the duratio of this agreemet will be the subject of periodic review with the parters. Natioal Developmet Pla (NDP ) The NDP will set out the strategic framework for ivestmet i ifrastructure ad eterprise developmet over the period It will also address i a substative way social iclusio, regioal developmet ad evirometal sustaiability. A elaborate cosultatio process o the Pla has bee commeced by the Departmet of Fiace ivolvig iter alia the Social Parters. The Pla will particularly focus o priorities i ivestmet i public ad social ifrastructure i the research ad developmet, trasport, telecommuicatios, eergy, the productive sector, evirometal services, housig, educatio, health, ad childcare areas, ad o ivestmet i huma resources i the educatio ad traiig fields. The Pla will take accout of the high level framework set out i this te-year framework agreemet i relevat areas.

24 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Priciples uderlyig the NDP Ivestmet i public ad social ifrastructure withi a strategic ad log-term framework will be iformed by the followig priciples: Operatig withi a sustaiable ecoomic ad budgetary framework; Allocatio of ivestmet resources at programme ad project levels which best promote competitiveess ad sustaiable ecoomic developmet; Ivestmet programmes that will support the Gateways strategy set out i the NSS ad thereby promote balaced regioal developmet; Optimisatio of North/South ad all-islad ecoomic cooperatio; Cotiuig to address the physical ad social Ifrastructure deficits, particularly i the trasport, waste, eergy, ad commuicatios sectors. Housig, healthcare, eldercare, childcare ad people with disabilities (accessibility) are also area which will receive particular attetio; Educatio will be a priority, with a emphasis o buildig the kowledge ecoomy; The NDP will ivest i huma capital with a focus o upskillig, early school leavers, literacy, lifelog learig ad with particular emphasis o retraiig those with least educatioal attaimet; Esurig best value for moey i ifrastructure projects ad esurig ivestmet ad policy iitiatives are targeted as a priority towards ifrastructure deficits; Best practice i the appraisal ad maagemet of capital programmes ad projects to esure best value for moey, proper targetig of ivestmet, ad timely completio. Sectio 10. Public Private Parterships I the cotext of this agreemet ad i lie with the visio set out i the NESC Strategy, People, Productivity ad Purpose, public authorities will seek to pursue the PPP optio i accordace with the Natioal Framework for Public Private Parterships, as adopted uder the partership process i 2001 ad i accordace with related guidelies icludig o the applicatio of the public sector bechmark ad o stakeholder cosultatios. Govermet is favourably disposed to providig for trade uio represetatio o the Board of the Natioal Developmet Fiace Agecy. Govermet also recogises the complex issues that arise i seekig to develop PPPs. I that regard, resources will be made available through partership fudig structures to part fud appropriate traiig for uios to fully familiarise themselves with the PPP process ad related procedures. Sectoral Strategies Govermet will work i a islad-of-irelad cotext, wherever possible i the formulatio ad implemetatio of relevat sectoral strategies.

25 2 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 11. Trasport 21 ( ) Trasport 21 is the Govermet s capital ivestmet framework for trasport for the te-year period 2006 to Trasport 21 ivolves ivestmet of i excess of 34 billio ad etails 2 key strategies A Greater Dubli Area strategy ad a atioal strategy. The Dubli strategy aims to trasform the trasport system i the Greater Dubli Area to eable it to cater effectively for existig demad ad for future populatio ad ecoomic growth. There will be a particular emphasis o the developmet of a extesive, moder, itegrated public trasport etwork. This is to be achieved through a major expasio of rail-based public trasport services ad a sigificat icrease i bus capacity ad i the umber of Quality Bus Corridors. A ew Dubli Trasport Authority will be established to maage implemetatio of this crucial strategy. Cogress ad other iterested parties will be cosulted durig the draftig of the legislatio. The mai elemets of the Dubli Strategy iclude: The developmet of Metro North (St. Stephe s Gree to Swords) by 2012; The phased implemetatio of Metro West (Tallaght-Clodalki-Blachardstow-Ballymu) by 2014; The provisio of a ew Luas lie to Luca by 2013; The phased developmet of a Luas lie from St. Stephes Gree to Liffey Juctio by 2012; Extesio of the existig Luas etwork to Cherrywood, Bray, Docklads ad Citywest; The completio of the Kildare rail lie upgrade project by 2010; The phased developmet of a rail lik to Nava by 2015; The costructio of a ew rail statio i the Docklads ad the implemetatio of city cetre rail resigallig project by 2009; The costructio of a rail itercoector ad associated electrificatio works; A 60% icrease i bus capacity over the programme period; A doublig of the legth of the Quality Bus Network by 2009; Phased upgradig of the M50 by The atioal strategy ivolves the developmet of a high-quality atioal road ad public trasport etwork, the provisio of improved regioal ad local public trasport services ad ivestmet i essetial capital works at regioal airports. The atioal road programme will iclude: The completio of the iter-urba motorways likig Dubli to Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick ad Waterford by 2010; The phased developmet of the Atlatic Road Corridor by 2015; Substatial upgradig of the rest of the atioal primary etwork ad targeted ivestmet i atioal secodary roads over the programme period. The mai features of the atioal ivestmet i public trasport iclude: Phased upgradig of itercity rail services by 2009;

26 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Phased re-opeig of the Wester Rail Corridor by 2014; New ad improved commuter rail services i Cork ad Galway by 2008; Upgraded bus services ad improved bus priority ad park ad ride i the four provicial cities; Upgraded regioal ad local bus services. Trasport 21 icludes a fiacial provisio to esure that the trasport system is accessible for people with physical, sesory ad cogitive impairmets. This will be achieved i two ways. Accessibility will be desiged ad built ito ew projects. Substatial fudig will be provided to eable the phased retrofit of existig ifrastructure. The details of the accessibility implemetatio programme will be set out i the Departmet of Trasport s sectoral pla uder the Disability Pla Rural Trasport Iitiative (RTI) The Govermet decided i 2005 that the RTI would be put o a permaet footig from 2007 owards. Fudig of the order of 5m is i place for the Iitiative i I additio, as idicated at the lauch of Trasport 21, there will be a doublig of the cash fudig available to the RTI by Thereafter, a steady icrease i fudig will be provided for rural trasport services, ultimately to a cash level about four times the 2005 allocatio. The commuity ad volutary sector has a vital cotributio to make ad role to play i local ad rural trasport services ad has bee actively ivolved i the developmet of RTI. Public Trasport Partership Forum The Public Trasport Partership Forum will cotiue to provide a meas for cosultatio with the Social Parters o matters relatig to public trasport. Sectio 12. Road Safety Govermet is committed to the urget eactmet of the Road Traffic Bill. The primary purpose of the Bill is to provide for the ecessary statutory backgroud for a rage of specific measures set out i the Road Safety Strategy 2004 to Reversig the egative treds i road deaths ad the achievemet of eforcemet targets is particularly depedet o the itroductio of this primary legislatio particularly i relatio to madatory roadside alcohol testig ad the privatisatio of speed cameras. Curret Priorities Eactmet of the Road Traffic Bill 2006; Expasio of the Traffic Corps over the ext three years. By the ed of 2006, over 800 Officers will be servig i the Corps. The plaed staffig threshold for the Corps of 1,200 officers will be realised by the ed of 2008, withi overall authorised umbers; Itroductio of madatory alcohol testig to deter drik drivig; Privatisatio of speed cameras to eforce speedig cotrols; Preparatio of a ew Road Safety Strategy.

27 2 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Log-Term Goals Reduce ad maitai a decrease i the level of road deaths i lie with Natioal Road Safety Strategy; Icreased, sustaied ad visible eforcemet; Chages i attitudial behaviour i relatio to speedig ad drik drivig brought about by greater eforcemet ad the icreased risk of beig caught; Icreased role of ew Road Safety Authority, a sigle agecy with resposibility for a wide rage of fuctios which have a bearig o road safety. It will have the legislative ad fiacial muscle to coordiate ad advace the road safety ageda through delivery of road safety programmes such as testig of drivers ad vehicles, road safety research ad data collectio, driver educatio ad the promotio of awareess of road safety i geeral. Sectio 13. Housig Policy Framework Buildig Sustaiable Commuities The loger timeframe of a te-year framework agreemet allows for pathways to be developed to trasform the Irish housig eviromet: to improve ot oly resposiveess of services but also quality of services. I this cotext, the core objective of housig policy is to eable every household to have available a affordable dwellig of good quality, suited to its eeds, i a good eviromet ad, as far as possible, at the teure of its choice. The Govermet ad the Social Parters edorse the importat priciples set out i the Housig Policy Framework Buildig Sustaiable Commuities which provides a visio of the kid of high quality, itegrated sustaiable commuities that are worth buildig. This also aims to take ito accout other factors i the areas of balaced regioal ad rural developmet, plaig, physical ad social ifrastructure ad evirometal sustaiability ad the developmet of social capital. The parties agree to work together toward the delivery of this visio over this te-year framework agreemet. A more detailed policy statemet will issue durig 2006, reflectig these priciples ad takig accout of this Agreemet. Workig through the Housig Forum, the Govermet ad the Social Parters will focus o five mai areas to achieve the objectives of creatig sustaiable commuities: Cotiuig improvemets i the quality of houses ad eighbourhoods, icludig improvemet of cosumer iformatio i relatio to housig; Providig tailored housig services to those who caot afford to meet their ow housig eeds, ad i this way respodig to the broad spectrum of housig eed; Developig iter-agecy cooperatio where there is a care dimesio; Maitaiig the impetus for the delivery of housig at affordable prices to the market, icludig through State supported schemes, ad other appropriate iovatios, such as measures to support first time buyers; Progressig the social housig reform ageda set out i the Housig Policy Framework. The approach seeks to esure that all housig is see as beig o a equal footig whether provided fully by the State or supported i some way. All parties have a role i developig this ethos, which makes o distictio betwee types of housig or teure. A critical factor i determiig housig itervetios is the requiremet for a clear perspective as to the scale ad ature of eed, icludig local variatios. I framig resposes, accout should be take of idividual ad family circumstaces ad each perso s positio i the lifecycle. The approach should also seek to ecourage choice, persoal autoomy ad a sese of commuity ivolvemet for all those across the life-cycle. To advace these goals, a ew meas of assessmet will be developed to provide a better basis for policy developmet ad service delivery to esure that all people ca live with maximum idepedece withi their commuity.

28 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The parties ackowledge the view take i the NESC report o housig that a additioal 73,000 social housig uits should be provided i the period 2004 to The parties cosider this target as beig of cotiuig relevace to the expected respose uder this te-year framework agreemet. Implemetatio of such a objective will be assessed i the light of work o the assessmet of eed, the emergig picture i relatio to eed, the evolutio of the various housig programmes ad the outputs achieved uder these, ad the resources available. Key areas for developmet uder the first phase of this te-year framework agreemet iclude ew meas of assessig eed ad ehacig delivery of social ad affordable housig. The Govermet are committed to expadig the social ad affordable housig optios over the comig years ad have idicated that icreased ivestmet will meet the eeds of some 50,000 households over the three years to 2008, through the existig rage of social ad affordable housig optios. Further households will beefit from the Retal Accommodatio Scheme (RAS). The Govermet is committed to providig additioal ivestmet over the period , which will provide a expaded rage of housig optios to households who caot afford to provide for their accommodatio eeds from their ow resources. This will iclude The commecemet/acquisitio of a additioal 4,000 ew housig uits over the period 2007 to 2009 for such households [through a combiatio of local authority (2,000), volutary ad co-operative housig (1,000), ad RAS log-term cotractual arragemets for ew supply (1,000)]. This will brig the total umber of ew commecemets/acquisitios i the period to 27,000 uits; I additio, further households will beefit from full implemetatio of the Retal Accommodatio Scheme, ivolvig cotractual arragemets with ladlords, for existig properties trasferrig from ret supplemet; Implemetatio of the Local Authority Traveller accommodatio programmes. I additio to the curret affordable housig measures which will deliver some 17,000 uits over the period 2007 to 2009 through a more streamlied approach curretly uder developmet, the Affordable Homes Partership is udertakig iitiatives to icrease the supply of affordable housig i the Greater Dubli Area. A key istrumet is their role i brigig forward additioal lad for housig developmet. It is uderstood that the Partership is at a advaced stage i selectig suitable sites from its first call for proposals, which subject to plaig, could deliver a substatial affordable housig yield. Other iovative meas of icreasig the supply of affordable housig will also be explored durig the first phase of this agreemet. Throughout the period of agreemet there will a emphasis o iovatio ad joit policy approaches with the social parters to accelerate delivery, icludig affordable retal ad shared equity optios. I additio, the Affordable Homes Partership while maitaiig its focus o delivery i the Greater Dubli Area where affordability problems are most acute, will build o its growig experiece to assist the roll-out atioally i areas of commuicatios campaigs i relatio to affordable housig matters, commo approaches by local authorities i relatio to Part V of the Plaig ad Developmet Act , ad applicatio systems for affordable housig. As a result of the various social ad affordable housig measures the accommodatio eeds of some 60,000 ew households will be addressed over the period The multi-aual actio plas i place at local authority level, supported by active lad maagemet strategies aouced by the Govermet last year are key istrumets i deliverig this ambitious programme. These will be bolstered by the followig measures: Active egagemet with the volutary ad co-operative housig sector to icrease their role i deliverig o eeds, through a ratioalisatio, early i the first phase of the agreemet, of admiistrative ad approval arragemets to esure the earliest possible delivery of suitable quality projects, improvemet i fudig arragemets ad measures to ehace goverace of the sector ad a expadig role for the sector uder the Retal Accommodatio Scheme;

29 2 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t To further assist the volutary ad co-operative sector i the cotext of the programme as outlied, the Govermet will arrage through local authorities for additioal lad/uits to be provided uder this Agreemet for the purpose of meetig idetified housig eed. It will be expected that uits/sites sufficiet to supply some 3,000 dwelligs will be idetified ad made available over the period ; The Natioal Buildig Agecy, which has cosiderable experiece i area of regeeratio ad remedial works, will establish with immediate effect a dedicated uit to support local authorities i udertakig regeeratio ad remedial programmes as part of a programme to brig all social housig accommodatio up to the best possible stadard; Miimum stadards regulatios for the private reted sector will be updated by the Dept of Eviromet, Heritage ad local Govermet ad effectively eforced by Local Authorities. The Housig Forum will play a importat role i iputtig to policy developmet ad evaluatig outcomes over the period of the te-year framework agreemet. This will iclude housig issues i both the urba ad rural eviromets. Progress will be reviewed followig the first phase (durig 2008) of the te-year framework agreemet. This will iform the delivery uder the ext series of multi-aual housig actio plas, takig accout of market developmets ad capacity. I may areas, the outcomes for idividuals will be critically depedet o the iter-likages of services as described uder the key lifecycle phases set out i Chapter 3. Sectio 14. Costructio The Govermet recogises the key cotributio of the costructio sector i the developmet of the overall ecoomy, ad specifically i the delivery of public ad private ifrastructure. The sector employs 250,000 people across three major sub-sectors: Housig, Geeral Cotractig, ad Civil Egieerig. The efficiet ad effective operatio of each of these sub-sectors is importat for future ecoomic ad social developmet. New Govermet costructio cotracts have as their objective the delivery of fixed price lump sum costructio cotracts, which trasfer appropriate risk to cotractors. Govermet commits itself to workig actively with the sector with regard to meetig atioal priorities. I this cotext, the Forum for the Costructio Idustry will cotiue to provide a meas for cosultatio o matters relatig to the idustry. Sectio 15. Eergy Policy It is imperative for a moder competitive ecoomy to have reliable, secure ad competitively priced eergy available to it. Log-term actios ad decisios regardig the eergy sector must also be sustaiable from a evirometal perspective i order to provide safeguards for future geeratios. Eergy policy aims to achieve 3 fudametal objectives: Security of Eergy supply; Evirometal sustaiability; Ecoomic competitiveess.

30 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t I this cotext, the Govermet will publish a Eergy Gree Paper i mid 2006 to cosider our eergy optios for the future. This Paper will set out the challeges facig us i the eergy area as well as outliig policy resposes already take ad those beig proposed. The Govermet believes this will provide clarity ad certaity to the sector i terms of a atioal eergy strategy betwee ow ad I the cotext of Irelad s small eergy market size ad particular exposure to sustaied high global oil ad gas prices ad supply risks, ad otig that high eergy costs are a icreasig cocer for eterprise ad cosumers, key priorities for eergy policy over the period will iclude the delivery of critical eergy ifrastructure; expasio of the cotributio of reewable eergy; progressio of structural chages i the eergy sector ad the regulatory framework to ecourage competitio i a all-islad ecoomy, icreased cost efficiecies ad best value for both cosumers ad eterprise; delivery of the sigle all-islad electricity market to schedule; support for sigificat expasio of eergy RTDI; ad actios to improve eergy efficiecy ad demad maagemet across all sectors ad to address fuel poverty. The Govermet wishes to see a productive cosultatio process ivolvig all stakeholders o the challeges idetified ad directios proposed i the Gree paper before fialisig a White Paper by the ed of The key outcomes to be achieved durig the course of the first phase ad the wider te-year framework agreemet iclude: Publicatio of the Gree Paper o Natioal Eergy Policy (mid 2006); Publish White Paper o Natioal Eergy Policy (ed 2006); Lauch Natioal Eergy Efficiecy Awareess Campaig (September 2006); Establishmet of the Sigle Electricity Market (July 2007); Establishmet of a Eergy Research Coucil (mid 2006); Cotiued ad exteded support for reewable eergy sources, icludig implemetatio of reewable eergy strategies ad a Natioal Bio-Eergy/biofuels Strategy (2006); Completio of the North/South Gas Itercoector project (2006); Completio of the East/West ad North/South Electricity Itercoectors (2012 at the latest); Progressive delivery of the All Islad Eergy Market Framework ( ). I relatio to bio-fuels, the targeted Budget 2006 package of excise relief valued at 205 millio will allow the EU target of 2% to be achieved by Govermet ad the Social Parters recogise the potetial to further develop capacity i this area ad to achieve eve more challegig targets i relatio to bio-eergy/biofuels i light also of EU developmets. Govermet will put i place high-level coordiated arragemets, to deliver a cohesive policy approach, across all elemets of the Bio-Eergy value chai (i.e. producer, processor, ad cosumer) to optimise the potetial sectoral beefits across the agriculture, eterprise, trasport ad eergy sectors, icludig a appropriate forum for egagemet with the social parters.

31 3 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 16. Telecommuicatios The Commuicatios sector is of fudametal importace to the ecoomy ad is a importat factor i determiig log-term atioal ecoomic competitiveess through its impact o productivity gais, iovatio, balaced regioal developmet, ew regioal developmet, ew busiess processes, ad ew services ad applicatios. I Irelad, telecommuicatios services are provided by private operators i a liberalised, regulated market i lie with the EU telecoms framework. The overall Govermet goal is to achieve a vibrat, competitive telecoms market that facilitates the widespread availability of a choice of high-quality telecommuicatios services to busiess ad residetial ed-users by a variety of providers over a rage of techology platforms, icludig fixed-lie, mobile, wireless, ad satellite, which is comparable to our iteratioal peers. This goal will be progressed i the cotext of the recet EU commitmet to icreasig the availability of broadbad i uder-served locatios, aimig at broadbad coverage to reach at least 90% of the EU populatio by I order to achieve its overall goal over the course of this te-year framework agreemet, the Govermet will set out a telecommuicatios regulatory framework, which esures competitio, iovatio ad choice i the provisio of services, ad provides a eviromet that facilitates ew etrats to the market ad sustaiable, log-term ivestmet by operators i ifrastructure. The Govermet will also address market failures, which would impact o its overall goal, icludig ifrastructure deficits, by targeted actios i the market. As its represets a step-chage i coectivity for idividuals ad busiesses, the progressive ehacemet of broadbad services i the telecommuicatios market is a Govermet priority withi its overall telecommuicatios goal. Specific short-term commitmets, which support this Govermet goal, iclude: Moitorig the implemetatio of full local loop ubudlig i order to esure that it stimulates competitio, choice, ad iovatio i broadbad services i the market place; Completio of the Metropolita Area Networks programme i order to support the regioal provisio of services by a rage of operators; Cotiue to explore techical optios to address the requiremets of people livig i uderserved areas, ad remote rural areas. I the medium term it is expected that the substatial ad curret ivestmet levels by the private sector i the market will be maitaied.

32 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 17. Educatio ad Traiig The EU Itegrated Guidelies for Growth ad Jobs provide for icreased ivestmet i huma capital through better educatio ad skills. They also provide for adaptatio of educatio ad traiig systems i respose to competecy requiremets, ad to support quality stadards i educatio ad traiig ad the promotio of more flexible pathways. The Natioal Reform Programme highlights key priorities i the cotext of esurig a itegrated approach to addressig skills eeds across the educatio ad traiig sector, addressig barriers to access ad progressio, the issue of life-log learig ad tackig early school leavig ad literacy ad umeracy issues. I this cotext the high level outcomes to be achieved withi a te-year framework agreemet will be to: Ehace early educatio provisio for childre from disadvataged commuities ad for those with special eeds; Substatially reduce literacy/umeracy problems amog childre, particularly i schools servig disadvataged commuities, ad the adult populatio; Ecourage childre to be active agets i their ow learig ad to egage i collaborative active learig; Stregthe the techical ad vocatioal dimesios of curricula ad to embed key skills such as learig to lear ad ICT, to develop higher order thikig skills, to diversify ad stregthe laguage learig, to moderise the techology subjects, ad to icrease the take up of the physical scieces at seior level; Drive the lifelog learig ageda by ehacig access to traiig, the developmet of ew skills, the acquisitio of recogised qualificatios ad progressio to higher-level qualificatios; Learig opportuities for adults targeted at vulerable groups ad those i disadvataged commuities with low levels of educatioal attaimet. Specific short-term commitmets withi the first phase timeframe iclude: Roll out of measures uder the DEIS iitiative for educatioal iclusio; Further develop measures to combat early school leavig ad ehace attedace, educatioal progressio, retetio ad attaimet at primary ad secod-level; Icreased provisio of services for those with special educatioal eeds; Icreased provisio for migrats at both primary ad secod-level; Further developmet of secod-chace educatioal measures for vulerable groups; Developmet of a Natioal Skills Strategy which will map out the skills eeds of the ecoomy to 2020, with a particular emphasis o qualificatios up to level 7 of the Natioal Framework of Qualificatios (ordiary degree level); Stregthe ad develop baselie data/iformatio sources; All childre will have the opportuity to become ICT literate by completio of secod level; there will be a serious drive to ecourage more childre to complete secod level; Icreased focus o itegratio of services ad partership workig at atioal, regioal ad local level.

