Sustaining Progress - Department of Taoiseach

A Knowledge Society Foresight exercise will be progressed under the aegis of the Information Society
Commission with appropriate participation by the social partners.
4.4.2 Lifelong Learning
The objective is to actively promote lifelong learning over the entire lifespan. The Government and
the Social Partners agree that those recommendations of the Report of the Taskforce on Lifelong
Learning as agreed by the social partners, together with the White Paper on Adult Education, now
provide the strategic framework within which lifelong learning should be progressed. Work on
implementing the recommendations of the Task Force will be progressed as a strategic priority as
resources permit, overseen by a Steering Committee chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade
and Employment. The National Adult Learning Council provides a mechanism for social partner
participation in this policy area.
When the new framework of national qualifications is developed and initiated, the National
Qualifications Authority of Ireland and the awarding councils will prioritise implementation of policies
and mechanisms to validate workplace learning. Priority will be given to implementing flexible parttime
access to education and training, to addressing the needs of those who are most disadvantaged
and at risk of poverty, particularly travellers, lone parents, people with disabilities, older adults, the
unemployed and those with the lowest educational and skill levels, building on the work of the
Educational Equality and similar initiatives and developing an integrated web enabled database of
adult learning options.
A National Office for Equity of Access to Third Level Education is being established to facilitate and
monitor participation of under-represented groups in third level education. The Department of
Education and Science will work closely with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the National
Office to progress the strategy outlined in the Report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level
Education with a view to achieving the targets for mature students, students from social economically
disadvantaged backgrounds and students with disabilities.
The priority skill needs of the economy will continue to be identified through the Expert Group on
Future Skills Needs and relevant education and training provision will be assessed in light of its
recommendations. Investment will continue to be concentrated on meeting skill needs, building on
the work of the Expert Group and the Report of the Task Force on Physical Sciences. There will be
continued investment in the provision of places, equipment and infrastructure in critical areas such as
ICT, science and technology. This will be complemented by supporting investment under the various
third-level Research and Development initiatives.
4.4.3 Regulation
The agreed objective is to ensure that whenever regulation is justified, it is prepared in a fully
transparent way that maximises public participation in its formulation; that it is clear and that it
achieves its objectives; that it is not overly burdensome and is properly enforced; and that it has no
unintended effects and is regularly reviewed.
Regulatory reform will continue to be informed by ongoing developments at the National and EU
level, and by internationally accepted overarching principles of good regulation, including necessity,
proportionality, subsidiarity, transparency, accountability, accessibility and simplicity.
Chapter 4 Building, Maintaining and Sharing Economic Development and Prosperity
51