asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings of the Review and Monitoring Committee of the Programme for National Recovery, which have been held since the programme was agreed; the matters considered by the committee; if it is intended to give Dáil Éireann an opportunity to review the workings of the programme as it was approved by Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Since its establishment in December last, the Central Review Committee, provided for under Section VII of the Programme for National Recovery, met on eight occasions. A further meeting is taking place this evening.

The purpose of the committee, as set out in the programme, is "to review and monitor the progress in implementing the programme and, in particular, the achievement of the targets and objectives of the programme". The committee has continued in its meetings to note progress on each of the specific measures contained in the programme and it has dealt in detail with specific items of concern to particular members of the committee.

A detailed joint Government-ICTU statement on the progress made under the Programme for National Recovery in realising the specific objectives for job creation and details of the major strategy developments under which jobs are being provided in the various sectors was issued and copies made available to the Oireachtas Library on 27 May last. A statement on further developments in achieving the job targets of the programme was issued by the Government on 7 October 1988 in connection with the end-September live register figures and copies of this statement are also available in the Oireachtas Library.

There are numerous occasions such as Adjournment debates and the debate on the Estimates when the progress of the Programme for National Recovery can be discussed by the House.