33 3 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Address the cotiuig fall i the umber of people studyig sciece ad egieerig i order to esure skills for a moder ecoomy are met; Fallig quality i Mathematics eeds to be addressed for a kowledge ecoomy. The educatioal commitmets arisig uder the key life cycle phases are set out i Chapter 3. Sectio 18. Evirometal Sustaiability The overall policy focus ad priority is to maistream the itegratio of evirometal cosideratios ito policy formulatio ad to provide for better evirometal eforcemet. Cotext Over time, protectio of our eviromet has assumed icreased importace ad relevace to all the social parters. This arises both from the itrisic value of a upolluted atural eviromet ad its associated ecoomic value especially i terms of agriculture, tourism ad resource-based idustry. The excellet quality of Irelad s eviromet provides a atioal log-term strategic asset. There is a eed to cotiue to educate the wider public as to the quality ad value of our eviromet ad the correspodig eed to protect ad improve it. The NESC cocludes that, i commo with other coutries, we have see sigificat evolutio i the istrumets of evirometal policy. These ow iclude public expediture (capital ad curret), legislatio ad related eforcemet, ecoomic istrumets, awareess iitiatives ad the ivolvemet of all those who share evirometal cocers. It also sees merit i further study of structures ad procedures for coflict resolutio ad cosesus buildig, especially i relatio to the provisio ad locatio of certai evirometal ifrastructure. Priciples uderlyig Evirometal Sustaiability The evirometal challeges have profoud implicatios for the future, icludig for ecoomic performace ad requires the followig priciples to be reflected i policy formulatio: Recogisig that our eviromet is a atioal ad key strategic asset; Esurig the sustaiable use of atural resources ad stregtheig the syergies betwee evirometal protectio, the ecoomic ad social aspects of developmet ad improved productivity; Esurig medium ad log-term ecoomic ad fiscal sustaiability; Puttig i place a ifrastructure i water treatmet ad waste maagemet which represets best practice iteratioally; Maitaiig a high quality eviromet as a source of competitive advatage, by developig a leadig positio i the research, developmet ad applicatio of evirometal techologies ad by further itegratig climate chage ad eergy policy; Cotiuig to implemet evirometally sustaiable agricultural developmet to esure that the curret eeds of the sector are met while maitaiig the log-term developmet potetial ad viability for future geeratios ad ehacig the productio of public goods.

34 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Strategies Govermet will work i a islad-of-irelad cotext, wherever possible, i the formulatio ad implemetatio of relevat sectoral strategies. Amog the measures to be pursued at sectoral level will be: Publicatio of Cosultatio Paper o the Review of the Climate Chage Strategy by Jue 2006; Publicatio of a updated climate chage strategy by ed-2006; Ivestmet i evirometal ifrastructure, especially i relatio to waste water treatmet, rural water supplies ad recyclig facilities; Implemetatio of further EU ad domestic evirometal legislatio, takig due accout of regulatory impact assessmets; Additioal impetus to eforcemet measures; Utilisatio of ecoomic istrumets as circumstaces require; Assessmet of the appropriateess of the rage of evirometal policy resposes; A reewed Natioal Sustaiable Developmet Strategy to be published by mid-2007; Icreasig evirometal awareess geerally, ad especially i relatio to waste prevetio, eergy ad water coservatio; Examiatio of the feasibility of the applicatio of satellite accouts i the area of evirometal sustaiability (2007); Stregtheig the role of COMHAR i the ogoig process of policy developmet i the cotext of evirometal sustaiability. Sectio 19. Rural Developmet The NSS cocept of selected gateway cetres dispersig developmet to liked tows ad rural hiterlads will be a importat driver of the rural ecoomy. Key requiremets will iclude programmes to support the ifrastructure of such areas to esure their attractiveess as places i which to live ad work, ecouragemet of greater iovatio ad etrepreeurship i rural areas, haressig the potetial of the coutry s atural resources for eergy geeratio e.g. i the marie sector, forestry ad bio-fuels ad the developmet of ew market opportuities i areas such as specialist food productio, leisure, tourism, culture ad heritage. The Natioal Strategy for Rural Developmet is curretly beig prepared joitly by the Departmet of Agriculture ad Food ad the Departmet of Commuity, Rural ad Gaeltacht Affairs as required by the EU framework o rural developmet. This will be the basis for a atioal rural developmet programme, commecig i Jauary 2007, which will provide support uder three broad rural objectives: To improve the competitiveess of the agriculture ad forestry sectors; To improve ad protect the eviromet ad coutryside ad; To ehace the quality of life i rural areas ad diversify the rural ecoomy.

35 3 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Measures uder the third objective are directed towards improvig the ecoomic ad social well beig of rural commuities ad will focus o actios such as: Promotig ecoomic activity locally, icludig, for example the developmet of idigeous rural resources i artisa food, forestry, marie, rural/agri tourism ad cultural heritage; Developig local iitiatives essetial to commuity well-beig, with particular focus o the availability of local culture ad leisure facilities; Village ad coutryside ehacemet; ad Evirometally friedly iitiatives ad coservatio of areas of high atural ad cultural value. The allocatio of the fudig uder the Natioal Rural Developmet Programme to idividual measures will reflect the eed to uderpi the competitiveess ad sustaiability of the agriculture ad forestry sectors while, at the same time, ackowledgig ad supportig the key cotributio beig made to rural areas by the wider rural ecoomy. Egagemet betwee local developmet agecies ad the co-operative movemet will be ecouraged, to esure their familiarity with the co-operative optio, particularly where icorporatio is a coditio of fudig for applicats. I additio, i the cotext of the preparatio of the ext NDP, a iter-departmetal Group o the developmet of the Rural Ecoomy will prepare a draft chapter for iclusio i the NDP coverig, iter alia, the mai challeges specific to the rural ecoomy, issues critical to its future developmet ad existig ad plaed sectoral measures from across Departmets that sigificatly support or impact o the rural ecoomy. Sectio 20. A Competitive ad Profitable Agri-Food Sector The radical chages to the CAP, ad chages i trade policy, likely from the WTO Doha Roud, pose major challeges for the Irish farm sector. These chages are takig place i the cotext of decliig availability of EU fudig ad Irelad s positio movig from that of a substatial et recipiet of EU fuds towards that of a et cotributor. Give the right coditios, the agriculture sector ca respod positively to these major chages ad cotiue to make a sigificat cotributio to ecoomic ad regioal developmet withi Irelad. The NESC Strategy 2006 Report has set out a comprehesive aalysis of the sector i the cotext of the atioal rural ecoomy ad what eeds to be achieved. I order for the agricultural sector to meet its potetial goig forward, policies ad strategies must be directed at the attaimet of five key objectives: A profitable ad competitive productio base with the productive capacity ecessary to geerate a comparable icome i lie with the rest of the ecoomy from efficiet ad cosolidated family farm productio uits; A competitive agri-food sector providig quality ad safe products o the domestic ad iteratioal market place; A agricultural system that is evirometally sustaiable; A broadeig of agricultural activity to iclude, i particular, geeratio of reewable eergy; Esurig that agriculture makes the maximum cotributio to a vibrat rural ecoomy ad society. The delivery of a set of itegrated atioal policies to implemet these five key objectives for the etire sector will be implemeted by pursuig the priorities set out i the Agri-Visio 2015 Actio Pla. This will iclude the relevat measures uder the Natioal Rural Developmet Programme.

36 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Art, Sport ad Tourism Sectio 21. Art ad Culture The Govermet ad Social Parters recogise the importace of arts ad culture i their cotributio to the ecoomy as a whole ad to the sigificat additios they make to the quality of the lives of all citizes. Policy for the arts ad atioal cultural istitutios is set out i the Statemet of strategy of the Departmet of Arts Sport ad Tourism for the period 2005/2007. The Govermet is committed to facilitatig the promotio ad sustaiable developmet of the arts ad culture sectors ad their cotributio to atioal ecoomic ad societal progress through the provisio of a appropriate legislative, policy ad resource framework. I this regard the Govermet will Edeavour to create a eviromet that eables arts ad culture to flourish; Promote Irish art abroad ad develop the Film idustry; Develop the Natioal cultural istitutios ad support developmet i other arts ad cultural projects at regioal ad local level; Cotiue to edeavour to make arts more accessible to all icludig the support of programmes i socially deprived areas. Sectio 22. Sport The Govermet ad the Social Parters recogise the importat cotributio which sport makes to the social ad ecoomic developmet of the coutry. The beefits ca be assessed i terms of physical ad metal well beig of the populatio, social ad cultural developmet, educatio, persoal developmet ad ecoomic impact. The Govermet s policy for sport is set out i the Statemet of Strategy of the Departmet of Arts, Sport ad Tourism for the period The overall Departmet objective for Irish sport over the ext three years is to promote ad ecourage a vibrat ad active sports sector, especially i areas of disadvatage, with icreased participatio levels, good quality sustaiable facilities ad opportuities for people to play a active role i sport; where the talets, potetial ad eeds of competitive ad elite athletes are also cherished ad supported i their pursuit of excellece ad success. A policy for physical recreatio will be developed, to complemet existig policies i sport for the ehacemet ad support of participatio, ad the stregtheig of social capital. I this regard the Govermet, through a appropriate policy ad resource framework, will: Support ad ifluece icreased iterest ad participatio i sport amog all age groups; Provide fudig towards the developmet of moder, well equipped ad well maaged sports facilities at atioal, regioal ad local level; Ehace the supports required to improve the stadards of performace of Irish sportspersos i a eviromet which respects the ethical values of sport.

37 3 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 23. Tourism The policy for the developmet of tourism sets out a ew visio for Irish tourism, idetifies key drivers of success ad icludes strategic targets for the te-year period to A ew Tourism Strategy Implemetatio Group has bee established to champio the implemetatio of the outstadig elemets of the strategy. The Strategy icorporates ot oly specific policy measures i the areas of marketig, product developmet ad huma resources developmet, but also seeks to positively ifluece the broader ageda which impacts o sustaiable tourism developmet e.g. access ad iteral trasport, competitiveess, the atural ad built heritage, taxatio, the eviromet, the marie, rural developmet. The key targets, as edorsed by Govermet, are to double overseas tourism reveue to 6 billio over the period , with a associated icrease i visitor umbers from just uder 6 millio i 2002 to 10 millio i Targets have also bee set for promotable visitor umbers, domestic tourism ad regioal spread. I lie with the strategic policy framework, the key Tourism State Agecies (Tourism Irelad ad Fáilte Irelad) will cotiue to roll out a rage of programmes ad policies to deliver o the objectives. Sectio 24. Recreatio The Departmet of Commuity, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs i cojuctio with Comhairle a Tuaithe will address the three issues of access to the coutryside, developig a coutryside code ad developig a atioal coutryside recreatio strategy. Ay proposals emergig i the strategy icludig implemetatio issues will be cosidered by the Miister ad as relevat other Miisters/Departmets, ad publicatio will be cosidered i that cotext. Sectio 25. Irelad s Natioal Reform Programme (NRP) uder the EU Lisbo Ageda The Lisbo Ageda, of 2000 was relauched i 2005 with a reewed focus o growth ad jobs. Whilst this is appropriate i the EU cotext, it is equally importat that progress be made i parallel with social equity ad sustaiable evirometal developmet. As part of the 2005 relauch, the cocept of Natioal Reform Programmes (NRP), settig out the rage of measures beig take by each Member State to realise the Lisbo Ageda, was itroduced. The NRPs, which are three-year programmes, with aual progress-reportig to the Europea Commissio will take ito accout priorities for actio uder the Lisbo Ageda. The social parters will be cosulted i the course of updates, progress reports ad ew iteratios of our NRP. I Irelad s case, our Social Partership process represets a importat elemet of the overall approach to achievig the Lisbo goals ad will cotribute through the NRP ad the associated progress reportig arragemets. The Natioal Reform Programme, which was submitted to the Europea Commissio i October 2005, brigs together the broad rage of policies ad iitiatives at the macro ad micro ecoomic level, the implemetatio of which aims to sustai Irelad s ecoomic growth ad employmet performace as its overall cotributio to the re-lauched Lisbo Ageda over the period to 2008.

38 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Where appropriate, ew policy directios or iitiatives cotaied i this agreemet arisig from egagemet with the social parters i the cotext of, or arisig uder, this te-year framework, will be icorporated ito the ogoig reportig arragemets uder the Lisbo programme. Sectio 26. Exteral Relatios EU ad the Wider World The Govermet will cotiue to promote ad protect Irelad s iterests at the heart of the Europea Uio as it cotiues to evolve ad elarge. This icludes the further developmet of our relatios with our curret ad future EU parters, a umber of whom are very iterested i the success Irelad has ejoyed as a result of social partership. The Govermet will also cotiue to promote ad protect Irelad s iterests i other iteratioal fora ad i the wider world. I the cotext of the Uio s relatios with the wider world, we will work to esure that the iterests of people i the world s poorest coutries are protected as far as possible. Sectio 27. Official Developmet Assistace (ODA) The Govermet is committed to reachig the Uited Natios target for spedig 0.7% of our GNP o official developmet assistace (ODA) i As a iterim step towards reachig the target, our ODA spedig will reach 0.5% of GNP i The fight agaist HIV/AIDS is a essetial elemet of the fight agaist poverty ad will cotiue to be cetral to the work of the aid programme. The Govermet is committed to spedig a sigificat proportio of the expadig ODA budget o the fight agaist HIV/AIDS ad other commuicable diseases. Sectio 28. Irish Abroad I the light of the report of the Task Force o Policy regardig Emigrats, the Govermet recogises, i particular, the eed to maitai ad, where appropriate, icrease support for the Irish abroad, particularly the most vulerable ad margialised. This will iclude workig with parters i the volutary sector abroad to develop further comprehesive support services for our vulerable citizes.

39 3 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t

40 III The Lifecycle Framework

41 4 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 29. Itroductio This Chapter develops a ew framework withi which to address key social challeges by assessig the risks ad hazards which the idividual perso faces ad the supports available to them at each stage i the life cycle. The key life cycle stages are Childre, People of Workig Age, Older People ad People with Disabilities (who, i accordace with the policy of maistreamig, will beefit from measures at all stages of the lifecycle). I this way, the life cycle approach adopts the perspective of the perso as the cetrepiece of social policy developmet ad should help policy to evolve i a maer which ecompasses actios across relevat departmets ad agecies. The lifecycle approach also offers the potetial of a more streamlied, outcomes-focused approach to moitorig ad reportig o progress withi social partership across key atioal strategies ad for improved availability ad use of data. Further details of these issues are provided i Chapter 4. Applyig the Lifecycle Framework Traslatig the lifecycle framework ito such explicit policy terms is a ambitious exercise ad the log-term goals pose major challeges i terms of availability of resources, buildig the ecessary ifrastructure, ad istitutioal ad service delivery at both atioal ad local level. The parties ackowledge that makig progress will require a capability to adapt flexibly to required istitutioal ad service delivery chages at both atioal ad local level ad to lear from the isights provided by the lifecycle framework ad evidece about effectiveess of differet itervetios. It also requires a degree of prioritisatio ad a balace betwee idetifyig the specific eeds of target groups while retaiig the perspective of the desired social outcomes for life cycle age cohort as a whole. The Chapter sets out log-term goals for each stage of the lifecycle as well as priority actios for the iitial phase of the agreemet which build o the sigificat icreased ivestmet i social provisio durig 2006, the first year of the agreemet. Review of Progress The Govermet ad social parters agree to review progress towards its log-term goals durig 2008, drawig o the experiece durig the first phase of the agreemet, i order to agree revised ad updated strategies ad targets at that stage.

42 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 30. Childre 30.1 Visio The parties to this agreemet share a visio of a Irelad where childre are respected as youg citizes with a valued cotributio to make ad a voice of their ow; where all childre are cherished ad supported by family ad the wider society; where they ejoy a fulfillig childhood ad realise their potetial. 1 Irelad has ratified the UN Covetio o the Rights of the Child ad is committed to its implemetatio i our laws ad policies. To achieve this visio, the Govermet ad social parters will work together over the ext te years towards the followig log-term goals for childre i Irelad: Every child should grow up i a family with access to sufficiet resources, supports ad services, to urture ad care for the child, ad foster the child s developmet ad full ad equal participatio i society; Every family should be able to access childcare services which are appropriate to the circumstaces ad eeds of their childre; Every child should leave primary school literate ad umerate; Every studet should complete a seior cycle or equivalet programme, (icludig ICT) appropriate to their capacity ad iterests; Every child should have access to world-class health, persoal social services ad suitable accommodatio; Every child should have access to quality play, sport, recreatio ad cultural activities to erich their experiece of childhood, ad; Every child ad youg perso will have access to appropriate participatio i local ad atioal decisio-makig Priority Actios The parties agree to work together i pursuit of these goals through relevat strategies ad processes, icludig NAPiclusio, the Natioal Developmet Pla (NDP) ad the Natioal Childre s Strategy, where policies will be elaborated i greater detail. They have also agreed to the followig priority actios i order to make progress towards these log-term goals durig the first phase of the agreemet. 1. Early Childhood Developmet ad Care The Govermet ad social parters agree to cotiue to work together over a te-year period to develop a ifrastructure to provide quality, affordable childcare ad to work towards icreasig the supply of childcare places (of all types) by 100,000 over this period. This will be achieved through a combiatio of the Natioal Childcare Ivestmet Programme (NCIP) , appropriate successor programme(s) ad other providers. 1 Natioal Childre s Strategy 2000

43 4 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Actios to achieve this will iclude: Creatio of 50,000 ew childcare places, icludig 10,000 pre-school places ad 5,000 after-school places, as part of the 2.65billio Natioal Childcare Strategy ; Developmet of a Natioal Childcare Traiig Strategy which will aim to provide 17,000 childcare traiig places durig , ad iclude quality ad traiig provisios of the Natioal Childcare Ivestmet Programme (NCIP); Targetig the early childhood educatio eeds of childre from areas of acute ecoomic ad social disadvatage through DEIS (the actio pla for educatioal iclusio). It will cocetrate early educatio o childre who will subsequetly atted urba/tow primary schools servig the most disadvataged commuities (180 urba/tow primary school commuities will be targeted for support); Relevat departmets ad agecies will work together to complemet ad add value to childcare programmes i disadvataged commuities with a view to esurig that the overall care ad educatio eeds of the childre cocered are met i a itegrated maer. This will also ivolve the provisio of educatio related professioal support ad traiig to existig providers, together with a curriculum ad quality framework for early childhood educatio; Steps to stadardise ad improve ispectios uder the Child Care (Pre School) Regulatios by publishig the stregtheed revised regulatios ad providig traiig for ispectors across the HSE, establishig improved admiistrative systems to facilitate a atioal stadardised ispectio service ad esurig that stadardised ispectio reports are publicly available, ad; I order to facilitate the provisio of after-school facilities, the parties agree to support ad ecourage school facilities beig made available for childcare provisio as a key additio to the utilisatio, developmet ad support of local commuity facilities. This will esure substatial progress towards meetig the Barceloa targets of makig childcare available to 90% of childre aged betwee 3 ad the madatory school age ad 33% of childre aged uder 3 years by It is also agreed that: A review of the Natioal Childcare Ivestmet Programme will be udertake prior to its coclusio i cosultatio with the social parters. This will assess the progress made to date to address childcare eeds with a view to developig ew policy resposes ad successor programme(s) appropriate to emergig eeds i childcare, ad; The early childhood educatio compoet of the DEIS programme will be exteded to ecompass the remaiig 140 urba/tow primary school commuities uder the School Support Programme, followig completio of roll-out to the existig target group of 180 urba/tow primary school commuities. 2. Improvig Educatio Outcomes for Childre The Govermet ad social parters agree to work together for cotiued improvemets i the stadard ad quality of educatio ad to promote best practice i classrooms, schools, colleges ad other cetres for educatio. They agree to prioritise the educatioal eeds of childre ad youg people from disadvataged commuities by supportig schools ad their commuities to achieve equality i terms of educatioal participatio ad outcomes i lie with atioal orms.

44 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t This will iclude: Adoptig a more focussed approach ad puttig i place a rage of additioal supports uder DEIS to tackle literacy ad umeracy problems i primary schools. Targets will be put i place at both atioal ad idividual school level to substatially reduce the literacy ad umeracy problems i schools servig disadvataged commuities. Additioal literacy supports, uder DEIS, will also be targeted at juior cycle studets; To help further address abseteeism, early school leavig, behavioural problems ad special eeds a additioal 100 posts i total will be provided for the Natioal Educatioal Welfare Board ad the Natioal Educatioal Psychological Service by 2009; There will cotiue to be flexible resposes to meetig the eeds of those youg people who leave the formal educatio system early through secod chace educatio measures such as Youthreach where a sigificat icrease of a additioal 1,000 places will be provided by 2009 ad the opportuities created for recogitio of learig through the atioal framework of qualificatios; Protocols will be developed ad put i place to esure co-operatio ad mutual support amog those workig to improve attedace ad retetio i schools. DEIS provides that the Natioal Educatioal Welfare Board ad the Departmet will work together to esure that a itegrated approach to childre at risk is adopted betwee educatioal welfare officers ad other staff ivolved i the implemetatio of the ew School Support Programme; The Educatio Act 1998 provides for school boards to publish their admissio policies. Legislative ad other provisios i relatio to admissio will be kept uder regular review i the cotext of the te-year framework agreemet, with a view to fosterig a iclusive school eviromet; Future provisio of schools will reflect the icreasigly diverse ature of pupil erolmet i respose to the local demad ad i coformity with the provisios of the Educatio Act, 1998 ad with established criteria ad procedures for recogisig ew schools; Ehaced support for the effective itegratio of iteratioal childre at both primary ad secod-level through the provisio of a extra 550 laguage support teachers by 2009 ad the reform of the curret limit of two additioal teachers per school, ad; The Govermet has already committed itself to reducig the umber of childre per classroom teacher at primary level to 28:1 i 2006/2007 ad 27:1 i 2007/08 ad the actual pupil teacher ratio at primary ad post-primary will cotiue to improve as a result, i particular, of the applicatio of resources i respect of special eeds pupils. These measures will esure progress towards the Lisbo target of reducig early school-leavig to 10% by The ogoig relevace of curricula to chagig social ad ecoomic eeds, allied with the quality ad effectiveess of teachig ad learig are key factors i esurig that youg people are equipped with the skills for participatio i the kowledge society ad for active citizeship. At post-primary level, key actios will iclude measures: To stregthe the techical ad vocatioal dimesios of curricula, to embed key skills such as learig to lear ad ICT, to develop higher order thikig skills, to diversify ad stregthe laguage learig, to moderise the techology subjects ad to icrease the take up of the physical scieces at seior level. It will cotiue to be a clear objective of the school buildig ad moderisatio programme that there should be adequate laboratory ad other specialist room provisio for all schools teachig sciece ad techology, ad; To implemet a ogoig programme of curricular reform buildig o the review of mathematics ad laguages already uderway, the ew syllabi i the techology subjects already developed, ad the recofiguratio of subjects proposed as part of seior cycle reforms.

