National Competitiveness Council
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The National Competitiveness Council is an independent policy advisory body in the Republic of Ireland. It reports to the Taoiseach on key competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy together with recommendations on policy actions required to enhance Ireland's competitive position. It was established by the Irish Government in May 1997 as part of the Partnership 2000 Social Partnership agreement. Forfás, Ireland's national agency for policy advice in the areas of enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation, provides the research and secretariat functions for the National Competitiveness Council (NCC).
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[edit] Structure
Council Members are appointed by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, and include representatives of the employer and trade union movements, including IBEC and ICTU. The composition of the Council also includes persons with relevant expertise in competitiveness. The CEO of Forfás and a representative of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, typically the Assistant Secretary-General responsible for national competitiveness, are automatically Council members, under the terms of reference of the Council.
Representatives from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Arts, Sport and Tourism, Communications, Marine & Natural Resources, Education & Science, Environment & Local Government, Finance and Transport, and from InterTradeIreland attend Council meetings in an advisory capacity. The NCC meets five or six times each year, with meetings lasting between three and four hours.
[edit] Chairman of the Council
| # | Name | Sector | Appointed | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brian Patterson | Private Sector | May, 1997 | Unknown, 2001 |
| 2. | William Burgess | Private Sector | Unknown, 2001 | November, 2004 |
| 3. | Dr. Don Thornhill | Public Sector, Higher Education | May, 2005 | Current Incumbent |
[edit] Publications
Each year the NCC publishes the two-volume Annual Competitiveness Report. Volume One, Benchmarking Ireland’s Performance, is a collection of statistical indicators of Ireland’s competitiveness performance in relation to 16 other economies and the OECD and EU averages. Volume Two, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge, uses this information along with the latest research to outline the main challenges to Ireland’s competitiveness and the policy responses required to meet them. The 2006 Challenge report was released on February 7, 2007.
Where appropriate, the NCC also issues statements on key competitiveness issues. In November 2006, the NCC issued a submission to the National Development Plan, 2007-2013. In October 2006, the National Competitiveness Council issued statements on Ireland's productivity performance and the costs of doing business in Ireland. In the past, it has issued statements on Prices and Costs, Innovation, Inflation, Labour Supply and Skills and Regulatory Reform.
