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Developing a Fully Inclusive Social Insurance Model

Background

The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) contained a commitment to the establishment of a Working Group to "produce proposals for the development of a fully inclusive social insurance model which would facilitate combining work and family responsibilities in the context of changing working and social patterns".

The Working Group (WG) was first constituted in May 2002 following nominations from the Social Partners. The WG was chaired by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. This WG met on six occasions between May and November 2002 and identified a number of issues for consideration. The Group commenced work in relation to addressing these issues and prepared a draft interim report in November 2002. However, by that time negotiations on a new partnership agreement had commenced (which subsequently emerged as "Sustaining Progress"), and further drafting was suspended until the outcome of those negotiations was known.

However, under the terms of Sustaining Progress, it was agreed to re-establish the WG to continue the earlier work. A new Working Group was convened in July 2003 and received agreement to examine the issues identified by the previous group,with new nominations from the social partners. The WG met on a further seven occasions until June 2004. The members of the working groups established under both the PPF and the SP agreements are listed below.