45 4 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Further actios iclude: Developmet of special educatioal eeds services i the framework of the Educatio for Persos with Special Educatioal Needs Act which provides a legislative basis for assessmet, for idividual educatioal plas ad for the delivery of services o foot of these plas. It will also esure that parets have a right to be cosulted ad kept fully iformed at all stages of the process; Cotiued support of actios to promote ati-racism ad the participatio of iteratioal childre ad youg people, miority groups ad Travellers i educatio; Cotiued developmet ad support for the youth work sector ad, i that cotext, further resources will be provided to progress implemetatio of the Natioal Youth Work Developmet Pla ad the Youth Work Act, 2001, o a phased ad prioritised basis. Followig a review of the Youth Work Developmet Pla, to be udertake i 2008, cosideratio will be give to the eed for a further pla; As part of the drive to ehace the safety of school trasport, the Govermet will esure that each child travellig o a school bus will be accommodated o a oe seat per child basis ad that all buses participatig i the school trasport service will be fitted with safety belts. Followig a pilot period, cosideratio will also be give to rollig out atioally the Warig Flashig Light System o school buses; Particular attetio will be paid, through the Safer Routes to Schools scheme, to facilitatig cocerted actio betwee parets, schools ad traffic agecies to ecourage walkig or cyclig to school ad to actively maage school travel. The pilot phase will be developed with a view to rollig out Safer Routes to School atioally, ad; Buildig o the broadbad for schools iitiative, particular attetio will be paid, i the cotext of the Mobhaile Project, to curriculum specific cotet ad how this ca erich the educatio experiece ad the level of egagemet by all parters i primary ad secodary educatio. 3. Improvig Health Outcomes for Childre The Govermet ad social parters agree to work together to deliver tagible improvemets i the health outcomes for childre over a te-year period. This will ivolve addressig a rage of issues icludig: Prevetio, early itervetio ad treatmet services withi the health sector; Policies i other areas such as educatio, icome support, accommodatio, childcare, food ad the eviromet, ad; Lifestyle related risk factors. Our approach to health services for childre will be iformed by a umber of strategic policy frameworks icludig the Health Strategy: Quality ad Fairess: A Health System for You (2001). Actios to be prioritised iclude: Deliverig, uder the framework of the Visio for Chage Strategy, a sigificat umber of child ad adolescet commuity metal health teams (CMHTs) withi the cotext of a 7-10 year target of 1 CMHT per 100,000 of the populatio by 2008, subject to sufficiet resources beig made available, ad two CMHTs per 100,000 of the populatio by These child ad adolescet CMHTs will develop clear liks with primary ad commuity care services ad idetify ad prioritise the metal health eeds of childre i each catchmet area; Itesifyig our efforts to achieve the WHO target of 95% immuisatio for childre ad actively targetig areas where take-up rates are below this level;

46 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Developig a ew strategic Health Promotio policy by ed-2007 which will address the factors udermiig the health of youg people; Lauchig a Natioal Nutritio Policy to address Childre s Food Poverty ad Obesity; Developig a atioal database to moitor prevalece treds of growth, overweight ad obesity; Developig the School Meals Programme which will receive 2m i additioal fudig i 2006; Moitorig prevalece treds of smokig ad substace use through the Natioal Health ad Lifestyle Surveys ad the Europea School Survey Project o alcohol ad other Drugs (ESPAD), ad; Carry out a review of secodary care paediatric services outside Dubli. 4. Promotig Recreatio, Sport, Arts ad Culture i the Lives of our Childre The Govermet ad social parters recogise the importace of recreatio, sport ad physical activity for the balaced ad healthy developmet of childre. The Govermet is committed to: Icreasig support for sports ifrastructure ad sportig orgaisatios recogisig that sport has the potetial to be a driver for social chage ad that targetig specific groups ca address issues of exclusio ad iequality; Promotig sport i educatio settigs as it is importat i addressig egative treds of participatio amog youg people particularly those i the late-tees. This is supported by research udertake by the ESRI last year ad reiforced i the Task Force Report o Obesity; Achievig the Irish Sport Coucil target for 2006 to 2008 to icrease by 3% the umbers of childre takig part i sport. This will ivolve the implemetatio of the complete atioal roll-out of the Local Sports Partership (LSP) etwork ad the associated roll-out of the Butús programme for primary schools ad pre-schools through the LSP etwork; the itroductio of the LISPA child cetred model for lifelog participatio i Irish sport (Lifelog Ivolvemet i Sport ad Physical Activity); ad support for atioal sports orgaisatios that attract youg people, ad; Publishig a Natioal Recreatio Policy to complemet the Natioal Play Policy already i place. These will provide frameworks to address the availability of ameities for youger childre ad youth friedly ad safe facilities ad eviromets for older childre/youg people. The OMC (Office for the Miister of Childre) will work with Govermet Departmets, icludig the Departmets of Arts, Sport ad Tourism, Eviromet, Heritage ad Local Govermet, Commuity, Rural ad Gaeltacht Affairs ad Educatio ad Sciece, to examie spedig programmes across Govermet with a view to the adoptio of a more itegrated strategic approach to meetig prioritised eeds at local level cosistet with the Natioal Recreatio Policy. Through the use of existig facilities, ad the developmets set out i Chapter 2 of this documet the Govermet will cotiue to ecourage participatio by childre i arts ad cultural activities as a meas to erich their quality of life. 5. Icome Support Very sigificat additioal resources are beig made available i 2006 to help tackle child ad family poverty. Actios to make further progress towards the objective of elimiatig child poverty will iclude: Progress towards the existig NAPS target for those relyig o social welfare paymets, which the parties agree remais valid ad appropriate i.e. that the combied value of child icome support measures be set at 33-35% of the miimum adult social welfare paymet rate;

47 4 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Progressig, as a priority, further work aimed at assistig childre i families o low icomes. This could iclude ehacig existig provisios or the itroductio of ew or reformed mechaisms. Child icome supports which avoid employmet disicetives will be reviewed by the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs as a priority ad this work, which will be iformed by the NESC study o a secod tier child icome support, will be completed withi oe year, ad; Focusig o childre i loe paret households ad larger families, iformed by the Govermet discussio paper o supports for loe parets, ad a review of the re-focusig of the family icome supplemet i favour of larger families with low earigs. 6. Childre ad their Families The Govermet ad the social parters recogise the cetral importace of the family uit to the lives of childre ad the eed to stregthe the system of supports available to childre ad their families. Priority actios to be pursued iclude: Puttig i place ehaced policies to support families i a chagig society ad i particular to esure that policies are desiged to promote family formatio ad family life; The developmet ad delivery of Family Support Iitiatives to further develop ad stregthe child welfare ad protectio services as part of atioal policy for child support; Cotiuig to ehace materity leave etitlemets, i lie with the measures aouced i Budget 2006, aimed at helpig childre ad their families to experiece the qualities of family life, particularly i the importat first year of life of the child. This will ivolve extedig the period of paid materity leave to 6 moths by March 2007 ad the upaid materity leave etitlemet to 16 weeks. Together with the existig 14 weeks paretal leave, parets etitlemet to paid ad upaid leave will be icreased to a total period of 56 weeks (or 70 weeks if the father s paretal leave etitlemet is also icluded). The level of provisio of materity/paterity leave will be reviewed agai before ed 2008; Stregtheig services uder the Tee Paret Support Iitiative, which supports tee parets durig pregacy util their child reaches two years of age; A study of the extet to which childre udertake iappropriate care roles will be udertake (with the ivolvemet of relevat Departmets) to establish the extet ad degree to which this issue arises ad the levels of impact it has o the lives of childre cocered. Based o the outcome of this study ad a aalysis of the issues idetified, a programme of i-home supports will be developed to alleviate specific problem areas idetified for childre; Accelerated implemetatio of the Childre Act 2001, buildig o the additioal resources beig made available i 2006, will stregthe atioal maagemet of High Support Uits, Special Residetial Services ad associated services i the HSE to complemet the ew Irish Youth Justice Service with icreased collaborative workig i this area; Establishig o a statutory basis the Social Services Ispectorate (SSI) (which curretly ispects childre s residetial ad foster care services o a admiistrative basis) through the legislatio for the establishmet of the Health Iformatio ad Quality Authority (HIQA) which is expected to be published i the Autum 2006 Sessio; Implemetig the Youth Homelessess Strategy (YHS) with the objective of reducig ad if possible elimiatig youth homelessess through prevetative strategies. The OMC will udertake a review of progress o the implemetatio of the Strategy. O this basis a future programme of actio will be developed, ad;

48 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Closer liks will be developed at atioal ad local level betwee the Youth Homeless Forum ad the Adult Homeless Forum i each area to improve ad moitor the effectiveess of systems at local level ad esure cotiuum of care for the idividual upo reachig 18 years of age Iovative Measures The followig iovative measures respod to emergig eeds ad provide a opportuity for learig about ew, more itegrated ways of desigig ad deliverig services over the first phase of the agreemet: 1. Establishmet of the New Irish Youth Justice Service The ew Irish Youth Justice Service will facilitate reform of the youth justice area ad provide the leadership ecessary to implemet the key remaiig provisios of the Childre Act The co-locatio of the Irish Youth Justice Service i the OMC will facilitate a cross-cuttig ad proactive approach to both the reform process ad the implemetatio of the Act at the earliest possible date. 2. Itegrated Services ad Itervetios for Childre at Local Level A cross-departmetal team chaired by the OMC is developig a iitiative to test models of best practice which promote itegrated, locally-led, strategic plaig for childre s services. The objective of this iitiative is to secure better developmetal outcomes for disadvataged childre through more effective itegratio of existig services ad itervetios at local level. As a iitiative for prevetio ad early itervetio i childre s lives, the aim will be to avert childre succumbig to the risks associated with disadvatage as well as givig them the resiliece to overcome those risks. As such, the iitiative will focus o childre who are at risk of sufferig from multiple disadvatage relatig to poverty ad social exclusio, icludig childre of migrat ad Traveller commuities, ad to vulerable families icludig due to substace abuse. 3. Childre s ad Youg People s Participatio The OMC will establish a Comhairle Na Óg Implemetatio Group to esure the developmet of effective Comhairlí a Óg throughout the coutry. The Implemetatio Group will iclude represetatives from Govermet departmets, local govermet, the youth sector ad orgaisatios represetig hard-to-reach childre ad youg people ad will report to the Miister for Childre, ad; The establishmet ad operatio of democratic studet coucils i schools, i accordace with the Educatio Act 1998 ad the Natioal Childre's Strategy, will be promoted. I additio, the OMC will cotiue to udertake specific participatio projects i partership with statutory bodies, Govermet Departmets ad o-govermet orgaisatios. The OMC is committed to esurig that the hard-to-reach childre ad youg people are icluded i participatio structures ad projects Goverace Framework The OMC (Office of the Miister for Childre) brigs together the key areas of policy for childre s services (other tha health ad school age educatio services) i oe structure. The key areas of policy withi the OMC are Child Welfare ad Protectio, Childcare, Early Years Educatio, Youth Justice ad the Natioal Childre s Strategy.

49 4 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The co-locatio of each of these areas withi the OMC will brig a cohesive approach to the delivery of services based o the recogitio that they are fudametally iterliked ad must be respoded to o this basis to secure the best outcomes for childre ad youg people. Moitorig Progress At atioal level there will be a Implemetatio Group chaired by the OMC ivolvig the relevat Departmets, the HSE, represetatives of local authorities, the educatio sector ad other key agecies as required, which will lik with the Expert Advisory Group o Childre beig established by the HSE. At local level a multi-agecy Childre s Committee will be established withi each of the City/Couty Developmet Boards. These committees will be chaired by the HSE who are best placed to drive this iitiative to achieve coordiated ad itegrated services. The establishmet of effective systems ad strategies to eable the OMC to meet commitmets uder the Natioal Childre s Strategy will be a key challege i the iitial strategic timeframe which is set to coclude i A secod te-year Natioal Childre s Strategy will the be developed, i cojuctio with stakeholders, i the light of the experiece gaied uder the first te-year strategy (which covers the years 2000 to 2010) to follow o immediately from the existig strategy, iformed by the UN Covetio o the Rights of the Child. As the Govermet Office with overarchig resposibility for tacklig poverty, the Office for Social Iclusio will also work closely with the OMC i promotig the social iclusio ageda i relatio to childre ad their families ad i idetifyig ad drivig strategic resposes i this area. Research ad Data The OMC will cotiue to udertake research ad data developmet to assist good policy formulatio icludig overseeig the Natioal Logitudial Study of Childre i Irelad (NLSCI). I additio, the fidigs from other atioal studies such as Health Behaviours i School-goig Childre, ad tools such as the Natioal Set of Child Well-Beig Idicators, will assist i moitorig the impact of services ad programmes i terms of child outcomes, icludig childre at risk ad eedig prevetative services, ad i plaig ad evaluatig policies, programmes ad resource allocatios. A ew Natioal Data Strategy to support the plaig ad delivery of policy ad services i relatio to early childhood care ad educatio ad school age childcare will be developed by the OMC i liaiso with the HSE ad CECDE ad other relevat agecies. The strategy will idetify additioal key areas where data is required to iform policy ad, i the loger-term, to evaluate both the impact of ivestmet o the quality of life experieced by childre ad where specific targetig of resources is most eeded.

50 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 31. People of Workig Age 31.1 Visio The parties to this agreemet share a visio of a Irelad where all people of workig age have sufficiet icome ad opportuity to participate as fully as possible i ecoomic ad social life ad where all idividuals ad their families are supported by a rage of quality public services to ehace their quality of life ad well-beig. To achieve this visio, the Govermet ad social parters will work together over the ext te years towards the followig log-term goals for people of workig age i Irelad: Every perso of workig age should be ecouraged ad supported to participate fully i social, civic ad ecoomic life; Every perso of workig age would have access to lifelog learig, a sese of persoal security i a chagig work eviromet ad a opportuity to balace work ad family commitmets cosistet with busiess eeds; Every perso of workig age would have a icome level to sustai a acceptable stadard of livig ad to eable them to provide for a adequate icome i retiremet; Every perso of workig age o welfare will have access to supports towards progressio ad iclusio, access to quality work ad learig opportuities, ecouragig a greater degree of self-reliace ad self-sufficiecy; Every perso, irrespective of backgroud or geder, would ejoy equality of opportuity ad freedom from discrimiatio; Every family would have access to health ad social care, affordable accommodatio appropriate to their eeds ad a well fuctioig public trasport system, ad; Every perso with carig resposibilities would have access to appropriate supports to eable them to meet these resposibilities alogside employmet ad other commitmets Priority Actios The parties agree to work together i pursuit of these goals through relevat strategies ad processes icludig NAPiclusio, the NDP, Irelad s Natioal Reform Programme ad the forthcomig Natioal Wome s Strategy (ad parallel work for me) where policies will be elaborated i greater detail. They have also agreed to the followig priority actios i order to make progress towards these log-term goals durig the first phase of the agreemet. 1. Employability The Govermet ad social parters agree to work together to deliver policies that are focussed o esurig that Irelad has a fully-traied, well-educated workforce i order to achieve the visio of a socially cohesive, kowledgebased iovatio-drive ecoomy whilst sigificatly icreasig the skills levels of those i employmet ad cosequetly reducig the umber of low skilled i the workforce.

51 5 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t I the cotext of ehacig employability, the achievemet of a balace betwee flexibility ad security is importat. This ivolves a smooth trasitio betwee jobs without a prologed absece from the workforce; the ability of employees to cotiuously develop their skills ad competecies through lifelog learig ad up-skillig; supports for those with carig resposibilities ad greater flexibility i work orgaisatio, such as multi-taskig ad more adaptable work schedules ad practices. See also Sectio 7 i Part II. Actios to be prioritised iclude: Icreasig participatio i Lifelog Learig i particular amog the workforce categorised as low-skilled/low paid by ehacig opportuities to access educatio ad traiig, the developmet of ew skills, the acquisitio of recogised qualificatios ad progressio to higher level qualificatios to equip all idividuals with the skills, capacity ad potetial to participate fully i the kowledge-based society ad progress to better quality jobs; Focusig o helpig adults from disadvataged commuities icludig those i rural areas, to acquire basic literacy, umeracy ad IT skills ad tacklig barriers/disicetives to lifelog learig. The parties will work to esure that life-log learig provisio is flexible ad addresses the various eeds of learers; Providig additioal supports for studets from disadvataged backgrouds, studets with disabilities ad mature studets to ehace access to further ad higher educatio; Providig targeted support for employees participatig i part-time courses at third level (see Sectio 7.9 i Part II); Formulatig a Natioal Skills Strategy which will put i place a strategic framework for the implemetatio of skills ad traiig strategy ito the medium term. This strategy will recogise the respective roles of the public, ad private sectors with the emphasis of the former o where the market fails, icludig the low-skilled; FÁS will cotiue to review the curricula, assessmet process ad delivery mechaisms for appreticeships ad cotiue to progress additioal occupatios towards formal appreticeship traiig ad qualificatio; Prioritisig adult literacy i the area of adult educatio. The aual studet cohort availig of the geeral atioal literacy service delivered by the Vocatioal Educatio Committees will be sigificatly icreased by the provisio of a extra 7,000 places by There will be a particular focus o icreasig the umber of migrats receivig a Eglish laguage service (ESOL). Havig regard to developmets geerally i adult literacy ad its expadig role, the family literacy project uder DEIS, the implemetatio pla of the atioal adult literacy advisory group published by NALA ad the role of the VECs, cosideratio will be give to the appropriate support structures i this area; Guidace/cousellig will be provided to literacy ad laguage learers ad the eeds of migrats will be cosidered i the cotext of the Educatioal Equality Iitiative. Measures will also be adopted to moitor ad evaluate progress i this area; A Family Literacy Project will also be put i place uder the DEIS iitiative; The Back To Educatio Iitiative (BTEI) will be expaded by 2,000 places by The BTEI (part-time) will cotiue to be built o existig provisio uder the adult literacy services, commuity educatio, Youthreach, Seior Traveller Traiig Programmes, Vocatioal Traiig Opportuities Scheme (VTOS) ad Post Leavig Certificate (PLC) courses. Measures will also be adopted to moitor ad evaluate progress i this area, ad;

52 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Havig regard to developmets i the PLC sector, icludig the McIver report, cocrete prioritised proposals i relatio to PLC provisio ad focused i particular o the larger PLC providers will be prepared ad will be the subject of further egotiatios betwee maagemet ad uios. The level of resources for the PLC sector will be determied i the light of resources geerally ad the implicatios for other areas of educatio. The uio side will egage positively i relatio to commitmets o future workig arragemets ad developmets i the sector. Studet umbers will be subject to audit o a ogoig basis. The scope for ratioalisatio of provisio will also be examied havig due regard to esurig appropriate provisio o a geographic basis ad the ecessary critical mass for delivery of a quality educatio service. 2. Access to Employmet The Govermet ad the social parters recogise that employmet is a major factor for people exitig out of poverty ad that it also iflueces quality of life ad social well-beig. The parties share the view that there should be a greater focus o activatio ad participatio through a itegrated approach across relevat programmes icludig: The Natioal Employmet Service ad the Local Employmet Services; The Natioal Employmet Actio Pla, the High Supports Process, the Bridgig/Foudatio Programme, the Pathways to Employmet processes; The Social ad Family Support Service, ad; Other ew ad existig traiig ad employmet programmes. These processes ad programmes will explore the use of iovative approaches ad will icreasigly focus o the logterm uemployed, the uemployed who are years old, people who have completed the NEAP process but who remai uemployed ad those furthest from the labour market, icludig certai wome workers ad people with disabilities. The parties agree that the actios to be cosidered as a priority over a three-year period will iclude: Applyig the Natioal Employmet Actio Pla referral process earlier tha the curret 6 moths; Extedig the Natioal Employmet Actio Pla referral process to other groups such as loe parets ad those with disabilities, with due regard to the special eeds of those groups. The NEAP will be operated i a supportive ad positive maer workig i a iclusive way with the customer; Itroducig a active case maagemet service for social welfare customers of workig age, icludig collaboratio to esure that customers, agecies ad service providers i this area egage actively with each other. This will place activatio o a level with service delivery ad cotrol as a cetral part of the core busiess of the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs. Chages will be implemeted i a positive ad supportive maer; Followig the cosultatio process o the Govermet s Discussio Paper o Loe Parets, proposals will be brought forward aimed at supportig loe parets ito employmet. This will address supports such as access to childcare, flexible traiig ad educatio programmes ad positive opportuities for customers, ad; Fudig for the Commuity Services Programme which targets, i particular, people with disabilities, Travellers, loe parets ad people seekig to move from part-time CE to full-time work will be further icreased, buildig o the additioal ivestmet i I this cotext, there will be cosultatio with the social parters i relatio to its developmet ad targetig. The programme will be kept uder review to ehace its effectiveess ad esure that it is co-ordiated appropriately with other relevat programmes.

53 5 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Icome The Govermet ad social parters are committed to workig together to sustai a acceptable stadard of livig for all people of workig age i particular by: Esurig that social protectio adequately supports all people of workig age, whether i the labour force or out of it. It will facilitate labour market participatio, mobility ad trasitio. Reforms will be itroduced that aim to provide those most margialised with the cofidece ad supports ecessary to accept the risks ivolved i takig up employmet. This will ivolve the provisio of exteded iformatio ad supports dealig as far as possible with the fiacial ad o-fiacial barriers to employmet, i particular those which preset poverty traps ad ecourage depedecy; Other elemets of social protectio will be examied to esure that atypical workig, the recociliatio of work ad family life ad those workig o low icomes are supported; The stadard meas test for SWA ret supplemet (ad other secodary beefit paymets) will be kept uder review with a view to providig ehaced fiacial icetives to take up part-time employmet, traiig, educatio or other progressio optios, ad miimisig where possible, the impact of the withdrawal of social welfare. However, the overall emphasis will be o the provisio of appropriate log-term housig solutios rather tha o movig retetio thresholds at which some or all of the social welfare paymet is lost; Achievig the NAPS target of 150 per week i 2002 terms for lowest social welfare rates by The value of the rates to be maitaied at this level over the course of the agreemet, subject to available resources, ad; Other elemets of social protectio will be examied to esure that the recociliatio of work ad family life is supported. 4. Improvig Health Outcomes for People of Workig Age The Govermet ad social parters agree to work together to deliver tagible improvemets i the health outcomes for people of workig age over a te-year period. Our approach to health services for people of workig age will be iformed by a umber of strategic policy frameworks icludig the Health Strategy: Quality ad Fairess: A Health System for You (2001) ad the Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care, a New Directio (2001). Actios to be pursued as a priority over a three-year timeframe will iclude: Plaig ad implemetig a programme of re-orgaisatio ad re-aligmet of existig resources i order to deliver a perso-cetred primary care service through multidiscipliary teams ad etworks, servig defied populatios. New service arragemets will facilitate the delivery of services o a itegrated basis, both withi the primary ad commuity sector ad across the health services as a whole; Esurig that service developmet ad delivery are iformed by eeds assessmet, udertake at atioal, local ad other levels as appropriate. Commuities ad service users will be eabled to participate i this process; Developig primary care services drawig o the Primary Care Strategy. This will etail ogoig ivestmet to esure itegrated, accessible services for people withi their ow commuity with a target of 300 primary care teams by 2008, 400 by 2009 ad 500 by A review of these targets will be udertake i 2008; Further developig, as a priority, out-of-hours GP services with a view ultimately to havig those services available to the whole populatio;

54 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Reviewig all existig eligibility legislatio ad draftig legislatio that clarifies ad simplifies eligibility ad etitlemets to health services, i lie with the goals of the Natioal Health Strategy; Deliverig tagible reductios i waitig times for public patiets, through the Natioal Treatmet Purchase Fud (NTPF), with the goal that o public patiet will wait loger tha three moths for treatmet followig referral from a outpatiet Departmet; The Health Strategy cotaied a commitmet to icrease total acute hospital bed capacity by 3,000 by A additioal 900 i-patiet beds/day places are largely i place with a further 450 acute beds/day places to be put i place uder the Capital Ivestmet Framework A iitiative to provide a additioal 1,000 beds for public patiets i public hospitals was lauched i I light of developmets sice the publicatio of the Health Strategy the HSE will carry out a review of the acute hospital bed requiremets up to 2020; Developig a high-quality commuity-based metal health service i accordace with the recommedatios of the Report of the Expert Group o Metal Health Policy, A Visio for Chage. A moitorig committee has bee appoited to moitor the implemetatio of the report s recommedatios; Esurig that people who are ot able to meet the cost of GP services for themselves ad their families are supported appropriately, either by meas of a medical card or a GP visit card, depedig o their meas; Reviewig the eligibility criteria for assessmet of medical cards i the cotext of medical, social ad ecoomic/ fiacial eed. The review will clarify etitlemet to a medical card; Developig a strategic itegrated approach to rehabilitatio services withi the cotext of the Multi-Aual Ivestmet Programme with a view to supportig people back ito employmet as appropriate through early itervetio ad ehaced service provisio; Workig i partership to develop specific commuity ad sectoral iitiatives to ecourage healthy eatig ad access to healthy food ad physical activity amog adults, with a particular focus o adults livig i areas of disadvatage; Further developig palliative care throughout Irelad, with particular referece to the Baselie Study o the provisio of Hospice/Specialist Palliative Care Services, ad; The HSE Corporate Pla for commits it to develop a cosistet approach to access to service throughout the coutry, based o idetified eed. The 2007 Pla will, specifically, iclude a sectio devoted to Cosistecy ad Social Iclusio which is to cotai details of iitiatives beig pursued by the HSE. 5. Carig Resposibilities The Govermet ad the social parters recogise the importace of helpig families to balace their work resposibilities with their family, carig ad other commitmets ad ackowledge, i particular, the importat role played by family carers. I order to achieve this objective, priority actios will iclude: Work of the Natioal Framework Committee for Work-Life Balace Policies, iitially established uder the PPF, will cotiue. The Committee will cotiue to support ad facilitate the developmet of family friedly policies aimed at assistig i the recociliatio of work ad family life at the level of the eterprise. The activities of the Committee will cotiue to be supported by a specific budget;

