Ireland - National Economic and Social Council (NESC)

Institutional characteristics

1. Establishment

- Date of creation: 1973

- Year operational: 1973

- Nature of the texts that create the institution (Constitution, law, decree, etc.): 

Act

- Have any changes in recent years happened concerning the nature, membership, capacities of the Institution.

https://www.nesc.ie/assets/files/downloads/nesdo/NESDO-ACT-2006.pdf

2. Mandate

Consultation and advisory ✅

Negotiation ☐

Both ☐

3. Mission and attributions

https://www.nesc.ie/our-organisation/

4. Composition :

- Number of members: 27 members, 1 Chair & 1 Deputy Chair

- Duration of the term: 5 years

- Membership categories:

- Process of designating the members (election, nomination, by whom, etc.):

Nomination by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister)

5. Management organs

Presidium / Bureau / Cabinet / Other: Please specify role, composition, designation :

Assembly General / Plenary session / Other: Please specify role, frequencies of meeting:

General Secretariat: Please specify role, composition, designation:

Plenary session

6. Operational arrangement of the Permanent Secretariat

Yes ✅

No ☐

7. Gender balance (% of women)

Between 0% and 9% ☐

Equal or more than 10% (22%) ☐

Equal or more than 30% ✅

Equal or more than 50% ☐

8. Reporting Institution

Government ☐

Parliament ☐

Cabinet of President ☐

Cabinet of Prime Minister ☐

Ministry of Finance ☐

Ministry of Labour ☐

Ministry of Social Affairs ☐

Others (please specify):

9. Budget

Amount :

Between $0 and $249,000 ☐

Equal or more than $250,000 ✅

Equal or more than $500,000 ☐

Equal or more than $750,000 ☐

Source of funding: Government

III. Organizational Structure

1. Committees/Sub-committees/working groups:

No standing committees, temporary ones put in place depending on work items

2. Is there in your country any institutions of social dialogue outside your institutions?

National Economic Dialogue and Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF)

IV. Functioning of the ESC

1. Who convenes the Institution? By its own or by ESC president or any of his deputies.

2. Has the Institution a legal right to issue own-initiative opinion? Yes.

3.How are decisions taken inside the Institution

By vote ☐

By consensus ✅

4. What kind of payment do the Councillors receive: wage, compensation, other?

None

5. Is the Government obligated to follow the opinion issued by the Institution?

No

6. Is the Government obligated to report on the fate of the Institution opinions?

No

7. Are there official publications of the Institution opinions?

Yes.

8. Is the public opinion informed about the Institution works? How?

Yes by media releases and website

9. What kind of relationship does the ESC have with civil society?

Part of the Institution ✅

Institutionalised relation ☐

Uninstitutionalised relation ☐

Collaboration ☐

Participation in the drafting of reports ☐

Nothing at all ☐

V.Main technical areas of competencies

Research, studies and position papers and Country annual report, meetings and Cooperation

Agriculture : Employment Vulnerability

Civil Society ☐

Corporate Social Responsibility ✅

Culture ☐

Education and Training ☐

Employment policy and labour market regulation : Employment Vulnerability

Environmental Policy : Just Transition, Biodiversity, Climate change

European Affairs ☐

Financial and Economic Policies : Housing, Land & Urban Development

Fiscal and Taxation Policies ☐

Fundamental principles and rights at work ☐

Gender equality and anti-discrimination ☐

Governance : Well-being Framework

Health and Medical Policy : Health Partnership

Infrastructure, Transport, and Energy Policies : Transport Orientated Development

International affairs ☐

Labour Law reform ☐

Legal Affairs ☐

Productivity and competitiveness ☐

Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy and Industrial Policy ☐

Social Affairs ☐

Social Dialogue and Tripartism ☐

Industrial relations and Collective bargaining : Collective Bargaining Rights

Dispute prevention and resolution ☐

Social Security and Social Protection : Future of Social Welfare System

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ☐

Territorial Management ☐

Workplace compliance and working conditions ☐

Youth Employment ☐

Other :

VI. Brief description of major results obtained by your Institution in the last 3 years

Please give examples (Recommendations issued, Reports, Collective Agreements concluded, Conflict prevention and social peace obtained, National policies or legal frameworks including recommendations, Reform of your institution) and attached relevant documents

Full list of publications can be seen at https://www.nesc.ie/publications/