Sustaining Progress - Department of Taoiseach

■ a regulatory policy that provides for the screening of new and existing regulations in terms of
their impact on the economy and society, that establishes the framework whereby regulatory
arrangements can be optimised for particular market sectors, and renews the focus on reducing
the burden being imposed through regulation on the citizen and business, including small and
medium enterprises;
■ labour market policies that act to match labour market supply with demand and address skills
and labour shortages, including policies to help those experiencing social exclusion to re-enter the
labour market, policies to encourage female labour force participation, policies that encourage
workers to remain in the labour force and appropriate policies on immigration;
■ promoting and investing in Lifelong Learning within available resources through the
implementation of the Task Force Report on Lifelong Learning and the White Paper on Adult
Education;
■ an agricultural policy that responds to the pressures emanating from the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) and further Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Reform, by promoting
investment, sustainable development and structural change;
■ securing and maintaining a leading position for Ireland in the global information society
through the implementation of the recommendations set out in New Connections - the
Government Information Society Action Plan;
■ capacity-building policies that enhance innovation and upskilling, support productive investment,
particularly the newer higher value forms of investment, and improve research and development
capacity; and
■ integrated competition and social inclusion polices that recognise the reciprocal relationship
between competitiveness and social inclusion, whereby competitiveness helps to generate the
resources to enhance social inclusion, while increased social inclusion enhances competitiveness.
Chapter 3 Macroeconomic Policy
41