55 5 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Expadig the icome limits for the Carer s Allowace so that all those o average idustrial icomes ca qualify ad implemetig sigificat icreases i the value of the respite care grat for carers, subject to available resources. Sigificat progress has bee made o both commitmets i recet Budgets. The earigs disregard for a couple is curretly set at 580 per week. The gross average idustrial earigs for 2005 was The aim should be for the level of the disregard to keep pace with gross average idustrial earigs; Cotiuig to review the scope for further developmet of the Carer s Allowace, Carer s Beefit ad the Respite Care Grat havig regard to the recommedatios of the Equality Authority Report "Implemetig Equality for Carers"; the Carer s Associatio Report "Towards a Family Carer s Strategy"; ad the Joit Oireachtas Committee o Social ad Family Affairs Report o the Positio of Full-Time Carers ad other available research; The Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs, i the cotext of its Sectoral Pla will work with the Departmet of Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet ad FÁS to progress issues associated with traiig for carers; The Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs will lead the developmet of a structured cosultatio process to iform future policy i this area. This will ivolve a aual meetig of carer represetative groups ad relevat Departmets ad Agecies; Examiig the potetial for improved support services to carers. Cosideratio will also be give to ehacig ecoomic ad social iclusio supports to people whose carig resposibilities have cocluded; Cotiue to support iformatio ad awareess campaigs, ad; A Natioal Carers Strategy that focuses o supportig iformal ad family carers i the commuity will be developed by ed There will be appropriate cosultatio with the social parters. 6. Housig ad Sustaiable Commuities The Govermet ad the social parters edorse the importat priciples set out i the Housig Policy Framework: Buildig Sustaiable Commuity which provides a visio of the kid of high quality, itegrated sustaiable commuities that are worth buildig. The parties agree to work together toward the delivery of this visio over a te-year period. They recogise that the achievemet of sustaiable commuities will be greatly aided by the implemetatio of spatial policy frameworks such as the NSS, Regioal Plaig Guidelies ad the developmet pla process. Plaig for future housig must also take accout of the eeds of a moder, dyamic ad multi-cultural society reflectig a diversity of housig eeds. Chapter 2 sets out the key proposals aimed at: Esurig the provisio of good quality social ad affordable accommodatio (icludig the provisio of housig uder Part V of the Plaig ad Developmet Acts) i sustaiable commuities reflectig its importat role i improvig the life opportuities of the more vulerable ad disadvataged people withi our society. A key aim of housig ivestmet will be to esure that the system of housig supports is flexible eough to deal with the chagig circumstaces of the idividual ad family throughout the lifecycle, while esurig equitable treatmet ad itervetios that maximise idividual choice ad persoal autoomy; Advacig particular actios to assist people with special housig eeds. Actios relatig to older people ad people with a disability are specifically referred to i sectios 32 ad 33 respectively. Esurig improved outcomes for all people with special housig eeds will require greater iter-agecy co-operatio, so that a combied approach to the accommodatio ad care dimesios is take:

56 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t I the case of homeless people, it is proposed to amalgamate ad update the Govermet s Itegrated ad Prevetative Homeless Strategies takig o board the recommedatios of the recet idepedet review of the strategies. The situatio of homeless persos who are curretly i log-term emergecy accommodatio is of particular cocer. The revised strategies will have as a uderlyig objective the elimiatio of such homelessess by 2010 (recogisig that this ivolves addressig the eeds of up to 500 households). Particular emphasis will also be placed o improved co-ordiatio of service provisio through the extesio of joit agecy approaches at local level to facilitate the developmet of a holistic respose to the eeds of homeless perso. This will be achieved through the further developmet of a case maagemet approach, based o idividual eeds assessmet with provisio for access to multiple services by all the statutory agecies ivolved. The ivolvemet of the volutary ad cooperative housig sector will be stregtheed through the establishmet of a Natioal Homelessess Cosultative Committee icludig represetatives of the social partership C&V Pillar uder the aegis of the Housig Forum, ad; Social Capital ca make a importat cotributio to healthy ad sustaiable commuities. Proposals to support voluteerig ad other aspects of social capital are icluded i Sectio Equality/Equal Opportuities The achievemet of a fairer society ad equality for all citizes is a key priciple of the partership approach. Policies ad programmes at each stage of the lifecycle will be implemeted havig due regard to the eed to promote equality of opportuity. The achievemet of true equality ecessitates a holistic approach ad a society-wide uderstadig of the complemetary roles ad skills of both me ad wome. I particular, the Govermet is committed to promotig geder equality across all stages of the lifecycle through a rage of measures icludig the forthcomig Natioal Wome s Strategy. While the itroductio of a strog body of ati-discrimiatory legislatio ad other supportig mechaisms has cotributed to the reductio of geder iequality i Irelad over the past thirty years, there is still evidece which shows that we have some way to go to achieve true geder equality. Key priority actios to be pursued iclude: Implemetig policies to icrease employmet levels with the goal of exceedig the EU Lisbo employmet rate targets for 2010 of 70% overall, 60% for females ad 50% for older workers; Further support liked, as appropriate, to the forthcomig Natioal Developmet Pla for iovative actios buildig upo the achievemets of the NDP Equality for Wome Measure. This will also lik with the geder equality focused iitiatives to be developed uder the Natioal Wome s Strategy, to be published later this year; Focusig o actios by the social parters to ecourage greater umbers of wome to advace to the higher levels withi their chose careers through traiig ad cost effective reviews of equality policies withi orgaisatios; Further explorig the causes of the geder pay gap i order to reduce it further; Reviewig as ecessary existig equality legislatio with a view to establishig best practice i relatio to positive actio, particularly i access to employmet, across all ie equality grouds; Reviewig expediture o the equality ifrastructure provided by the Equality Acts to reduce the icidece of discrimiatio. A particular priority will be the removal of the curret backlog of cases before the Equality Tribual; Cotiue to ecourage compaies ad orgaisatios to meet proactively the challeges of diversity ad equality, ad; Collectig data to support policies for the promotio of equality of opportuity across the ie grouds covered by equality legislatio.

57 5 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Youg Adults (18-29) The Govermet ad social parters recogise that youg adults (18-29) face particular eeds ad challeges which must be addressed. These iclude: 1. Educatio, Traiig ad Employmet The parties agree to work together to address the particular educatio, traiig ad employmet eeds of youg adults by: Ivestig i further support measures i the areas of further ad higher educatio to ehace participatio by those from disadvataged backgrouds, i particular: socio-ecoomically disadvataged school leavers, members of the Traveller commuity ad ethic miorities, mature studets, loe parets ad studets with a disability. These measures will iclude; eeds assessmet, techology support, commuity based strategies, childcare supports ad access routes, ad; Focusig specifically o youg people as part of the icreased traiig for the low-skilled i employmet, FÁS will cotiue to work i partership with the Commuity Traiig Cetres to provide early school leavers with basic skills ad work experiece ad to assist with progress to further traiig ad developmet. 2. Health ad Social Services The parties share the view that youg adults have a rage of particular health-related eeds. The parties agree to address these eeds through the followig priority actios: Combatig substace misuse through a cocerted focus o supply reductio, prevetio, treatmet ad research. Specifically, rehabilitatio is beig added as a fifth pillar of the Natioal Drugs Strategy, i lie with a commitmet give i the mid-term review of that Strategy, ad a Workig Group is developig a itegrated rehabilitatio provisio. Also i lie with the mid-term review, the Departmet of Health & Childre is explorig the potetial for better co-ordiatio betwee the areas of drugs ad alcohol with the aim of improvig syergies. Additioal fudig is beig provided i 2006 to develop facilities ad services for youg people; Esurig a greater focus o reducig alcohol related harm icludig implemetatio of the recommedatios of the Workig Group o Alcohol, established uder Sustaiig Progress, takig accout of the recommedatios of the Strategic Task Force o Alcohol, ad; Esurig implemetatio of the Natioal Strategy for Actio o Suicide Prevetio, Specifically this will ivolve: Workig itesively to co-ordiate suicide prevetio activities across the coutry; Dissemiatig research ad best practice ad, where ecessary, commissioig ad supportig ew research, ad; Cosultig with those workig to reduce suicide ad those respodig to suicide, to esure their voice is heard i plaig future suicide prevetio iitiatives. 3. Housig ad Accommodatio The parties recogise that youg adults i the 25 to 34 age bracket are the key household formatio group ad they ackowledge the particular challeges faced by them i accessig quality housig/accommodatio i the curret market eviromet.

58 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The parties agree to work together to tackle these challeges as a priority by: Policies ad ivestmet to address the accommodatio eeds of youg adults as set out i Chapter 2, i particular: Implemetig the Retal Accommodatio Scheme to help to provide the ecessary sprigboard to accessig employmet, traiig or educatio opportuities which may lead to broader accommodatio optios for the idividual i the future; Commecig a pilot project o affordable homes for retig, as outlied i the Housig Policy Framework, which should further expad the choices available to this age group, ad; Developig proposals to provide a more comprehesive ad objective meas of assessig eed, associated with a focus o the provisio of housig advice to allow housig supports to be tailored to reflect the chagig accommodatio eeds throughout a perso s lifecycle. 4. Motor Isurace for Youg People The Govermet will commissio a idepedet review of the effectiveess of the policy measures itroduced o foot of the MIAB report desiged to reduce motor isurace costs to look at the impact of these measures o youg drivers ad make recommedatios o how to reduce the cost of isurace for youg drivers Iovative Measures The followig iovative measures respod to emergig eeds ad provide a opportuity for learig about ew, more itegrated ways of desigig ad deliverig services over the first phase of the agreemet: 1. Itegratio of Migrat Commuities A ew framework will be fialised to address the broader issue of itegratio policy. The Govermet will develop a comprehesive strategy for all legally residet immigrats followig cosultatio with relevat stakeholders icludig the social parters which will build o ad be liked with progress already achieved i the areas of social iclusio ad ati-racism. Appropriate co-ordiatig mechaisms to implemet such a strategy will be developed ad the scope for a role for civil society orgaisatios will also be explored. A rage of strategies will also be pursued as part of the Natioal Actio Pla Agaist Racism. Furthermore, racism i the workplace will be proactively addressed i the cotext of the Ati Racist Workplace Week i keepig with best iteratioal practice i this area. There is also a distict ad separate respose i this Agreemet to tackle exploitatio of migrat ad other vulerable workers. 2. Social ad Ecoomic Participatio A programme of ivestmet uder the NDP will be itroduced to promote participatio through activatio measures aimed at people of workig age. This will work towards providig a sigle trasparet system with a primary focus o the customer ad a route map startig with the first poit of egagemet with the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs. This will provide a active outcome-focused idividual case maagemet of all social welfare customers of workig age who are ot progressig ito employmet or accessig traiig or employmet opportuities. There will be cosultatio with the social parters o how this will be implemeted.

59 5 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Exploitatio of Iformatio ad Commuicatios Techology A strategic framework o eiclusio is curretly beig developed by the eiclusio Stakeholders Group. Its priority areas for actio are access ad coectivity, skills, awareess ad cotet. I this cotext, a atioal eiclusio strategy will be developed so that everyoe has the opportuity, through ecouragemet, awareess, support, eablemet ad participatio, to exploit ICTs to improve their quality of life, ad the cohesiveess ad well-beig of their commuities. It will be developed i lie with the NAPiclusio ad the i2010 Iitiative a Europea Iformatio Society for growth ad employmet. The role of itermediaries, icludig commuity & volutary orgaisatios, i reachig the late adopters of techology will be critical to the implemetatio of this Strategy. 4. Travellers A itegrated approach to providig services ad supports to Travellers will be developed i lie with the recommedatios of the Report of the High Level Group o Traveller Issues, takig accout of the Secod Progress Report of the Traveller Moitorig Committee. The Govermet ad social parters agree to give cocetrated attetio to achievig progress o this approach, icludig opportuities for Travellers to participate i employmet i the public, private ad volutary sectors ad to support measures to improve commuicatio betwee Travellers ad the geeral populatio Goverace Framework Give the complexity ad rage of issues, there is a eed to idetify the appropriate istitutioal structures to eable us to respod i a coheret ad effective way to the challeges which face people of workig age ad to eable us achieve the outcomes we have idetified for this lifecycle group. Moitorig Progress Through the Housig Forum the social parters will have a particular role i iputig to policy developmet i relatio to housig ad accommodatio issues ad evaluatig outcomes over the period of the agreemet. A structured cosultatio process o carers issues will be led by the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs, which will ivolve a aual meetig of carer represetative groups ad relevat Departmets ad Agecies. The eiclusio Stakeholders Group will develop, implemet, commuicate, ad moitor progress o a ew atioal eiclusio strategy which will address those i each lifecycle stage that are digitally excluded. Its membership icludes Social Parters, represetatives from Govermet Departmets ad Agecies, academics, ad those egaged i the delivery of eiclusio projects ad programmes at local ad EU level. The C&V Pillar will be cosulted o the health aspects of this agreemet ad o their perspectives o the ogoig reform of the health system ad the HSE. It is evisaged that this structured cosultatio will ivolve quarterly meetigs betwee the C&V Pillar, the Departmet of Health ad Childre, the HSE ad other Departmets as relevat.

60 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Research ad Data The Office for Social Iclusio will cotiue its work o developig a data strategy to esure that robust ad reliable data is available i a timely maer to eable effective moitorig of policies to combat poverty ad social exclusio. The availability of comprehesive data will also assist the formulatio of effective evidece-based policies. The Office will also work o the further developmet of idicators ad measures to facilitate the moitorig ad evaluatio process. The implemetatio of the Natioal Health Iformatio Strategy recommedatios i respect of the use of a system of a uique patiet idetifier ad the developmet of a electroic healthcare record will cotribute to establishig a holistic picture of idividual eeds as well as providig data to aid the developmet of high quality ad cost effective health services to address those eeds. The developmet of a system of uique idetificatio for the health service will be cosidered i the cotext of a public service wide approach to the developmet ad use of uique idetifiers, proposals for which will iclude discussio with the health sector. This process will iform the preparatio of a Health Iformatio Bill which will provide a legislative framework for health iformatio goverace.

61 6 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 32. Older People 32.1 Visio The parties to this agreemet share a visio of a Irelad which provides the supports, where ecessary, to eable older people to maitai their health ad well-beig, as well as to live active ad full lives, i a idepedet way i their ow homes ad commuities for as log as possible. To achieve this visio, the Govermet ad social parters will work together over the ext te years towards the followig log-term goals for older people i Irelad i the cotext of icreased logevity ad greater possibilities ad expectatios for quality of life of older people: Every older perso would be ecouraged ad supported to participate to the greatest extet possible i social ad civic life; Every older perso would have access to a icome which is sufficiet to sustai a acceptable stadard of livig; Every older perso would have adequate support to eable them to remai livig idepedetly i their ow homes for as log as possible. This will ivolve access to good quality services i the commuity, icludig: health, educatio, trasport, housig ad security, ad; Every older perso would, i coformity with their eeds ad coscious of the high level of disability ad disablig coditios amogst this group, have access to a spectrum of care services stretchig from support for self-care through support for family ad iformal carers to formal care i the home, the commuity or i residetial settigs. Such care services should esure the perso has opportuities for civic ad social egagemet at commuity level Priority Actios The parties agree to work together i pursuit of these goals through relevat strategies ad processes, icludig NAPiclusio ad the NDP where policies will be elaborated i greater detail. The followig priority actios have bee agreed i order to make progress towards these log-term goals. 1. Pesios/Icome Supports The Govermet ad social parters agree to work together over a te-year period to ehace pesio provisio ad icome supports icludig: Future policy i this area will be cosidered i the cotext of the Natioal Pesios Review, the outcome of the further work requested i relatio to madatory pesios, the publicatio of a Gree Paper by the Govermet o pesio policy ad the views expressed by stakeholders icludig social parters (See sectio 8.8 i Part II); Ehacemet of social welfare pesios over the period, havig regard to available resources, buildig o the existig Govermet commitmet for a rate of 200 per week for social welfare pesios to be achieved by 2007; To icrease the level of qualified adult allowace for pesioer spouses to the level of the state o-cotributory pesio;

62 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t To provide a adequate icome i retiremet which, as far as possible, is related to pre-retiremet icome. The target icome level suggested i the Natioal Pesios Policy Iitiative (1998) was 50% of pre-retiremet earigs from all sources, icludig social welfare supports, private ad occupatioal pesios ad savigs ad ivestmets; Ehace the level of occupatioal or private pesio coverage. The Natioal Pesios Policy Iitiative also suggested that 70% of those at work who are 30 years ad over eeded a occupatioal or private pesio to supplemet the social welfare pesio if they are to meet the icome target. At preset just uder 59% have the ecessary coverage; The role ad ecoomic cotributio of spouses workig o the farm will be recogised withi the social isurace system through improved iformatio services o the social welfare implicatios of families workig together, ad; Followig the coclusios of a PPF Workig Group o Admiistrative Idividualisatio facilities were itroduced i October 2002 to allow ew pesio claimats to have the qualified adult portio of their pesio paid direct to their spouse or parter. It is agreed to fialise, without delay, the curret examiatio of the admiistrative ad legal implicatios of ehacig these arragemets to provide for a icrease i the umber of persoal paymets beig made through the direct paymet of the qualified adult allowace. 2. Log-Term Care Services for Older People The Govermet ad social parters agree to work together to develop a ifrastructure of log-term care services for older people, respodig to the demographic treds facig the coutry, ad that the followig priciples should iform the developmet of policy i this area: All relevat public services should be desiged ad delivered i a itegrated maer aroud the eeds of the care recipiet based o a atioal stadardised eeds assessmet. Care eeds assessmets should be available i a timely, cosistet, equitable ad regioally balaced basis; Access to joied-up, user-friedly, customer-focused service cosistet with idividual eeds; The use of commuity ad home-based care should be maximised ad should support the importat role of family ad iformal care; The cotiued developmet of sheltered housig optios, with varyig degrees of care support will be ecouraged; Where commuity ad home-based care is ot appropriate, quality residetial care should be available; There should be appropriate ad equitable levels of co-paymet by care recipiets based o a atioal stadardised fiacial assessmet; The level of state support for residetial care should be idifferet as to whether that care is i a public or private facility; No curret residet of a ursig home, public or private, should be put at a disadvatage by whatever ew co-paymet arragemets for residetial care are itroduced; Iformatio about etitlemets ad beefits should be clearly set out ad commuicated to older people, ad; The fiacial model to support ay ew arragemets must be fiacially sustaiable. Further data collectio ad evaluatio is required o differet optios ad may be a combiatio of differet optios icludig co-paymets, additioal sources of fudig beyod existig taxatio sources, a social isurace type arragemet ad/or a prefudig mechaism.

63 6 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The Govermet ad social parters parties agree that the followig early steps will be take to progress this work withi the ext two years: Additioal resources of 150 millio i a full year ( 110 millio i 2006 ad 40 millio more i 2007) are beig allocated to Services for Older People ad Palliative Care. Reflectig the ew emphasis o home ad day care, almost three quarters ( 109 millio) of the 150 millio is beig committed to commuity care supports; The HSE will develop a atioal stadardised care eeds assessmet which will be completed by the ed of 2006, as well as a stadardised fiacial assessmet process for the extra 2000 home care packages; A eeds aalysis of residetial care requiremets for older people is beig udertake to iform policy i this area ad will be completed by September 2006; A plaig exercise o staffig requiremets for future developmets will be udertake ad will be completed durig 2007; Natioal protocols for case maagemet for home care packages will be developed by the HSE by ed of 2006; A steerig committee will be set up to begi the preparatory work of evaluatig the effectiveess of the additioal home care packages; Work will be take forward to produce draft guidelies for stadards i log-term residetial uits, both public ad private. It is iteded to have this draft documet prepared ad circulated to iterested parties, icludig the social parters, for cosultatio i Summer Oce agreed, these will be widely dissemiated; Uder the Health Bill 2006, the Social Service Ispectorate will have a ispectorate role for public ad private ursig homes; The HSE has developed a stadardised approach to ispectio ad reportig of private ursig homes across the system which icluded the developmet of stadardised documetatio i all HSE areas. The HSE has begu implemetig the ew stadardised approach i all areas, ad; The Natioal Implemetatio Group o Elder Abuse has bee established to oversee the implemetatio of the recommedatios cotaied i the Report o Elder Abuse. A total of 2m is beig allocated to address the issue of elder abuse over 2006 ad 2007; This work will iform future decisios o the structure ad fiacig of log-term care for older people. The Departmet of Health & Childre will establish a structured cosultatio with social parters o the developmet of policy i relatio to log-term care issues for older people o the basis of the priciples ad actios outlied above. 3. Housig ad Accommodatio Good quality housig is importat to supportig the idepedece of older people. I some istaces, housig ad care services delivered i a itegrated maer are essetial to allowig older people to live at home for as log as possible. I other cases, older people may eed to move to alterative accommodatio, icludig sheltered housig with varyig levels of support. Therefore, the rage of resposes iclude: The availability of a mix of dwellig types of good desig across all teures. Details of ivestmet proposals are icluded i Chapter 2;

64 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t For older people o lower icomes, the availability of: Disabled Persos ad Essetial Repairs Grats Schemes ad the Special Scheme of Housig Aid for the Elderly, which allow people to remai i their ow homes; The provisio of social housig icludig through dowsizig schemes, ad; Specific sheltered housig optios. Future actios will iclude: Esurig that future Housig Actio Plas address special eeds i a more strategic maer ad specify, i particular, the role of the volutary ad co-operative housig sector i meetig the associated accommodatio requiremets; Developig ad implemetig ew protocols for iter-agecy co-operatio where there is a care dimesio additioal to accommodatio eeds; Reformig the grat schemes for older people i private housig to improve equity ad targetig. This reform will build o the experiece of a umber of local authorities that have bee able to prioritise spedig through targetig of priority cliets ad stadardised costs. The ew arragemets will be more streamlied, cuttig dow o admiistratio to make the schemes more accessible ad provide a more seamless set of resposes to the eeds of people with a disability ad older people; Services to provide ehaced home security, eergy coservatio ad other measures for vulerable older people will cotiue to be a priority activity withi the Commuity Services Programme, ad; Sustaiable Eergy Irelad ad the Combat Poverty Agecy are udertakig a actio research project to improve heatig systems ad isulatio i selected older private dwelligs ad to moitor the outcomes i terms of improved cost efficiecy ad household comfort ad health levels. The results of this project will assist with the developmet of future policy i this area ad may also be of relevace to the ogoig developmet of existig housig grat schemes to assist older people ad people with a disability. 4. Esurig Mobility for Older People Accessibility of trasport for older people is vital i terms of accessig health ad other services, social etworks ad remaiig active. The Govermet ad social parters are committed to the further developmet of the Rural Trasport Iitiative (RTI) which is makig a very importat cotributio to supportig commuity-based livig as follows: I developig proposals for the roll-out of the RTI from 2007, particular attetio will be paid to the trasport eeds of rural commuities that do ot curretly have access to public trasport, havig particular regard to the special trasport eeds of older people with disabilities, ad; Fudig for the RTI will be doubled by 2007 (based o the 2005 allocatio of 4.5m). Thereafter, fudig for rural trasport services will be steadily icreased; ultimately to a cash level of about four times the 2005 allocatio. The Fitzpatrick Review of the RTI will be fialised shortly ad, subject to available resources, cosideratio will be give to the fidigs of that Review.

