asked the Minister for Labour the agenda which he will be proposing for the discussions on industrial relations reform with the social partners outlined in the recently published national plan.

The agenda for the forthcoming discussions with the social partners on industrial relations reform will include trade dispute law, the dispute settling institutions, reform of the Joint Labour Committees and measures to facilitate trade union rationalisation.

I am hopeful of making progress in this difficult area and I welcome the commitment of all sides, as expressed in the Programme for National Recovery, to the aim of having the discussions concluded as soon as possible.

Will the Minister agree that that agenda very much reflects the agenda which has been dealt with by a number of previous Ministers for Labour? Does he see merit in changing the emphasis and going for the underlying problems that exist with the industrial relations structure and in the workplace? Will he, therefore, not look for a new approach, for instance, a search for common ground between worker and management and try to establish the underlying problems instead of going for the interventionist position?

I certainly would have regard for those matters. This question was a major point of discussion when we were formulating the Programme for National Recovery. There is an agreement by ICTU and the FUE to try to work out an arrangement. The Deputy asked if I was following in the footsteps of previous Ministers for Labour. I have to agree that I am, as every Minister for Labour, since the foundation of the State, has tried to tackle this problem but failed. I hope I will not join that list but it is a very difficult problem.

Has the Minister a timescale to which he is working in this regard? Does he accept that the agenda which he read out may not be the whole agenda and that he may be anxious to direct the FUE and the unions on a more basic level?

Yes, it all supposes that the ICTU membership accept the plan on 19 November and I hope they will. Following that, we will set up the structure and I hope to be in a position to start discussions in the new year. I have asked that the timescale should be three months and it will probably be less than six months. I have no intention of continuing discussions for years and ending up with nothing.

That disposes of ordinary questions and priority questions for today.