merrion street

The Taoiseach today chaired the inaugural meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) which brought together representatives of employers and trade unions with Government Ministers to discuss economic, employment and labour market issues.

The aim of the LEEF is to provide a space to discuss areas of shared concern affecting the economy, employment and the labour market on a thematic basis, such as competitiveness, sustainable job creation, labour market standards and equality and gender issues in the workplace.

An economic and fiscal outlook for Budget 2017 formed part of today’s discussion, including the latest growth projections and risks such as Brexit. A productive discussion ensued with all sides contributing their perspective on the latest economic developments and risks.

It was agreed that the Forum would prove a useful mechanism for ongoing dialogue on challenges facing the country in which all sides had a shared interest and should meet in future on a quarterly basis.

Speaking after the meeting the Taoiseach said:

I was delighted to chair the inaugural meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum. The Government's top priority is to make people's lives better and working with representatives of employers and trade unions we can make a real difference to the lives of workers. I was encouraged that progress was made today on better understanding the common challenges we face in relation to protecting the economy and the labour market. I have directed that the Forum continue to meet on a quarterly basis to take these discussions forward.