65 6 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Esurig Quality Health Services for Older People Our approach to health services for older people will be iformed by a umber of strategic policy frameworks icludig the Health Strategy: Quality ad Fairess: A Health System for You (2001) ad Primary Care: A New Directio: A Health System for You (2001). Priority actios to be pursued iclude: Esurig that older people will be provided with the appropriate access to a full rage of health services to suit their eeds, icludig primary care, acute care ad metal health care, ad; Establishig o a statutory basis the Social Services Ispectorate (SSI) (which curretly ispects childre s residetial ad foster care services o a admiistrative basis) through the legislatio for the establishmet of the Health Iformatio ad Quality Authority (HIQA) which is expected to be published durig the 2006 Autum sessio. 6. Promotig Educatio ad Employmet Opportuities for Older People I the cotext of chagig demographic patters, a key objective for the Govermet ad social parters is to maximise the opportuities for older people to participate i educatio, employmet ad other aspects of ecoomic ad social life. This will iclude: Targeted adult ad commuity educatioal opportuities. Older people will be further ecouraged ad supported to access further ad higher educatio ad appropriate targets will be set i the cotext of proposals o life-log learig ad access to further ad higher educatio set out uder Sectio 31; Older people will be ecouraged ad supported i actively ivolvig themselves i areas such as family literacy projects, as set out i DEIS, ad brigig their kowledge, skills ad experiece to bear i furtherig the aims of such projects; The cotiued participatio of older people i the labour market will be ecouraged ad facilitated to meet the challege of a ageig society. A cultural midset chage will be promoted amog both employers ad employees to ecourage older workers to remai i employmet. Promotio of traiig ad upskillig of employees, particularly for low-skilled/older workers, will take place to ehace employability i the cotext of the impact of globalisatio. The prevetive process will be exteded to those aged to facilitate uemployed older workers remaiig attached to the labour market. This will tie i with the phasig out of the Pre-Retiremet Allowace (PRETA); Traiig ad advisory services, icludig those provided by FÁS, will assist older people who wish to retur to the workplace; The exploitatio of iformatio ad commuicatios techology to improve the quality of life of older people ad to assist them i idepedet livig will be ecouraged ad supported. The atioal eiclusio Strategy Framework, curretly beig discussed by the eiclusio Stakeholders Group, will prioritise actio i the areas of ICT access ad coectivity, ICT skills, awareess of the potetial of ICT ad how they ca be used to assist every older perso i their home life, social life, ad where appropriate their work life, ad; Public iformatio campaigs to tackle ageism serve a useful purpose i raisig awareess. The Equality Authority, HSE ad the Natioal Coucil o Ageig ad Older people will cotiue to promote such iitiatives over the course this agreemet.

66 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Iovative Measures The followig iovative measures respod to emergig eeds ad provide a opportuity for learig about ew, more itegrated ways of desigig ad deliverig services over the first phase of the agreemet: 1. Pilot Programmes of Care for Older People/Home Support Packages Home support packages have already bee piloted successfully i a umber of HSE Areas. A total of 3,100 (2,000 from Budget 2006) home support packages are see as pilots to test best models of delivery of these packages ad to test their impact o the wider health system. Home support packages provide for a broad rage of support persoel i additio to persoal ad social services. A Steerig Committee is beig set up to begi the preparatory work of evaluatig the effectiveess of the additioal home care packages. A key issue is effective itegratio betwee housig, care ad other supports. 2. Commuity Itervetio Teams Commuity Itervetio Teams will assist i prevetig avoidable hospital admissio ad the facilitatio of early discharge from hospitals. They will operate i additio to existig maistream commuity services ad they will address issues such as capacity to fast-track o-medical care or supports for a iterim period, while maistream services are beig arraged for the patiet Goverace Framework The Departmet of Health ad Childre ad the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs have lead roles i policy ad achievig progress i relatio to targets for older people. The Departmet of Eviromet, Heritage ad Local Govermet will actively egage o the issues ivolvig older people from a accommodatio perspective. The Departmet of Health & Childre will establish a structured cosultatio with social parters o the developmet of policy i relatio to log-term care issues for older people o the basis of the priciples ad actio outlied above. The Pesios Board will cotiue to play a key role i terms of the operatio of the Pesios Act ad advisig o the future developmet of pesios policy. The Pesios Board will cotiue to egage actively with the Social Parters. A cross-departmetal team o sheltered housig is beig established by the Departmet of Eviromet, Heritage ad Local Govermet to oversee progress i that area. There will be provisio for cosultatio with social parters through the Housig Forum. Moitorig Progress Iformatio gaps relatig to the service eeds of older people are beig addressed by the Departmet of Health ad Childre with the Natioal Coucil o Ageig ad Older People, HSE ad various stakeholders. As the implemetatio of this lifecycle approach for older people is further developed, there will be a eed ad scope for further learig ad for the revisio of goals ad targets i the light of experiece.

67 6 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 33. People with Disabilities 33.1 Visio The parties to this agreemet share a visio of a Irelad where people with disabilities have, to the greatest extet possible, the opportuity to live a full life with their families ad as part of their local commuity, free from discrimiatio. To achieve this visio, the Govermet ad the social parters will work together over the ext te years towards the followig log-term goals with a view to cotiued improvemets i the quality of life of people with disabilities: Every perso with a disability would have access to a icome which is sufficiet to sustai a acceptable stadard of livig; Every perso with a disability would, i coformity with their eeds ad abilities, have access to appropriate care, health, educatio, employmet ad traiig ad social services; Every perso with a disability would have access to public spaces, buildigs, trasport, iformatio, advocacy ad other public services ad appropriate housig; Every perso with a disability would be supported to eable them, as far as possible, to lead full ad idepedet lives, to participate i work ad i society ad to maximise their potetial, ad; Carers would be ackowledged ad supported i their carig role The Natioal Disability Strategy The Govermet ad the social parters agree that the Natioal Disability Strategy represets a comprehesive Strategy for this aspect of the life cycle framework ad that implemetatio of the Strategy should be the focus of policy over the lifetime of the agreemet. The Govermet will publish a documet which will pull together for ease of referece the visio, missio ad strategic objectives which have already bee agreed ad aouced by Govermet uder the Strategy. Implemetatio of the Natioal Disability Strategy will also take accout of likages with other relevat atioal strategies ad policies. The Strategy icludes the Disability Act 2005, six Sectoral Plas, Educatio for Persos with Special Educatioal Needs Act 2004, the Comhairle (Amedmet) Bill 2004 ad a Multi-Aual Ivestmet Programme of close to 900m over the years 2006 to It provides the framework for delivery of the log-term outcomes outlied above. A series of Sectoral Plas are curretly beig developed by the followig Departmets: Health ad Childre; Social ad Family Affairs; Eviromet, Heritage ad Local Govermet; Trasport; Commuicatios, Marie ad Natural Resources, ad; Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet.

68 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Each pla will set out, for each of these Departmets ad the public bodies uder their aegis, the programme of measures to be take i relatio to the provisio of services for people with specified disabilities. The plas are to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas ot later tha 28 July The Plas will iclude specific targets, where practicable, ad timescales agaist which progress will be measured. They will also address cross-departmetal issues i a coheret maer Priority Actios The parties agree that future policy i relatio to people with disabilities will be progressed through the Natioal Disability Strategy with particular expressio beig provided through sectoral plas curretly beig developed ad other relevat mechaisms. Key issues which will be addressed i these sectoral plas ad other aspects of the Strategy iclude: 1. Assessmet for, ad access to, appropriate health ad educatio services icludig residetial care, commuity based care, ad metal health services withi the framework of the Disability Act, 2005 ad the Educatio for Persos with Special Educatio Needs Act, Developmets will iclude: Implemetatio of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 ad implemetatio of the Educatio for Persos with Special Educatioal Needs Act 2004; Perso-cetred supports will cotiue to be developed for log stay residets i psychiatric hospitals, with a view to their movemet back ito commuity livig; Cetral to the successful implemetatio of the Natioal Disability Strategy will be a process of fiacial accoutability. Clear guidelies will be developed to esure that the ivestmet i the Strategy delivers value for moey ad real tagible beefits to people with disabilities; Perso cetred supports will cotiue to be provided to adults with sigificat disabilities, havig regard to the rage of support eeds which they require, e.g. ursig, persoal assistace, respite, rehabilitatio, day activities, etc.; I its cosideratio of the core fudig requiremets of agecies providig services for people with disabilities, the HSE will be asked to take ito accout the appropriateess of core fudig essetial health ad persoal social services; Establishig o a statutory basis the Social Services Ispectorate (SSI) (which curretly ispects childre s residetial ad foster care services o a admiistrative basis) through the legislatio for the establishmet of the Health Iformatio ad Quality Authority (HIQA) which is expected to be published durig the 2006 Autum Sessio, ad; Developig a strategic itegrated approach to rehabilitatio services withi the cotext of the Multi-Aual Ivestmet Programme with a view to supportig people back ito employmet, as appropriate, through early itervetio ad ehaced service provisio. 2. The elaboratio of a comprehesive employmet strategy for People with Disabilities icludig a rage of measures to promote educatio, vocatioal traiig ad employmet opportuities for people with disabilities, icludig: Cosolidatig ad progressig vocatioal traiig ad employmet services for people with disabilities;

69 6 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Explorig the potetial for extedig the NEAP FÁS referral process to people with disabilities i the cotext of their special eeds ad the Govermet s commitmet to maistreamig. This will iclude explorig issues of health ad welfare etitlemets ad beefits ad examiig ad addressig the disicetives for people i receipt of icome maiteace or secodary paymets who wish to participate i traiig or employmet iitiatives; Public service employmet i accordace with the provisios of the Disability Act, 2005; Promotig awareess regardig the employmet of people with disabilities ad promotig employmet retetio, ad; The suite of materials developed uder the Workway iitiative will iform future policy ad best practice i relatio to the employmet of people with disabilities. 3. Natioal Stadards will be itroduced i respect of specialist health services for people with disabilities, takig ito accout the draft stadards already prepared by the Natioal Disability Authority, together with the report of the Workig Group o the developmet of a Code of Practice for Sheltered Workshops. 4. I terms of esurig adequate levels of icome for people with disabilities, we will work for the cotiued ehacemet ad itegratio of supports i lie with overall social welfare commitmets ad targets. This will iclude a ratioalisatio of existig allowaces for people with disabilities i the cotext of the Govermet s policy of maistreamig ad the proposed trasfer of fuctios from the HSE to the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs. Other issues aroud cost of disability will be cosidered followig the developmet of a eeds assessmet system provided for uder Part 2 of the Disability Act, Evolvig buildig stadards ad the potetial for advacemets i desig i the future should lead to geeral improvemets i the accessibility of the Irish housig stock over time. However, it is recogised that people with a disability ofte have fewer choices i terms of providig for their housig ad accommodatio eeds. To brig a ew focus to addressig these eeds, a Natioal Housig Strategy for People with Disabilities will be developed as recommeded i the NESC Housig i Irelad Report i order to support the provisio of tailored housig ad housig support to people with disabilities. This would have particular regard to adults with sigificat disabilities ad people who experiece metal illess. This will be progressed through the establishmet of a Natioal Group uder the aegis of the Housig Forum, headed by the Departmet of Eviromet, Heritage ad Local Govermet, ad ivolvig the Departmet of Health ad Childre, the Health Service Executive, social parters ad other relevat stakeholders. 6. The developmet of iformatio ad advocacy services for people with disabilities. I particular, legislative provisio for the itroductio of the ew persoal advocacy service will provide for the assigmet of a persoal advocate to a perso with a disability who is uable or who has difficulty i obtaiig a social service without the assistace or support of the persoal advocate. This will complemet, i a balaced way, the other advocacy ad support fuctios of Comhairle i relatio to people with disabilities. 7. The questio of accessible public trasport services will be addressed i the Sectoral Pla beig developed by the Departmet of Trasport. The Pla will deal with the accessibility of the rage of trasport services, icludig the cotiued itroductio of accessible vehicles, the provisio of accessible ifrastructure ad travel iformatio systems.

70 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Goverace Framework Moitorig Progress Progress reports will be prepared o sectoral plas after 3 years ad the Disability Act will be reviewed after 5 years. Detailed cosultatios have bee udertake with stakeholders i relatio to each of the sectoral plas beig developed. Arragemets will also be put i place to esure a cotiued costructive relatioship with stakeholders i relatio to progress o the Strategy as a whole. This will iclude bi-aual meetigs betwee seior officials ad other stakeholders. I additio, each sectoral pla will iclude moitorig ad review procedures. Departmets are also required to set out i the sectoral plas the arragemets that will be put i place to moitor the compliace of state bodies ad other relevat service providers with the provisios of the Disability Act, Departmets have published Customer Charters which iclude commitmets i relatio to equality ad access ad are required to report o performace i their Aual reports. Iclusio of service accessibility ad sectoral pla measures where relevat i the strategy statemets of all Departmets will be cosidered i the cotext of the updatig of guidelies for the preparatio of Departmetal Strategy Statemets. The Govermet has agreed to amed the Cabiet Hadbook to icorporate a requiremet that all substative memorada submitted to Govermet take accout of the impact o people with disabilities. Appropriate guidace will be developed to assist with the proofig requiremet i the cotext of proposals beig developed i relatio to equality proofig more geerally. The Natioal Disability Authority is a source of advice o disability practice ad policy, ad i the cotext of the life-cycle approach, will cotiue to cotribute to the co-ordiatio ad developmet of actios ad priorities i this area. Complemetary to the statutory remit of the Natioal Disability Authority is the role which the volutary disability sector cotiues to play as a advocacy ad service delivery mechaism. A Natioal Carers Strategy that focuses o supportig iformal ad family carers i the commuity will be developed by ed There will be appropriate cosultatio with the social parters. Further actios relatig to those with carig resposibilities are set out i Sectio 31. Research ad Data The results of the first Natioal Disability Survey, together with the data emergig from the Physical ad Sesory ad Itellectual Disability Databases will further help i moitorig progress i this area. This will also be ehaced by the collectio of aggregate data through the implemetatio of the eeds assessmet process uder the Disability Act The implemetatio of the Natioal Health Iformatio Strategy recommedatios i respect of the use of a system of a uique patiet idetifier ad the developmet of a electroic healthcare record will cotribute to establishig a holistic picture of idividual eeds as well as providig data to aid the developmet of high quality ad cost effective health services to address those eeds. See Sectio 31. The Natioal Logitudial Study of Childre will idetify, i the first istace, childre who have bee diagosed as havig a disability by age 9 moths, 3 years, 9 years ad 13 years. This study will allow for both poit prevalece ad icidece to be recorded withi the child populatio. Reportig arragemets have bee put i place i relatio to spedig uder the multi-aual ivestmet programme ad it is iteded that the sectoral pla review process would also be used to measure outcomes uder the Strategy.

71 7 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 34. Implemetatio of the Lifecycle Approach Implemetatio of the Lifecycle Approach poses a sigificat challege to Govermet ad to all other stakeholders. Proposals i relatio to moitorig, implemetatio of this approach, ad developig it further i cosultatio with all the social parters are set out i Chapter Four. However, as highlighted by NESC, particular challeges arise i relatio to the role of the C&V Sector ad a umber of proposals to support this role i the future are set out below Role of the Commuity ad Volutary Sector I pursuace of its objective of supportig sustaiable ad iclusive commuities, the Govermet recogises the valuable role of the Commuity & Volutary sector. The Govermet is committed to the priciples uderpiig the relatioship betwee the State ad the sector as set out i the White Paper o Supportig Volutary Activity. The Govermet commits to implemetig the NESC proposal of maximisig the cotributio of the C&V Sector by deepeig the partership betwee statutory bodies ad volutary ad commuity orgaisatios. The Govermet will egage with the sector i relatio to future frameworks to support this relatioship. The Govermet recogises that commuity ad volutary activity forms the very core of a vibrat ad iclusive society. The great stregth of volutary activity is that it emerges orgaically from commuities. While the Govermet should ot seek to cotrol ad be ivolved i every aspect of volutary activity, it does have a resposibility to provide a eablig framework to help the sector. Where this ivolves direct supports, a delicate balace must be struck betwee havig a relatively light regulatio ad maitaiig proper accoutability. Task Force o Active Citizeship Future policy will take accout of the work of the Task Force o Active Citizeship which has bee asked to recommed measures which could be take as part of public policy to facilitate ad ecourage a greater degree of egagemet by citizes i all aspects of life ad the growth ad developmet of volutary orgaisatios as part of a strog civic culture. Arisig from the work of the Task Force, cosideratio will also be give to the developmet of appropriate measures ad idicators of social capital, ad to future approaches i relatio to citizeship educatio ad voter participatio. Regulatio of the Commuity & Volutary Sector Legislatio will be itroduced to regulate the charities sector ad to itroduce goverace stadards to protect agaist abuse of charitable status or fraud. The Geeral Scheme for the Charities Regulatio Bill 2006 has bee published ad the Bill is beig give priority for draftig. Govermet accepts that support will be required for charities to meet their obligatios i the ew regulatory eviromet ad, i brigig i this ew regulatio, the Govermet commits that additioal resources to assist the sector i this trasitio will be made available. The modalities of this support will be decided followig cosultatio with the C&V sector after the legislatio has bee approved by the Oireachtas.

72 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Policy o Voluteerig The Govermet will cotiue to develop policies o voluteerig arisig from the package of measures iitiated i February A key priciple uderlyig the Govermet s approach is that voluteerig fids meaig ad expressio at a local level ad that supports ad fudig should seek, as far as possible, to recogise this reality. The Govermet remais committed to further developig policy to support voluteerig, drawig o the experiece i deliverig these measures ad iformed by the recommedatios of the Task Force o Active Citizeship Fudig the Commuity ad Volutary Sector I the cotext of implemetig this agreemet based o a te-year strategy ad focused o deliverig the outcomes evisaged i the life-cycle framework i the areas of icome, service provisio ad iovatio/participatio/activatio, the Govermet ackowledges that the C&V Sector has a cetral role to play i deliverig the outcomes evisaged. Sigificat fudig is curretly provided to support both the activities of the sector ad to develop the capacity ad ifrastructure withi the sector. This icludes a wide rage of programmes ad measures with a aual cost of over 300m through the Departmet of Commuity, Rural ad Gaeltacht Affairs, as well as programmes i a rage of other Departmets. The Govermet is committed to appropriately resourcig the sector ito the future as part of this agreemet. The Govermet remais committed to reviewig the fudig mechaisms for the C&V sector, to idetify areas of overlap or gaps. The Govermet also remais committed to the White Paper priciple of providig multi-aual statutory fudig. The Sector s importat role i service provisio will cotiue to be fuded appropriately where it is deliverig services o behalf of the State. This will be reflected through a icrease i fudig as part of the ogoig expasio i overall expediture o service delivery i the course of the agreemet, subject to the budgetary parameters outlied i Chapter II. I additio to this icrease as part of ogoig service expasio, the Govermet will provide the followig specific additioal supports to the sector: There will also be icreased ivestmet i the Commuity Services Programme of 30m by 2009; Icreased fudig of 5m per aum to support voluteerig, ad; Icreased fudig of 10m per aum to support the C&V Sector, icludig the costs arisig from cotributig to evidece based policy makig, over ad above ormal activities ad programmes. Promotig Social Fiace Buildig, i a sigificat way, o the commitmets made i Sustaiig Progress ad i the Programme for Govermet, the further developmet of Social Fiace will be supported. Social Fiace applies fiacial istrumets to the task of combatig social exclusio through the provisio of repayable fiace to commuity focused eterprises at all stages of developmet icludig start-up. Social Fiace will complemet the rage of measures i place to promote ad assist commuity ifrastructure ad local developmet. This developmet will iclude examiig the coditios for the developmet of Social Ivestmet as a practical optio for charities, private idividuals ad socially resposible busiesses to ivest capital i the social sector through social fiace providers.

73 7 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t It is also agreed to examie ways i which the positive experiece i Irelad with Social Fiace may be able to be applied i a iteratioal developmet cotext. I the ext three years based o best iteratioal practice ad havig regard to the Lisbo Ageda, the Govermet will: Implemet the Govermet s Social Fiace Iitiative aouced i Budget This icludes the establishmet of a social ivestmet vehicle that will essetially perform the role of a wholesale supplier of Social Fiace fudig; Egage with ad support existig providers, agecies ad established etworks of Social Fiace providers ad ay ew providers emergig from the sector, ad; I cojuctio with relevat iterests, examie ways to progress the ivestmet of capital i Social Fiace providers by charities, private idividuals ad busiesses. Promotig Philathropy ad Philathropic Activity The Govermet recogises the valuable work beig carried out by orgaisatios which promote philathropy i Irelad ad will cotiue to explore ways to facilitate philathropic work, stregthe ad deepe a culture of philathropy i Irelad, ad maximise the cotributio of philathropy to the commo good.

74 IV Implemetatio Arragemets

75 7 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Itroductio The parties recogise that makig progress towards the log-term goals of the Agreemet will require a capability to adapt flexibly to required istitutioal ad service delivery chages at both atioal ad local level, learig from the isights provided by the lifecycle framework ad evidece about effectiveess of differet itervetios i terms of outcomes. It requires a ogoig commitmet to reform ad moderisatio i the public service (see Sectio 28 i Part II) ad developmet of effective etworks across public, volutary ad private sectors. The parties agree to work together o the basis set out i the chapter to make progress towards their shared goals. The Role of Social Partership ad Protocol for Egagemet The social partership process ca be best uderstood as a set of relatioships based o the pursuit of commo goals for Irish society, trust ad a problem solvig approach. The te-year framework agreemet provides a stable cotext withi which those relatioships betwee Govermet ad the Social Parters ca evolve. Govermet has ultimate resposibility for decisio makig, withi the framework of democratic accoutability. However, i recogitio of the special relatioship that ecompasses social partership, Govermet, ad Departmets o its behalf, commit to cosultig with the social parters o policy proposals ad the desig of implemetatio arragemets. While ot all policy issues covered by this te-year framework agreemet are ecessarily agreed with the social parters they do provide a referece for egagemet i the relevat areas. I this cotext, Govermet is committed to ivolvig the social parters i the developmet of policy through: Effective cosultatio i a spirit of good goverace o the basis that Govermet Departmets ad orgaisatios uder their aegis will provide a meaigful opportuity for social parters to iput ito the shapig of appropriate relevat policy issues ad the desig of implemetatio arragemets, where appropriate; Govermet Departmets will maage the cosultatio process effectively, by givig sufficiet otice, iformatio ad appropriate process for egagemet, cosistet with the overall requiremets of effective goverace, ad; As part of these good goverace arragemets the social parters also commit to egagig costructively with Govermet Departmets ad recogise the eed for the Govermet to deal with urget matters i a timely maer. Istitutios of Social Partership The Natioal Ecoomic ad Social Developmet Office (NESDO) provides the overarchig istitutioal framework to support the process of social partership. It will also explore how the expertise developed durig the process of social dialogue i Irelad could be promoted o a iteratioal basis. The three distict bodies, the NESC, the NESF ad the NCPP come together to operate withi the NESDO: The NESC will cotiue to provide aalyses ad reports o strategic issues relatig to the efficiet developmet of the ecoomy ad the achievemet of social justice, ad the developmet of strategic frameworks for the coduct of relatios ad egotiatio. I particular the NESC will udertake work o fialisig their study o the 2d tier child icome supports; The NESF will cotiue to aalyse, moitor ad evaluate relevat programmes ad policies i the area of social iclusio. A particular focus will be o evaluatig the effectiveess of existig policies ad service delivery, ad their itegratio at differet stages of the lifecycle. This aalysis will i tur cotribute to the review of progress uder the agreemet, ad;

76 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The NCPP will cotiue to support ad facilitate orgaisatioal chage ad iovatio based o partership, i order to brig about improved performace ad mutual gais, ad to cotribute to atioal competitiveess. Mechaisms for Implemetatio The Steerig Group represetig Govermet ad each of the Social Parter Pillars will be recoveed to take overall resposibility for the maagemet of the implemetatio of the te-year framework agreemet as it applies to the wider o-pay issues. The Steerig Group will egage i high-level aalysis ad focus o these areas where it might add value. This icludes spot-light issues which have a loger-term focus but which require further work to be doe i the first period of the te-year framework agreemet. The Steerig Group will periodically review progress i implemetig ad further developig the atioal framework istrumets icludig, i particular, the NSS ad the NDP. The Group will also be supported i its work by sub mechaisms already i place or to established at sectoral level, such as the Housig Forum Developig the Lifecycle Approach The lifecycle approach adopted i this agreemet offers the potetial of a more streamlied, outcomes-focused approach to moitorig ad reportig o progress withi social partership across key atioal strategies such as the NAPiclusio ad NDP It is also evisaged that the ext NAPiclusio would also be based aroud the lifecycle framework. It will also be ecessary to esure a appropriate geder dimesio, through likage to the forthcomig Natioal Wome s Strategy. This approach will also facilitate commuicatio of progress uder these strategies to the wider public. This streamlied approach will cosist of: A sigle reportig mechaism through a aual Social Iclusio Report to moitor ad review progress at each stage of the Lifecycle i the cotext of this agreemet, the forthcomig NAP iclusio ad, where appropriate, social iclusio aspects of the NDP ( ). All social parters will be cosulted i this process; This process will be co-ordiated by the Office for Social Iclusio (OSI). This will iclude drawig together relevat structures ad reports at each stage of the lifecycle, as well as other relevat atioal strategies; The Report will be preseted to the Steerig Group which will have a ogoig oversight role i relatio to implemetatio of the lifecycle framework, providig a opportuity for egagemet betwee the social parters i relatio to progress uder NAPiclusio, NDP ad other relevat strategies withi the lifecycle framework; The aual Social Iclusio Forum orgaised by NESF will cotiue to serve as a structure for wider cosultatio ad discussio o social iclusio issues, ad; The OSI will review the role ad effectiveess of the Combat Poverty Agecy s programmes aimed at facilitatig the participatio of the commuity ad volutary sector ad people experiecig poverty i the policy-makig process. This review will examie the role ad effectiveess of the programmes, i the cotext of the social partership process ad supports made available by other Departmets ad agecies, with a view to maximisig participatio ad miimisig overlaps. Data/Iformatio The availability of appropriate data over time is the basic buildig block of moitorig ad the lack of appropriate idicators or data is a barrier to evaluatig progress towards the achievemet of the outcomes cotaied i this teyear framework agreemet.

77 7 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The Natioal Statistics Strategy provides the strategic framework i which the statistical system is beig developed to support evidece based policy makig. The te-year framework agreemet will build o the progress that is beig made i developig statistical frameworks at atioal level ad data strategies at Departmetal level. The focus for the ext phase of developmet of the statistical system durig this agreemet will be o the extesive use of uique idetifiers likig data relatig to specific users of services so as to reduce the admiistrative burde ad compliace costs. The developmet of data strategies at Departmetal level will be exteded to iclude orgaisatios uder their aegis ad data strategies at local level uder the auspices of the Couty/City Developmet Board. The parties ote the particular difficulty i relatio to measurig ad settig targets for icome poverty due to the relative ewess of the EU Survey o Icome ad Livig Coditios (EU-SILC). Nevertheless the parties agree that it is importat to set real ad achievable targets ad agree that the approach to effective poverty measuremet will be reviewed i the light of the timig difficulties i relatio to EU-SILC ad as part of the wider examiatio of data availability i the lifecycle framework referred to above. The Office for Social Iclusio will carry this work forward as part of their resposibility for data ad techical supports ecessary for developig, moitorig ad evaluatig the NAPiclusio ad social iclusio measures i other atioal strategies. This will iclude a specific focus o developig the type of data required to uderpi the lifecycle approach. The Techical Advisory Group for OSI will be expaded to iclude techical experts from the social parter pillars. Itegratig Delivery at Local level Delivery of the ambitious te-year objectives i the agreemet will require a more itesive level of co-operatio amog agecies operatig at local level ad by Departmets ad agecies at atioal level. The framework of the Couty ad City Developmet Boards (CDBs) eables partership ad collaboratio across statutory agecies ad the commuity ad volutary sector at local level. The CDB structure will be developed ad stregtheed to esure that it ca operate effectively as a vehicle for supportig a more itegrated approach to service delivery at local level. I additio, the pilot social iclusio programme established uder the PPF will ow be placed o a permaet footig ad the programme will be exteded to half of all couty/city local authorities by ed The C&V Sector s participatio i local social partership structures will be resourced appropriately. Social Iclusio Moitorig (SIM) groups, represetative of local public agecies ad local developmet groups (Area Parterships, Commuity Developmet Programmes) have bee established by each CDB to improve co-ordiatio of social iclusio activities at local level. The work of the SIM groups, icludig implemetatio at local level of the commitmets cotaied i this Agreemet where appropriate, will be prioritised by the CDBs ad supported by relevat Govermet Departmets ad atioal agecies. Moitorig ad Review Arragemets A meetig of all the parties to this te-year framework agreemet with the political process, chaired by the Taoiseach will take place aually. Quarterly pleary meetigs of the four social parter pillars, chaired by the Secretary Geeral of the Departmet of the Taoiseach will be held to review, moitor ad report o overall progress i the implemetatio of the te-year framework agreemet. A formal review will take place durig This will provide a opportuity to take stock of outcomes achieved i relatio to the overall goals ad to cosider ay opportuities arisig to refocus ad reprioritise.

78 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t

79 Part Two Pay, the Workplace, ad Employmet Rights ad Compliace

80 V Private Sector Pay ad Related Issues

81 8 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 1. Private Sector Pay ad Related Issues Itroductio 1.1 The social partership process has played a key role i deliverig strog, sustaied growth i the ecoomy, employmet ad livig stadards over the past umber of years. It has doe so by recogisig the importace of both a competitive eviromet for busiess ad a cosistet policy framework as recommeded by the NESC, by promotig stability ad cofidece i idustrial relatios, the labour market ad the evolutio of pay, ad by puttig i place a problem-solvig mechaism likig Govermet ad the social parters. It is recogised that this climate of cofidece promotes ivestmet ad re-ivestmet, ad facilitates adaptatio to chaged market coditios, reflectig the opeess of the Irish ecoomy. Key Priciples uderpiig the Agreemet 1.2 It is accepted that the rapid pace of chage i the busiess eviromet demads ogoig adaptatio ad the parties are committed to full co-operatio with ormal ogoig chage ad the eed for cotiued adaptatio ad flexibility to maitai ad improve competitiveess ad to icrease productivity ad employmet. The implemetatio of this Agreemet at eterprise or idustry level will take full accout of the implicatios for competitiveess ad employmet ad the eed for flexibility ad chage, compatible with moder orgaisatio, desig, efficiecy ad busiess processes. It will also take accout of the eed to develop a first class work eviromet which facilitates employee advacemet, improves job security, promotes equal opportuities, icreases traiig, productivity, flexibility ad good workig coditios which beefits everyoe ivolved i the work process. It is accepted that some maufacturig firms are experiecig particular competitive difficulties i addressig market challeges ad global competitio. This agreemet recogises the eed to esure that maufacturig cotiues to play a cetral role i the Irish ecoomy. 1.3 The parties are agreed o the importace of cofidece i regard to wage developmets. Specifically, employers expect uios to adhere to the terms agreed ad uios expect the terms agreed to be applied to their members. 1.4 This Agreemet: Provides that o cost-icreasig claims by trade uios or employees for improvemets i pay or coditios of employmet, other tha those provided i Sectios 1.6, 2.1 ad 3.1 will be made or processed durig the currecy of the Agreemet; Commits employers, trade uios ad employees to promotig idustrial harmoy; ad Precludes strikes or other forms of idustrial actio by trade uios, employees or employers i respect of ay matters covered by this Agreemet, where the employer or trade uio cocered is actig i accordace with the provisios of this Agreemet. Date of Implemetatio ad Duratio 1.5 Except where otherwise agreed at local level, this Agreemet shall come ito force o the expiry of the Mid-Term Review of Sustaiig Progress i each idividual employmet or idustry ad shall last for 27 moths.

82 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Pay 1.6 It is agreed by the parties that basic pay shall be icreased by the followig amouts: 3% of basic pay for the first 6 moths of the Agreemet as it applies i each particular employmet or idustry; 2% of basic pay for the ext 9 moths of the Agreemet as it applies i each particular employmet or idustry except for those employees o a hourly basic rate of per hour or less o commecemet of the secod phase where a 2.5% icrease will apply; 2.5% of basic pay for the ext 6 moths of the Agreemet as it applies i each particular employmet or idustry; ad 2.5% of basic pay for the ext 6 moths of the Agreemet as it applies i each particular employmet or idustry. 1.7 Sectio 1.6 shall be egotiated betwee employers ad uios through ormal idustrial relatios machiery, due regard beig had to the ecoomic, commercial ad employmet circumstaces of the particular firm, employmet or idustry, whether arisig from exchage rate movemets or otherwise ad havig regard to the priciples at Sectio 1.2 above. The eed for co-operatio with ormal ogoig chage ad for cotiued adaptatio ad flexibility accepted by the parties may iclude ecessary measures to sustai competitiveess ad employmet o the implemetatio of Sectio 1.6. A employer may claim iability to pay the terms of the Agreemet i circumstaces where this would result i serious loss of competitiveess ad employmet ad proceed with this claim i accordace with Sectio 1.9 below. 1.8 The parties are agreed that egagemet at local level i relatio to issues i dispute must be meaigful ad udertake i a spirit of makig every effort to reach agreemet at the earliest possible stage. 1.9 Where the parties caot reach agreemet through egotiatios o ay matters covered by this Agreemet after local discussio, these will be referred to the Labour Relatios Commissio (LRC) ad, if uresolved, shall joitly be referred to the Labour Court or, where appropriate, to other agreed machiery. The process will be as follows for separate categories of dispute which the parties evisage could potetially arise: (i) (ii) If a dispute arises as what costitutes a breach of the Agreemet, after local discussio, the matter will be referred to the LRC ad, if uresolved, it shall joitly be referred to the Labour Court uder Sectio 20(2) of the Idustrial Relatios Act, 1969, ad the parties will accept the outcome. If a dispute arises out of a claim of iability to pay by a employer, the ous will be o the employer to covice the uio of the case ad provide supportig argumets ad full disclosure of iformatio to the uio. At LRC stage, assessors may be appoited from a pool, agreed with the employers ad the uios, to examie the ecoomic, commercial ad employmet circumstaces of the employmet ivolved ad the LRC may also draw o the assistace of IBEC/CIF ad ICTU represetatives, where appropriate. The parties commit to full co-operatio with the assessors ad the employers commit to full disclosure of iformatio to the assessors. I the evet of o agreemet beig reached, the matter will be referred to the Labour Court uder Sectio 20(2) of the Idustrial Relatios Act, 1969, ad the cofidetial report of the assessor will form part of the report of the LRC to the Court ad will be give serious weight by the Court. The ous will be o the employer to covice the Court of their case. The Court will issue fidigs oly i respect of whether the employer ca or caot pay the terms of the Agreemet at all ad the parties will comply with the fidigs. All iformatio disclosed as part of this process shall be treated o a cofidetial basis by all parties i receipt of such iformatio.

83 8 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t (iii) Should a dispute arise out of a claim by a employer that it is ot possible to pay the terms of the Agreemet i full ad/or that some cost offsettig measures are ecessary to do so, the parties will proceed as i paragraph (ii) above except that the Court will issue its recommedatio to the parties uder Sectio 26(1) of the Idustrial Relatios Act, Where a decisio is take to reject the Labour Court recommedatio, a three week coolig off period will apply durig which every effort shall be made by the parties to resolve the issues. No strike or other forms of idustrial actio will be threateed, sactioed or take by trade uios or employees durig the coolig off period ad util appropriate ballots have take place ad due otice give to the employers. Referece ca be made durig such a period to the Natioal Implemetatio Body. (iv) Where there is disagreemet as to what costitutes ormal ogoig chage, after local discussio, the matter will be referred to the LRC ad, if uresolved, it shall joitly be referred to the Labour Court for adjudicatio uder Sectio 20(2) of the Idustrial Relatios Act, 1969, ad the parties will accept the outcome The Natioal Implemetatio Body, represetig Govermet, IBEC/CIF ad ICTU, will meet mothly or otherwise as may be agreed, to esure delivery of the stability ad peace provisios of the Agreemet. Where particular difficulties arise or are aticipated, the NIB may be coveed at short otice. Where particular problems emerge, the NIB may make recommedatios to the social parters by way of further procedural chages ecessary to esure the effective delivery of the spirit ad itet of the Agreemet The parties, their officials ad members accept as essetial, adherece to the spirit ad itet of the Agreemet ad will commuicate these commitmets, obligatios ad resposibilities i good faith As part of a shared commitmet to work together for compliace i respect of employmet rights geerally, the parties are equally committed uder the terms of the wider Agreemet to promotig idustrial harmoy, the avoidace of idustrial actio ad the adherece to agreed dispute resolutio procedures by employers ad trade uios ad as a itegral feature of the wider focus o compliace uder this Agreemet. For its part, the Govermet is committed to icreasig resources for the employmet rights bodies, as set out at Sectio 15 below, so as to esure the processig i a timely maer of claims provided for at Sectio 1.9. Sectio 2. Statutory Miimum Pay 2.1 It is agreed to put to Govermet a positio accepted by both ICTU ad IBEC that the Natioal Miimum Wage be adjusted with effect from 1 Jauary, The parties will make a joit recommedatio to the Govermet as to the amout of the icrease by 1 September, Either of the parties may refer the matter to the Labour Court followig cosultatio with the Miister for Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet if agreemet is ot reached by that date. 2.2 The parties agree that o repercussive claims related to or followig o from the applicatio of the Natioal Miimum Wage will be made by trade uios or employees.

84 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 3. Pesio ad Sick Pay Schemes 3.1 Uios are ot precluded by Sectio 1.4 from makig claims for the itroductio of pesio or sick pay schemes where oe exist or from makig claims for the improvemet of such schemes where these are substatially out of lie with appropriate stadards i comparable employmets. 3.2 Havig regard to the cost ad other implicatios of pesio ad sick pay schemes, egotiatios o these matters shall be govered by the capacity of the eterprise to absorb the cost ivolved ad, additioally, i the case of sick pay schemes, the implicatios for attedace. 3.3 Agreemets uder Sectios 3.1 ad 3.2 may therefore iclude appropriate phasig ad other arragemets (which may exceed the timescale of this Agreemet) to take accout of these cosideratios. Sectio 4. Ati-Iflatio Group 4.1 The parties are agreed that the Ati-Iflatio Group established uder Sustaiig Progress provided a useful forum for co-operatio ad coordiatio i combatig iflatio. They have agreed, accordigly, to recostitute the Group with the same membership ad madate as before. 4.2 The parties are also agreed o the critical importace of brigig iflatio dow as quickly as possible towards levels comparable with our tradig parters performace ad towards the Eurozoe average i order to secure jobs. Public policy, both at cetral ad local Govermet level, ad the actios of employers ad trade uios, will be framed with this iflatio target i mid ad its progressive achievemet over the period of this Agreemet. It has bee agreed i this cotext that trade uios ad employers will respect the terms of the pay agreemet, havig particular regard to the commo objectives of improvig competitiveess ad livig stadards by brigig iflatio uder cotrol. The Govermet, for its part, will seek to miimise the effect of the public service pay agreemet o iflatio by actively pursuig the agreed moderisatio programme to achieve better value for moey i public service delivery.

85 8 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t

86 VI Workplace Relatios

87 8 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 5. Employee Fiacial Ivolvemet 5.1 It has bee agreed that the NCPP, i cojuctio with IBEC/CIF ad ICTU, will brig to coclusio revised guidelies o employee fiacial participatio, withi twelve weeks followig the ratificatio of this agreemet. 5.2 The NCPP will also develop ad promote a active programme of educatio ad commuicatio for employees, maagemet ad uios o the role of employee fiacial ivolvemet i accordace with previous social partership agreemets. Sectio 6. Partership at the Workplace The Workplace of the Future 6.1 Followig the publicatio of the Report of the Forum o the Workplace of the Future, a high level group was established, uder the chairmaship of the Miister for Labour Affairs, to oversee its implemetatio. 6.2 It is agreed amog the parties that a particular priority should be accorded to the group s work i promotig ad dissemiatig across the private ad public sectors the rage of activities idetified i the report - icludig improvig maagemet ad leadership capacity; icreasig employee ivolvemet; ivestig i traiig ad lifelog learig; promotig equality ad diversity i the workplace; ad improvig the quality of workig life. Workplace Iovatio Fud 6.3 The Govermet has agreed to establish a three year Workplace Iovatio Fud to eable the parties of this Agreemet ad the Natioal Cetre for Partership ad Performace to build a stroger commitmet to workplace iovatio by ecouragig the developmet of ew ways of workig through partership, aimed at icreasig flexibility ad improvig performace. I order to maximise the value of this Fud, support for iitiatives will be coditioal o the learig ad experiece gaied beig shared with other orgaisatios ad with the policy commuity. The NCPP will develop case studies o the basis of these iitiatives as exemplars for wider discussio. Practical Approaches to Workplace Partership 6.4 The Forum o the Workplace of the Future cocluded that there is a cotiued eed for advocacy of partership at workplace level, i accordace with previous social partership agreemets. The NCPP will develop a detailed project pla i 2006, i cosultatio with ICTU, IBEC ad relevat Govermet Departmets ad agecies, outliig a series of practical approaches ad activities to further develop workplace partership. The developmet of a partership approach to workplace iovatio ad the maagemet of chage will be tailored to the differet eeds ad challeges facig various key sectors i the private ad public sectors (icludig health, educatio, local govermet ad the Civil ad Public Service). The iitial choice of sectors ad the idetificatio of key actors/advocates withi them will be made i close cosultatio with IBEC, ICTU ad the relevat Govermet Departmets ad agecies.

88 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Natioal Workplace Data 6.5 I 2003, major surveys of employer ad employee attitudes ad experieces i the workplace were udertake o behalf of the NCPP. The parties are agreed that it would be of assistace to the process of measurig ad maagig chage i the workplace for a similar exercise to be coducted every five years. It has bee agreed, accordigly, to commissio a further attitudial survey of employers ad employees i Costructio Safety Partership 6.6 The parties to this Agreemet reaffirm their commitmet to the Costructio Safety Partership which has bee makig a sigificat cotributio to safety i the buildig idustry. They also commit to supportig ad co-operatig with agreed joit iitiatives arisig from the Costructio Safety Summit, which took place i May, Sectio 7. Workplace Learig ad Upskillig Itroductio 7.1 The Govermet, IBEC/CIF ad ICTU are agreed o the eed for a cocerted effort to icrease the levels of workplace learig ad upskillig, buildig o progress already achieved, i order to sustai ad improve employability ad competitiveess ito the future. 7.2 The parties welcome the plaed publicatio of a Natioal Skills Strategy by the Govermet durig Through the Steerig Group of the Expert Group o Future Skills Needs, the social parters will cotribute to the research supportig the Strategy. The research will draw o the views of the NCPP, FÁS ad relevat Govermet Departmets ad the extesive work already carried out i this area by the Forum o the Workplace of the Future, the Eterprise Strategy Group ad the Committee o the Huma Resource requiremets of the Costructio Idustry. Review of Workplace Learig ad Upskillig Programmes 7.3 The parties are also agreed o the eed for a subsequet review of the workplace learig ad upskillig offerigs available, especially from the poit of view of user friedliess/modularisatio; the provisio of geeric, trasferable as well as sector specific skills; future skills requiremets; geographical accessibility; cost; ad meas of activatio. 7.4 They are also agreed o the eed to examie i particular the availability of workplace learig (icludig i relatio to basic skills) ad upskillig to lower skilled ad vulerable workers, icludig i maufacturig, as well as to workers from overseas. They are agreed o the eed to put i place measures to esure reewed focus for State provisio ad to esure more targeted schemes, with a view to maximisig the use of resources. I additio, the ivolvemet of employer ad trade uio represetatives i the activatio of workplace learig ad upskillig will be of particular importace. 7.5 The overall objective will be to esure that the istitutioal framework ad provisio for the developmet of skills across the ecoomy matches aticipated requiremets; provides a co-ordiated, user-friedly ad easily accessible system of workplace learig ad upskillig; ad is geared to employability ad competitiveess.

89 8 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Workplace Iitiatives 7.6 The Govermet, IBEC/CIF ad ICTU will work with existig ad future partership iitiatives with a view to progressig workplace learig ad upskillig projects. 7.7 The parties are agreed o the followig key areas for actio: the developmet of a targeted guidace, learig ad traiig programme, particularly accessible to the maufacturig sector, to iclude coachig ad metorig for workers i vulerable employmets where appropriate; the itroductio of measures for the promotio of take up of appreticeships by older workers; ad the maistreamig of the Kowledge Ecoomy Skills Passport (KESP), focusig o computer literacy, sciece ad techology fudametals, basic busiess skills ad iovatio ad etrepreeurship. 7.8 It is iteded that these iitiatives would be lauched durig 2007, at the latest. I additio: the Skillets programme will be expaded ad will provide more flexible meas of delivery ad will also iclude pilot iitiatives to focus o those with lower skill-sets; icreased fiacial support will be provided for the existig pilot trade uio-led learig etwork uder the FÁS Oe-Step-Up programme which egages trade uio represetatives i the workplace as part of the learig activatio process, particularly amog the lower skilled, to pursue educatio ad traiig; ad the allocatio for the Workplace Basic Educatio Fud, aimed at icreasig umeracy ad literacy skills i the workplace, will be icreased. 7.9 A targeted fud will be put i place to alleviate the fees i public istitutios for part-time courses at third level by those at work who have ot previously pursued a third level qualificatio. Sectio 8. Pesios Itroductio 8.1 The Social Parters are agreed o the importace of pesios, both i terms of their adequacy ad coverage, ad that the matter is to be dealt with as a priority issue. The Social Parters ote the NESC s recommedatio that: it is importat that the Social Parters make a positive cotributio to [a pesios] review process ad egage costructively with the output from it.... Followig completio of the Pesios Board Review, the Govermet, i cosultatio with the Social Parters, should determie the log-term shape of the overall pesio system. 8.2 The parties to this Agreemet share the objectives of the parties to the PPF i relatio to pesios, amely that all retired people should have adequate icomes; that the level of coverage of occupatioal pesio schemes should be icreased; ad that the social parters will co-operate to promote improvemets i the coverage of pesio schemes towards the agreed Natioal Pesios Policy Iitiative (NPPI) target of 70% of the total workforce over age The fiacial pressures associated with maitaiig adequate fudig of Defied Beefit Schemes are fully ackowledged. The parties are committed to protectig the viability of pesio schemes o a sustaiable basis i a eviromet which has chaged dramatically i recet years due to a multiplicity of factors icludig the

90 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t fudig stadard, the eed to comply with accoutig stadards, the cost of auities, rapidly icreasig liabilities (icludig logevity) ad developmets i equity markets. All parties are committed to icreasig pesio coverage geerally i the ecoomy through appropriate models. Idustrial relatios issues arisig from disputes related to pesio schemes may be referred to the Natioal Implemetatio Body (NIB) by either party. The NIB will edeavour to assist the parties to such disputes o the basis of the active egagemet of its costituet members i seekig solutios to complex problems. 8.4 The parties are agreed that i order to promote the achievemet of the above objectives ad aspiratios, they will actively co-operate both at atioal level, (e.g. through the auspices of the Pesios Board) ad at workplace level, betwee employers ad uios, through regular discussio ad dialogue o pesio matters. Both uios ad employers are committed to promotig the itroductio of occupatioal schemes for those employees without access to such schemes, subject to the costs ivolved ot udermiig competitiveess ad employmet i eterprises. Furthermore, othig i this programme shall impede the improvemet of schemes, where employers ad/or employees cocered are willig ad able to meet the costs. Partership Pesios Review 8.5 The Govermet has agreed to egage with employers ad trade uios, i a process to be supported by appropriate expertise ad takig accout of the reports of the Pesios Board ad of the operatio of the auity market, i the cotext of its formulatio of a comprehesive approach to future pesios policy. 8.6 The Departmets of Fiace, Social ad Family Affairs ad Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet will participate i the Review, which will be facilitated by the Departmet of the Taoiseach, icludig as regards the framig of a social parter cotributio to the formulatio of the Govermet s Gree Paper at Sectio 8.8 below. 8.7 The Pesios Board will be asked to research beefit desig optios i the occupatioal pesios area ad will examie curret desig issues i both DB ad DC arragemets with a view to producig guidace as to desigs which ecompass the positive elemets of each arragemet while adjustig the costs ad risks to the parties ivolved. Gree Paper o Natioal Pesios Policy 8.8 The Govermet is committed to publishig a Gree Paper o Pesios Policy outliig the major policy choices ad challeges i this area. It will take accout of the views of the social parters. The Govermet are committed to respodig to the cosultatios o foot of the paper s publicatio withi 12 moths of the ratificatio of this agreemet by developig a framework for comprehesively addressig the pesios ageda over the loger-term. Trasfer of Udertakigs Directive-Optioal Pesios Provisio 8.9 The Govermet is agreeable i priciple to the traspositio ito Irish law of the optioal pesios provisio of the Trasfer of Udertakigs Directive. The Govermet will fialise its cosideratio of the issue by ed 2007, takig full accout of the views of IBEC ad ICTU o the implicatios of the optios for traspositio The Pesios Board will be asked to develop a optios paper, dealig with the techical issues that would arise. I additio, the Board will take ito accout the extesive existig legislatio ad techical stadards dealig with the dis-aggregatio ad merger of pesio schemes.

91 9 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 9. Natioal Framework Committee for Equal Opportuities at the level of the Eterprise 9.1 The parties are agreed that the Natioal Framework Committee for Equal Opportuities at the level of the Eterprise will cotiue its work i developig ad dissemiatig practical supports for the equal opportuities workplace, supportig idividual projects ad egagig with cost effective equality plaig ad equality reviews. Sectio 10. Natioal Framework Committee for Work-Life Balace Policies 10.1 Work of the Natioal Framework Committee for Work-Life Balace, iitially established uder the PPF, will cotiue. The Committee will cotiue to support ad facilitate the developmet of family friedly policies aimed at assistig i the recociliatio of work ad family life at the level of the eterprise. The activities of the Committee will cotiue to be supported by a specific budget.

92 VII Employmet Rights ad Compliace

93 9 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 11. Itroductio 11.1 The social partership process has bee reflected i the ogoig practice of Govermet ad the social parters as well as i the developmet of legislative ad regulatory frameworks. Isofar as the ecoomy ad employmet are cocered, a particular focus has bee o improvig the employability ad adaptability of employees, both before ad durig their workig life. Similarly, the positive maagemet of chage, dealig equitably with the fallout from structural ad other forms of chage, provides a basis for high employmet rates i a competitive global market. The altered circumstaces i the Irish labour market arisig from the decisio to permit direct access by citizes of the ew Member States ca also be addressed through social partership, through the attempt to formulate a shared uderstadig of the issues which arise, the optios for respodig to them ad the combiatio of public policy ad procedural resposes which are most appropriate. Sectio 12. Employmet Rights Compliace ad Eforcemet 12.1 While recogisig the broad level of compliace with employmet rights across the ecoomy geerally, there is, evertheless, a sigificat shared commitmet betwee the parties to securig better compliace with legal requiremets, uderpied by adequate eforcemet. It is also agreed that a effective employmet rights compliace system must cover: The active ad resposible cotributio of employers, employees ad trade uios; The educatio of vulerable workers; The promotio of etitlemets, with a special emphasis o workers from overseas; Iformatio provisio to all employees ad employers; Substatially stregtheed arragemets for ispectio; Adjudicatio by the Rights Commissioers, Employmet Appeals Tribual ad Labour Court; ad Eforcemet of adjudicatio outcomes The overall objective is to secure greatly icreased public cofidece i the system of compliace o the basis of a iformed ad empowered workig populatio, who will have simple, idepedet ad workable meas of redress, uderpied by the eed for fairess ad impartiality, with adjudicatio ad if eeds be, eforcemet available to them, i a reasoable legth of time A major package of measures has bee agreed by the parties with these aims i mid, icludig the establishmet of a ew, statutory Office dedicated to employmet rights compliace; a treblig i the umber of Labour Ispectors; greater coordiatio amog orgaisatios cocered with compliace; ew requiremets i respect of record keepig; ehaced employmet rights awareess activity; the itroductio of a ew ad more user friedly system of employmet rights compliace; icreased resourcig of the system; ad higher pealties for o-compliace with employmet law. The measures are set out i detail i Sectios 13 to 16 below. Sectio 13. New Office of Director for Employmet Rights Compliace 13.1 The parties are agreed o the eed for a major ehacemet ad expasio of the existig Labour Ispectorate with a view to icreasig its effectiveess, particularly i light of the chagig labour market i Irelad. It has bee agreed, accordigly, that:

94 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t A ew statutory Office of the Director for Employmet Rights Compliace (ODERC) will be established uder the aegis of the Departmet of Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet, led by a Director at top maagemet level. A statutory Advisory Board will be established: with a idepedet chair ad three idepedet experts appoited by the Miister for Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet; with three members omiated by each of the Parties; to provide policy advice ad iput ad feedback to the Office o eforcemet ad compliace issues; ad with the ability to commissio its ow research. The umber of Labour Ispectors uder this Office will be progressively icreased from 31 to 90 by ed- 2007, as part of a iitiative to icrease the staffig resources of the Employmet Rights Bodies geerally. Ispectors will be specially selected ad traied ad will be deployed o a regioalised basis. I additio, the ew Office will be provided with legal, accoutig ad other admiistrative support to esure its effective fuctioig. The ODERC will publish a Aual Report o its activities, which will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The ecessary legislatio to establish the ew Office will be published durig I the meatime, the ODERC will be established o a iterim basis. Sectio 14. Workig Together for Compliace 14.1 The parties are agreed o the eed for greater co-ordiatio betwee orgaisatios cocered with employmet rights compliace, with a view to realisig the cosiderable potetial for syergy that exists i this area. It is iteded that the ODERC will develop a ogoig structured dialogue with all the parties to this Agreemet, so that, buildig o close co-operatio, a comprehesive ad resposive system of compliace ad eforcemet ca be developed. It will be ope to the parties to this agreemet to provide for this dialogue i memorada of uderstadig to be agreed bilaterally with the existig Ispectorate ad, subsequetly, the ew Office. Complemetig the work of the ODERC, the existig moitorig ad ispectio activity i relatio to compliace with the REA i the electrical cotractig sector will be stregtheed by amedig legislatio to support ew orgaisatioal arragemets, i light of the shared commitmet ad expertise of the parties i the sector. The ecessary legislatio will be published durig Joit Ivestigatio Uits The Reveue Commissioers ad the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs operate Joit Ivestigatio Uits (JIUs) o a regioal basis uder social welfare legislatio, ivolvig staff of both orgaisatios i joit ivestigatios of appropriate cases.

95 9 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The ew legislatio will eable Authorised Officers of the Departmet of Eterprise Trade ad Employmet ad the ODERC to joi with the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs ad the Reveue Commissioers to work together i the Joit Ivestigatio Uits. The role of the JIUs will be to address areas where evidece suggests o-compliace exists. Stregtheig the RCT System The employmet status of workers will be a particular focus of the JIUs. The applicatio of the existig code of practice o employee status will be reviewed, with a view to more effective implemetatio. I tadem with this review, moitorig of RCT1 declaratios will be stregtheed. The RCT1 declaratio form will be revised to require additioal specific iformatio as to why a proposed cotract is cosidered by the parties ot to be a cotract of employmet. The Govermet will empower the Reveue Commissioers to oblige those completig RCT1s to retur them to the Commissioers i certai circumstaces, icludig takig accout of where the trackig of the patter of employmet provided for uder Sectio 17 suggests a disproportioate level of self employmet. Existig fixed pealties for o-completio will be exteded to failure to make such a retur by amedmet i the Fiace Bill, The Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs will also itesify efforts to esure correct classificatio of workers for the purposes of PRSI. I this regard, legislative provisio will be made for the iformatio accruig from RCT1 returs to be shared i the cotext of the JIUs above with the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs ad the ODERC. It has bee agreed that the ODERC will joi the Hidde Ecoomy Workig Group which will be relauched immediately upo ratificatio ad which will cotiue to meet o a mothly basis or as appropriate thereafter. The Group icludes Reveue Commissioers, Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs, ICTU, IBEC, SFA ad CIF. Better Records 14.2 The parties are agreed o the eed for improved record keepig i order to protect workers employmet rights. New legislatio will be published as ecessary, cosistet with the EU Treaties, durig 2007 to provide that every employee must have a idetifiable employer withi the State who has legal resposibility for compliace with all aspects of the applicable Employmet Rights legislatio. To support more effective ispectios, it is proposed to prescribe the form i which payroll ad workig time records must be kept by employers. Legislative powers will be itroduced i 2007 to provide for these statutory employmet records, so as to be cosistet with the existig record keepig requiremets for employers i relatio to, for example, taxatio ad social welfare. It has bee agreed that the social parters will participate with the Reveue Commissioers, the Departmet of Social ad Family Affairs ad the Departmet of Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet i settig out the legal requiremets for statutory employmet records coverig time records ad Statemets of Pay (Payslips). The ous will be o employers to maitai ad produce up-to-date Statutory Records i accordace with legislatio to be eacted. Failure to do so will be a crimial offece subject to summary or idictable proceedigs. Where redress proceedigs i relatio to o-paymet of statutory etitlemets are beig take to the Rights Commissioers, Employmet Appeals Tribual, Labour Court or Court of Law, the ous of producig evidece of paymets made or deductios from pay ad hours worked will rest with the employer. The pealty for o-maiteace of statutory employmet records will be up to 250,000 o idictmet.

96 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Ivestigatios 14.3 The parties are agreed o the eed for legislatio to stregthe the powers of the Miister for Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet i relatio to the ivestigatio by Labour Ispectors or authorised persos of particular employmets i relatio to employmet rights ad compliace. The Miister will be empowered to publish the outcome of such a ivestigatio i cases of public iterest. New legislatio will be published i 2007 to provide for these powers. Improved Commuicatios 14.4 The parties are agreed o the eed for more itesive promotio of employmet rights, obligatios ad etitlemets to employers ad employees ad to workers from overseas i particular. Social parters ad other orgaisatios will be ivited to brig their kowledge ad etworks to bear o the desig ad delivery of this educatio ad awareess programme. The ODERC will iitiate a publicity campaig, with a emphasis o workers from overseas ad o the sectors i which they are employed i sigificat umbers, settig out their rights i a rage of laguages ad icludig, i relatio to the costructio sector, iformatio o the pesio provisios of the relevat REA. A specific budget of 750,000 will be provided for educatio ad promotio of the ew compliace model, i which the social parters will participate. This will complemet other similar activities by Civil Society orgaisatios. Sectio 15. A Agreed New Approach to Attaiig Compliace 15.1 To maximise the effectiveess of the substatially icreased compliace effort, the parties to the Agreemet are agreed that a ew approach be used to both effect compliace by all parties ad simplify the adjudicatio ad redress mechaisms available i the employmet rights area. This, whe coupled with the educatio ad awareess programmes, icreased pealties ad improved access to redress, will costitute the New Compliace Model The Parties are agreed o the adoptio of a ew compliace model based o the followig criteria: Effectiveess i promotig compliace; Fairess ad impartiality; ad Ease of uderstadig ad use. Geeral Priciples 15.3 The geeral priciples of the ew compliace model will be: that matters be resolved at the level of the workplace where possible; that iteractios betwee employers ad employees ad trade uio represetatives, as appropriate, be supported by the ehaced employmet rights promotioal ad educatioal efforts directed at them; ad that iitiatio ad owership of cases will rest with the complaiat, isofar as possible.

97 9 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Procedural Approach 15.4 The ew model will provide that idividuals will be aware that they may take their case, either directly or with the assistace of their trade uio or other represetative, to a Rights Commissioer as the primary poit of cotact with the adjudicatio process. Those who do ot wish to pursue a case i the above maer may refer the matter to the ODERC for ivestigatio The ew model will also provide that: The Miister may also request the ODERC to carry out a ivestigatio. The ODERC will udertake ivestigatios o its ow iitiative. The ODERC will seek resolutio i a timely maer by direct egagemet with the employer. Resolutio of Cases 15.6 If a breach is ot addressed withi a specified period of time, the ODERC will have the optio to commece prosecutio ad/or iform both the employer ad the affected employees, by meas of a otificatio, of the breaches detected ad of their redress optios. I so doig the employees ad employers will be advised that they may cosult with a trade uio, employer represetative body or others, as appropriate, for advice ad assistace to: address the matter i the workplace, ad/or seek a hearig by the Rights Commissioer Service The Govermet will examie the practicality of providig that the ODERC, where itimidatio or other barriers to redress may exist, could refer specific limited cases directly to the Rights Commissioer Service for a hearig. This direct referral of cases by the ODERC to the Rights Commissioer Service will be depedat o suitable legislative uderpiig beig drafted i cosultatio with the Office of the Attorey Geeral. I circumstaces of direct referral of a case by the ODERC, the Rights Commissioer Service, whe arragig a hearig, will advise the parties of the availability of advice ad assistace from employer represetative bodies ad trade uios or others, as appropriate I the evet of a Rights Commissioer hearig for adjudicatio ad redress, the relevat ODERC ispector may be called by the Rights Commissioer to atted as a expert witess Appeals by either party i respect of a Rights Commissioer Decisio will be to the Employmet Appeals Tribual or Labour Court as provided by legislatio. The outcomes of all hearigs i the employmet rights bodies will, where there has bee o appeal, be directly eforceable i the Circuit Court without havig to have a further hearig. Public Policy I relatio to certai cases, ad particularly i istaces relatig to failure to maitai statutory records, breaches of the Protectio of Youg Persos Act, 1996, or istaces of o-cooperatio with ODERC Ispectors, the ODERC may take cases to the Courts with a view to securig covictios by way of prosecutios for summary or idictable offeces, otwithstadig ay redress actios that may be take.

98 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Role of the Employmets Rights Bodies The orm will be for all employmet rights cases to be heard i the first istace by the Rights Commissioer Service with subsequet appeal to either the Employmet Appeals Tribual or the Labour Court. A exceptio to this approach will be i relatio to adjudicatio uder the Ufair Dismissals Acts ad associated claims arisig i a particular case where a party may opt, as at preset, o a case beig take to the Employmet Appeals Tribual i the first istace with appeal to the Circuit Court. A further exceptio will be cases uder the existig provisios of the Idustrial Relatios Acts which allow a party to a dispute to object to a hearig at the Rights Commissioers. Commitmet of More Resources for Compliace eforcemet, Adjudicatio ad Redress The Govermet is committed to the resourcig of the Office of the Director of Employmet Rights Compliace. I additio to icreasig the umber of Labour Ispectors uder this Office from 31 to 90, progressively up to ed-2007, the ew Office will be provided with 23 legal, accoutig ad other admiistrative support staff to esure its effective fuctioig The Govermet is also committed to icreasig the staffig resources of the Employmet Rights Bodies geerally i order to accelerate the processig of cases through the adjudicatio ad redress system. Respodig to the growig caseload it has bee agreed that: (a) (b) 20 additioal support staff will be provided for the Employmet Appeals Tribual, the Labour Relatios Commissio ad the Labour Court; ad a additioal 5 Rights Commissioers will be provided, icreasig, as ecessary, i lie with the Commissioers caseload. Sectio 16. Stregtheig Pealties ad Redress 16.1 Pealties for o-compliace i all areas of employmet law are to be reviewed ad icreased as follows: O summary covictio to 5,000 i the District Court ad/or a custodial setece i lie with the jurisdictio of the Court; O idictmet Pealties could rage up to 250,000 for e.g. o-maiteace of Statutory employmet records ad trasgressios uder the Protectio of Youg Persos Act, As regards Redress, where the issue has bee brought to the Rights Commissioers/Employmet Appeals Tribual/Labour Court, they will be able to award compesatio of a amout that is just ad equitable, of up to 2 years remueratio takig accout of fiacial loss, across the rage of legislatio (such a approach has a built-i iflator) New legislatio will provide for this ew model of compliace with its compliace/adjudicative elemets ad icreased pealties regime, as agreed above, across all employmet rights legislatio. It will be published durig This legislatio will cotribute to the ogoig work of the Employmet Rights Group, established by the Govermet, which will cotiue its remit to simplify ad harmoise employmet rights law.

99 9 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Protectio of Complaiats 16.4 The Govermet will provide statutory protectio to a employee who, i good faith, has made a complait to a appropriate authority, icludig to ODERC, agaist his or her employer uder ay employmet rights provisio, ERO or REA ad who is subsequetly dismissed or otherwise pealised arisig from the complait. Sectio 17. Trackig Labour Market Treds 17.1 The parties are agreed o the eed to moitor chagig patters of employmet, icludig that of workers from overseas, ad to keep uder review the effectiveess of the agreed ew measures i protectig employmet stadards ad developig the labour market. It has bee agreed to iitiate ew data series, icludig the developmet of ew CSO quarterly series of earigs data by key ecoomic sector ad occupatio. Havig regard to the rapid ad cotiuig pace of chage i the labour market as a result of migratio, a Group o Labour Market Treds ad Employmet Stadards to iclude the parties to this Agreemet will be established. The Group will: Track chagig patters of employmet ad earigs, icludig hourly earigs of workers ad, as a priority, both of workers from overseas ad of the self-employmet of skilled ad uskilled workers; Moitor employmet stadards ad the developmet of the labour market i the lifetime of this agreemet; ad Advise o the iformatio requiremets to support this moitorig, icludig i respect of treds i temporary, part-time employmet, agecy ad self-employmet, ad that would idicate ay employmet shifts or displacemet of workers i particular sectors; ad the cosequeces, if ay, for terms ad coditios of employmet. Sectio 18. Proposal to Address Exceptioal Collective Redudacy Situatios Cotext 18.1 The opeig up of the Irish labour market arisig from the decisio to permit direct access by citizes of the ew EU Member States has give rise to cocers about the possibility of the collective compulsory replacemet of workers by lower paid workers from these States or elsewhere, either directly or through the use of other replacemet workers withi the jurisdictio. The parties to this agreemet are agreed that this has the potetial i certai circumstaces to be harmful to the maiteace of good idustrial relatios i this coutry. At the same time, the parties are fully agreed o the eed for co-operatio with ogoig chage i respose to competitive pressures, as well as the eed for adaptatio ad flexibility whe market coditios require, sice this will uderpi sustaiable employmet ad coditios i eterprises. Commitmet of the Parties 18.2 The parties recogise ad fully accept that each side carries a resposibility to esure that their coduct is reasoable ad that they act i good faith i dealig with the timely developmet, processig ad implemetatio of competitive pressures that may arise, as a cosequece of which the best possible levels of employmet ad coditios ca be esured.

100 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Proposed Mechaism 18.3 The followig proposal is desiged to address the specific, exceptioal case of compulsory collective redudacy situatios defied i (f) below. It shall ot iterfere with ormal ad legitimate busiess activity, where these specific circumstaces do ot arise. For the avoidace of doubt, the mechaism is ot iteded to apply to the employmet of agecy workers, for temporary or recurrig busiess eeds, or the use of outsourcig/ cotractig-out, or other forms of busiess restructurig, where the specific circumstaces defied i (f) do ot arise. It is evisaged that recourse to the mechaism it establishes will ot become a ormal feature i the coduct of idustrial relatios but, rather, should oly be used i these exceptioal circumstaces. The proposal cotais specific safeguards to this ed. Oly collective compulsory redudacies defied i (f) will come withi the scope of this mechaism. (a) (b) A ew body would be established by amedig the Protectio of Employmet Act To be kow as the Redudacy Pael, the oly fuctio of the body, havig bee requested either by employee represetatives (as defied by Sectio 2(1) of the Protectio of Employmet Act, 1977, as ameded by Sectio 3(a) of S.I. 488 of 2000) actig with the approval of a majority of those they represet who are affected by the redudacy proposal, or the employer (followig the issue of a collective redudacy otice), ad havig ivited submissios from the parties, would be to request the Miister to ask the Labour Court to issue a opiio as to whether or ot proposed dismissals fall withi the defiitio at (f) below. The three member Redudacy Pael would cosist of: i. a Chairma ad a alterate appoited by the NIB, ad ii. a Ordiary Member ad a alterate omiated by ICTU ad a Ordiary Member ad a alterate omiated by IBEC. (c) (d) (e) (f) The Pael would act by majority decisio. The Pael ad this referral mechaism would be put i place for a period of three years, reewable thereafter by Order of the Miister, followig a statutory cosultatio process where the social parters have requested ad the Miister is of the view that the reistatemet of the Pael would be coducive to the cotiued orderly coduct of idustrial relatios. Followig a request by the Pael, the Miister may refer the case to the Labour Court. The Miister may also refer a case o his ow iitiative. A request from the Pael ca be made to the Miister ad subsequetly from the Miister to the Labour Court oly i the case of the followig: The situatio must ivolve a collective redudacy proposal 1 o a compulsory basis, with the plaed replacemet of staff by direct employees employed by the employer effectig the compulsory collective redudacy; or the use of other replacemet workers by the aforemetioed employer, i the same locatio or elsewhere withi the jurisdictio (except where the aforemetioed employer has a existig operatio with established terms ad coditios), o materially reduced terms ad coditios, ad with the ew workers performig essetially the same jobs as those to be made redudat. (g) Before the Pael makes ay request to the Miister, it would have to satisfy itself that the followig requiremets have bee met: 1 As defied by Sectio 2(1), Protectio of Employmet Act, 1977.

101 1 0 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t i. that the applicat has sought local egagemet through the established iteral dispute resolutio procedures i place or availed of by custom ad practice i the employmet cocered, or ormal cosultative procedures ad this has failed to resolve the matter; ii. iii. that the applicat has behaved reasoably ad has ot acted i a maer which i the opiio of the Pael has frustrated the possibility of agreemet to the itroductio of ecessary chage or other restructurig proposals required to secure the viability of the busiess ad, as a cosequece, the best possible levels of employmet ad coditios; ad that there has bee o recourse to idustrial actio from the date of referral to the Pael. (h) (i) The Miister may make a referral o his ow iitiative to the Labour Court o the basis of the criteria set out at (f) ad o the basis of a public iterest i the matter. The Labour Court, i the cotext of this agreemet, will oly issue a opiio where: i. there is o ogoig idustrial actio; ad ii. it is satisfied that the criteria at (f) ad (g) (i) ad (ii) have bee met. (j) (k) (l) (m) () The Labour Court will hold a hearig ito the matter ad be give power to compel attedace if ecessary, ad take evidece o oath etc. The Labour Court would have to preset its opiio, to the Miister ad the iterested parties, as to whether the proposed redudacies would meet the defiitio i (f), which will be reflected i appropriate legislatio. There shall be o appeal from the opiio of the Labour Court. Referral to the Pael must take place withi the 30 day otice period provided uder the Protectio of Employmet Act, No idividual dismissals 2 ca take place for up to a further 7 days pedig the outcome of a request by the Pael to the Miister, depedig o the date of the referral. O foot of a request to the Miister, the period i which o dismissal ca take place will be exteded by up to a further 7 days to allow for his/her cosideratio of the matter, depedig o the date of the referral. Fially, should the Miister make a referece to the Labour Court, the Court will be give a period of up to 16 days durig which it may issue a opiio, agai, o dismissals 2 may take place durig this period. Nothig i the foregoig will override the 30 days otice period provided for uder the Protectio of Employmet Act, The legislatio will provide that where a case is referred to the Labour Court by the Miister uder (h) above, o dismissals 2 ca take place for a period of 30 days from the date of referral by the Miister. (This 30 days would be separate from the 30 days otice period provided for uder the Protectio of Employmet Act, Accordigly, the maximum period required before dismissals could occur would be 60 days o the assumptio that referral to the Labour Court is iitiated i day 30 of the collective redudacy otice.) Nothig i the foregoig will override the 30 days otice period provided for uder the Protectio of Employmet Act, I paragraphs (m) ad (), the prohibitio o dismissals relates to dismissal by redudacy oly.

102 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t (o) Where the Labour Court issues a opiio that proposed dismissals meet the defiitio i (f) ad if the employer goes ahead ayway ad carries out the dismissals o the same basis as the proposal that was referred to the Labour Court, the followig implicatios would arise: i. The Miister for Eterprise Trade ad Employmet would eed to coduct his ow examiatio of the applicatio for redudacy rebate. ii. iii. iv. O foot of a refusal to pay the rebate, ay exit package give to the employees would ot beefit from the icome tax provisios that apply to statutory redudacy paymets. The employees could take a case for Ufair Dismissal. The employer could appeal to the Employmet Appeals Tribual the refusal by the Miister for Eterprise Trade ad Employmet to pay a redudacy rebate, ad, if successful, the relevat icome tax provisios would be available to the employee. (p) Where employees take a successful case for ufair dismissal, the Rights Commissioer or Employmet Appeals Tribual, as the case may be, may award reistatemet, re-egagemet or fiacial compesatio. It is proposed that the Ufair Dismissals Acts would be ameded to provide that, i situatios where a egative opiio has issued by the Labour Court uder this mechaism, fiacial loss would be redefied as a factor to be cosidered by a Rights Commissioer or Employmet Appeals Tribual, as the case may be, ad, o appeal, to the Circuit Court i decidig the level of awards uder the Ufair Dismissals Acts, such that oly redudacy/severace paymets accepted by the employee would cotiue to be take ito accout for this purpose. The level of compesatio may, at the discretio of the Rights Commissioer/Employmet Appeals Tribual/Circuit Court be up to a limit of 4 years remueratio where the employee has 20 years service or less ad up to a limit of 5 years remueratio where service exceeds 20 years i these defied circumstaces. Fast Track Procedure (q) (r) A procedure to expedite hearigs at the Rights Commissioers/Employmet Appeals Tribual i relatio to cases where the Labour Court has issued a Opiio uder the special mechaism has bee agreed betwee the Parties, whereby such cases will be heard by the Rights Commissioers/Employmet Appeals Tribual withi 12 weeks from the date o which a hearig is requested. The legislatio ecessary to give effect to the ew mechaism will be published before ed The ecessary amedmets to the Protectio of Employmet Act 1977, Redudacy Paymets Acts, ad the Ufair Dismissals Acts, , will all be based aroud the defiitio of a exceptioal collective redudacy situatio as at (f) above ad the agreed circumstaces i which it applies uder 18.3 of this Sectio.

103 1 0 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 19. Dismissals i Idustrial Disputes 19.1 The parties are agreed o the eed to protect agaist the potetial misuse of collective dismissals. The Govermet has agreed, accordigly, to amed Sectio 5 of the Ufair Dismissals Acts, , by the additio of the followig provisio to that Sectio: Where i the case of a strike, other idustrial actio or lockout; oe of those who took part i the strike or idustrial actio were re-egaged; or i the case of a lock out, oe of those who were locked out were reegaged, the Rights Commissioer, the Tribual, or the Circuit Court, as the case may be, shall have regard i determiig if a dismissal is a ufair dismissal (i) to the reasoableess or otherwise of the coduct (whether by act or omissio) of the employer or employee i relatio to the dismissal, (ii) to the extet (if ay) of the compliace or failure to comply by the employer or the employee with the procedure referred to i Sectio 14(1) of this Act or with the provisios of ay code of practice referred to i Sectio 7(2)(d), ad (iii) whether the parties have adhered to ay agreed grievace procedures operative i the employmet i questio at the time of the aforemetioed strike or idustrial actio or lock out. The ecessary legislatio to give effect to the above provisio will be published before ed Sectio 20. Supportig Employmet Stadards through Public Procuremet 20.1 The parties are agreed o the importace of public procuremet policy as a mechaism for cotributig to the maiteace of employmet stadards ad orms, icludig i respect of wage levels, while also esurig competitive tederig ad value for moey i public expediture. (a) (b) (c) (d) I the costructio sector, cotractual coditios i the ew suite of Stadard Forms of Cotract will require compliace with employmet law geerally, icludig, for example, the relevat Registered Employmet Agreemets, existig statutory requiremets such as the atioal miimum wage, legally bidig determiatios uder the Idustrial Relatios Acts, health ad safety legislatio ad equality legislatio relatig to employmet. Public cotractig authorities will be obliged to seek a appropriate certificatio of compliace with the requiremet at (a) from cotractors at suitable itervals. If o compliace with the pay ad pesios terms of a REA occurs, cotractig authorities ca take whatever corrective actio is cosidered ecessary ad appropriate, withi the terms of the cotract, icludig the proportioate withholdig of paymets, to esure compliace. Public authorities will retai their existig rights uder cotract to access data ad records. I respect of capital works projects i excess of 30 millio ad with a cotract duratio i excess of 18 moths, cotractig authorities will provide i their cotracts for radom checks of the records of cotractors ad sub cotractors to assess compliace with the requiremets of the Registered Employmet Agreemet, as appropriate. Cotractors are resposible for esurig that proper records are available to facilitate this process. If certificatio is ot received, the proportioate withholdig of paymet i respect of the o-compliat cotractor or sub cotractor will be provided for.

104 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t (e) Uder revised procuremet guidelies to be issued by the Departmet of Fiace, public sector service cotract coditios will cotai a broadly similar approach to the above i relatio to compliace with the relevat existig legal requiremets. Sectio 21. Regulatig Employmet Agecies ad Agecy Workers 21.1 The parties are agreed o the eed for the improved regulatio of employmet agecies ad agecy workers. New legislatio will be published before ed-2006 reiforcig the existig system of regulatio by requirig all employmet agecies established ad/or operatig i Irelad to hold a licece. I this regard, the legislatio will set out the coditios for the gratig of a licece The ew legislatio will also put i place a statutory Code of Practice coverig stadards of behaviour for employmet agecies. Compliace with the Code of Practice will be a coditio of licesig. The terms of the Code will be developed i dialogue with the parties to the agreemet ad other relevat iterests I preparig the legislatio, i cosultatio with the Social Parters ad other iterested parties, it will be ecessary to have regard to ogoig discussios ad developmets at EU level i relatio to posted workers ad the Draft Services Directive The uderlyig priciples evisaged for the legislatio ad the stadards of behaviour for employmet agecies to be provided for i the Code of Practice are set out i the Appedix. Sectio 22. Moderisig the Joit Labour Committee System 22.1 Buildig o the review udertake by the Govermet ad the social parters uder Sustaiig Progress, it is iteded to moderise the JLC system to allow for: the amalgamatio ad abolitio by agreemet of a umber of Committees to esure greater effectiveess; retetio of the Chairperso s castig vote; withi the JLCs themselves, the stregtheig of the operatioal arragemets ad the promotio of a stadardised approach to Employmet Regulatio Orders by the developmet of a stadardised template ad termiology isofar as practicable while recogisig the eed for sector variatios; the reflectio of actual workplace practices e.g composite pay rates; ad the aligmet of ERO ad NMW dates for chages i pay will be addressed i the cotext of the arragemets set out at Sectio 2. Sectio 23. Protectig Employees i the Home 23.1 The parties are agreed o the eed for special measures to support the employmet rights of persos employed i other people s homes The Govermet has agreed with the parties that the Miister for Eterprise, Trade ad Employmet will ask the Labour Relatios Commissio to develop a Code of Practice which will set out the curret employmet rights ad protectios for those workig i the home ad provide for:

105 1 0 4 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t the obligatio to provide a writte statemet of terms ad coditios of employmet as required uder the Terms of Employmet (Iformatio) Acts, 1994 ad 2001,detailig hours, rates, duties, breaks/leave etitlemets, treatmet of travel time etc; provisios as regards the safeguardig of privacy; the employer will ot keep ay persoal documet belogig to a employee; the treatmet of accommodatio ad the makig of ay deductios; all additioal duties will be by prior agreemet oly ad out of pocket expeses will be reimbursed promptly; the employer will facilitate the employee i the free exercise of persoal pursuits; ad the employer will ot restrict the employee s right to trade uio membership The ew Code will be published before ed Sectio 24. Ecoomic Migratio Policy 24.1 The employmet permits system has a importat cotributio to make i the protectio of idividual worker s rights ad supportig employmet stadards The Govermet has agreed that the Employmet Permits Bill will be eacted at the earliest possible date ad that ecoomic migratio policy will esure the followig: that all workers will be allowed to apply for ad reapply for their ow permit; that there will be appropriate cosultatio with the social parters i determiig icluded ad excluded categories of staff/skills for eligibility for work permits; that there are adequate safeguards to protect workers rights i relatio to the applicatio for employmet permits by: employers iside ad outside of the State; employmet agecies; ad i respect of itra-corporate trasfers; that the employmet of o-eea studets is subject to a applicatio for employmet permits; that employmet permit applicatios are ot approved for wages below the REA/ERO rate or the Natioal Miimum Wage, whichever is appropriate; that employmet permit holders may trasfer to aother employmet i cases of ufair treatmet; ad that spouses of employmet permit holders who are grated residece i Irelad may be grated a employmet permit The regulatio ad quality assurace of laguage schools or workplaces providig laguage courses to iteratioal studets will be stregtheed by placig madatory requiremets o course providers. Key features of the ew arragemets will iclude quality stadards, a code of practice icludig protectio of learers ad treatmet of fee refuds, keepig records, proof of erolmet ad of cotiuig attedace. Complaits of breaches of the madatory requiremets will be ivestigated ad dissuasive sactios will be put i place.

106 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 25. North-South ad East-West Co-operatio 25.1 The Govermet ad the parties are committed to buildig o the existig cotacts betwee FÁS, the idustrial relatios istitutios, relevat Departmets ad the social parters ad their Norther Irelad ad British couterparts, with a view to promotig greater co-operatio o labour market policies ad workplace issues. Such cooperatio ad dialogue will be grouded both i the cotext of developmets i their respective labour markets, icludig ecoomic migratio, ad i the light of EU developmets, icludig i the cotext of social dialogue at EU level. The Govermet ad the social parters are also committed to supportig the ogoig work of the Europea Foudatio for the Improvemet of Livig ad Workig Coditios, icludig the bieial Foudatio Forum. Sectio 26. EU Legislative Developmets ad the Workplace 26.1 It is recogised that legislative measures agreed at EU level have had ad will cotiue to have a major impact o the Irish workplace The Govermet is committed to egagig i ogoig dialogue with the employer ad trade uio sides i relatio both to existig ad ay proposed Draft Directives which impact o the workplace, icludig i particular o seafarers. This will iclude i particular the Draft Directive o Temporary Agecy Workers ad the proposed Services Directive, buildig o dialogue already udertake i these areas. It will also iclude cosideratio of the implicatios of the Draft EU Directive o the Portability of Pesios for the pesios iterests of trasferred employees The Govermet will also egage i dialogue with the parties o the EU Gree Paper Towards a Future Maritime Policy for the Uio, especially as regards seafarers, ad the Draft Gree Paper o the Evolutio of Labour Law, curretly i preparatio i the EU Commissio.

107 1 0 6 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Appedix Regulatig Employmet Agecies ad Agecy Workers The priciples evisaged for the ew legislatio referred to at Sectio 21, reiforcig the existig system of regulatio, iclude: Requiremet that a employmet agecy hold a licece ad make it a offece to use a ulicesed agecy i Irelad; Provisio that a employmet agecy shall ot charge a job seeker a fee for seekig employmet for him or her or for placemet; Provisio that employmet agecies shall i their dealigs with job seekers abide by all employee protectio legislatio ad Data Protectio legislatio i force i the State; Provisio that a corporate applicat for a employmet agecy licece shall comply with the provisios of the Compay Law Eforcemet Act 2001 i relatio to the Phoeix sydrome; Provisio that a applicat for a employmet agecy licece shall receive clearace from the Garda Siochaa that he or she has ot bee covicted of a idictable offece; Provisio that the Miister may seek omiatios from the Social Parters ad other iterested orgaisatios ad persos for membership of a Moitorig ad Advisory Committee to oversee the coduct of employmet agecies i relatio to the statutory Code of Coduct; Provisio that ay perso may make a complait to the Moitorig ad Advisory Committee about the coduct of a employmet agecy; Provisio that the Miister may revoke a licece for breaches of a statutory Code of Practice or for ocompliace with the legislatio; Provisio that the terms of the Registered Employmet Agreemets (REAs) Employmet Regulatio Orders (EROs) ad statutory terms apply to agecy workers ad posted workers i the relevat employmets; Provide for effective moitorig, ivestigatio of complaits ad the provisio of appropriate redress mechaisms; Provide clarity as ecessary i relatio to who is the employer of agecy ad posted workers for the purposes of Employmet Rights Legislatio; ad for the purposes of eforcemet, seek to require the maximum presece i Irelad of such agecies for the purpose of record keepig o pay ad other employmet related matters to facilitate compliace ad eforcemet, to the extet cosistet with the EU Treaties. The statutory Code of Practice coverig stadards of behaviour for employmet agecies will iclude: Recruitmet ad placemet practices; Restrictios o the hadlig of persoal iformatio; Advertisig practices icludig a prohibitio o trawlig for CVs; Clarity i relatio to travel expeses; Verificatio of qualificatios;

108 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Provisio of iformatio i the laguage of the job applicat; Provisio of iformatio together with terms ad coditios i a sigle documet; No variatio of terms ad coditios without the agreemet of the jobseeker; Every applicatio for a employmet agecy licece shall be accompaied by a tax Clearace Certificate; A applicat for a employmet agecy licece shall be required to hold a appropriate HR qualificatio; A employmet agecy shall ot solicit, persuade or iduce a employee to leave ay employmet i which the employmet agecy has placed the employee; Where a job seeker is referred to the same employer by two employmet agecies the employer s fee shall be paid to the employmet agecy which first cotacted the job seeker; Employmet agecies shall ot disclose the results of ay drug or medical testig o job seekers to third parties; ad Prohibitio o the reimbursemet of the employer fee by the jobseeker.

109 1 0 8 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t

110 VIII Public Service Pay ad Related Issues

111 1 1 0 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Sectio 27. Public Service 3 Pay Support for Moderisatio ad Flexibility 27.1 Sustaiig Progress set out a umber of priciples cocerig public service moderisatio ad flexibility. The parties to the curret agreemet cosider that these priciples have established a worthwhile framework withi which the process of esurig that our public services meet the evolvig requiremets of the Irish people ca be advaced. These priciples are icorporated i the followig text A flexible approach to workig practices by idividual public servats, maagemet ad uios is ecessary to satisfy the icreasig demad for improvemets i the provisio of public services. This flexibility ivolves the removal of uecessary demarcatios, the adoptio of more moder approaches to work ad the promotio of iovative ways of meetig the demad for services. It is also ecessary that maagers have the flexibility to adapt procedures to respod to particular pressures, which may vary from sector to sector, ad to esure that work methods are suited to the efficiet delivery of services Flexibility of workig is a key requiremet i the achievemet of greater efficiecy ad effectiveess i the public service. I light of the importace of this issue, the parties to this Agreemet will co-operate with ormal ogoig chage ad the flexibility ad moderisatio provided for i Sectios 28 to 32. Stable Idustrial Relatios Climate 27.4 The parties recogise the importace of stable idustrial relatios ad are committed to maitaiig a wellmaaged idustrial relatios eviromet to miimise disputes affectig the level of service to the public. A stable idustrial relatios climate has importat beefits for the geeral public ad the public service itself. These beefits iclude the provisio of uiterrupted services, improved productivity ad staff morale, icreased public cofidece ad the maiteace of Irelad as a desirable locatio for foreig direct ivestmet May public services differ from services which are provided by the private sector i that they are essetial services which the public caot obtai from alterative sources. Providers of essetial services ad their staff, therefore, have a special resposibility to esure that they have well developed commuicatio chaels ad to seek to resolve problems before they escalate ito idustrial disputes. If the problem caot be resolved the it is agreed by all parties to take up all available dispute resolutio mechaisms (both statutory ad o-statutory) The parties are agreed o the importace of cofidece i regard to wage developmets. Specifically, employers expect uios to adhere to the terms agreed ad uios expect the terms agreed to be applied to their members This Agreemet: Provides that o cost-icreasig claims by trade uios or employees for improvemets i pay or coditios of employmet, other tha those provided for i Sectios ad 27.20, will be made or processed durig the currecy of the Agreemet; Commits employers, trade uios ad employees to promotig idustrial harmoy; ad Precludes strikes or other forms of idustrial actio by trade uios, employees or employers i respect of ay matters covered by this Agreemet, where the employer or trade uio cocered is actig i accordace with the provisios of this Agreemet. 3 The term public service does ot iclude commercial State-sposored bodies.

112 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t The parties are agreed that egagemet at local level i relatio to issues i dispute must be meaigful ad udertake i a spirit of makig every effort to reach agreemet at the earliest possible stage Where the parties caot reach agreemet through egotiatios o ay matters covered by this Agreemet after local discussio, these will be referred to the Labour Relatios Commissio ad, if uresolved, these shall joitly be referred to the Labour Court or, where appropriate, to other agreed machiery. Where a Cociliatio ad Arbitratio Scheme applies, the referral shall be to the Cociliatio machiery uder the Scheme ad if uresolved shall be referred joitly to the Arbitratio Board actig i a ad hoc capacity If a dispute arises as to what costitutes a breach of the Agreemet, after local discussio the matter will be referred to the Labour Relatios Commissio ad, if uresolved, it shall joitly be referred to the Labour Court uder Sectio 20(2) of the Idustrial Relatios Act, 1969, ad the parties will accept the outcome. Where a Cociliatio ad Arbitratio Scheme applies, the referral shall be to the Cociliatio machiery uder the Scheme ad, if uresolved, shall be joitly referred to the Arbitratio Board, actig i a ad hoc capacity, ad the parties will accept the outcome Where there is disagreemet as to what costitutes ormal ogoig chage, after local discussio the matter will be referred to the Labour Relatios Commissio, ad if uresolved, it shall joitly be referred to the Labour Court for adjudicatio uder Sectio 20(2) of the Idustrial Relatios Act, 1969, ad the parties will accept the outcome. Where a Cociliatio ad Arbitratio Scheme applies the referral shall be to the Cociliatio machiery uder the Scheme ad, if uresolved, shall be joitly referred to the Arbitratio Board, actig i a ad hoc capacity, ad the parties will accept the outcome. NIB ad the Public Service The Agreemet provides for the cotiuatio of the Natioal Implemetatio Body (NIB) to esure the delivery of the stability ad peace provisios of this Agreemet. A subgroup of the NIB will be established to review progress o all aspects of this Agreemet i the public service ad to cosider ay issues arisig out of the implemetatio of the Agreemet. It will meet mothly or as otherwise may be agreed. Public Service Moitorig Group A Public Service Moitorig Group (PSMG) was set up uder the Programme for Prosperity ad Fairess (PPF) to oversee implemetatio of the public service pay agreemet. The PSMG deals with ay overarchig issues that arise i implemetig these agreemets as well as ay other issues which both sides agree would help to improve the operatio of public service pay ad idustrial relatios arragemets. The PSMG will cotiue to meet o a regular basis uder this Agreemet. Geeral The parties, their officials ad members accept as essetial adherece to the spirit ad itet of the Agreemet ad will commuicate these commitmets, obligatios ad resposibilities i good faith I this cotext, the parties to the Agreemet recommit themselves to developig the partership process at the workplace i accordace with commitmets uder previous atioal agreemets. It is iteded that the Natioal Cetre for Partership ad Performace will play a key role i supportig this process. All other aspects of the Agreemet apply equally i the Public Service.

113 1 1 2 To w a r d s Te -Ye a r F r a m e w o r k S o c i a l P a r t e r s h i p A g r e e m e t Pay Icreases This Agreemet shall come ito force o the expiry of the Pay Agreemet uder Part Two of Sustaiig Progress ad will last for twety seve moths It is agreed that pay icreases shall be calculated o the basis of: 3% from 1 December 2006; 2% from 1 Jue 2007; except for those earig up to ad icludig 400 per week ( 20,859 per aum), where a 2.5% icrease will apply; 2.5% from 1 March 2008; ad 2.5% from 1 September The paymet of these icreases is depedet, i the case of each sector, orgaisatio ad grade, o verificatio of co-operatio with flexibility ad ogoig chage, icludig co-operatio with satisfactory implemetatio of the ageda for moderisatio set out i the Agreemet, maiteace of stable idustrial relatios ad absece of idustrial actio i respect of ay matters covered by the Agreemet. Paymet is depedet o verificatio of satisfactory achievemet of these provisios as set out i Sectio Uder the provisios set out i Sectio a Secretary Geeral may refuse to sactio the paymet of ay of the icreases outlied at Sectio If the matter which gave rise to that decisio is subsequetly resolved the the paymet may be made from the date which the relevat Secretary Geeral deems appropriate i the circumstaces. I the evet that there is disagreemet i relatio to the effective date, it is accepted that the questio will be processed through the existig idustrial relatios machiery ad that the outcome will be bidig The Public Service Bechmarkig Body is curretly carryig out a bechmarkig review of the pay of public service employees ad is to report its fidigs i the secod half of A parallel bechmarkig process is to be carried out i relatio to the pay of the craft grades ad the related o-ursig ad geeral operative grades ad is to be completed by the secod half of The questio of the implemetatio of the outcome of the bechmarkig processes will be discussed by the parties i the cotext of discussios o whatever arragemets o pay ad coditios are to be put i place o the expiry of this Agreemet.

114 IX Public Service Moderisatio