Ahern stresses partnership is critical

THE importance of social partnership to the Irish economy and a successful outcome to the Sustaining Progress agreement were stressed yesterday by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Addressing some of the country's top business leaders at the IMI annual conference, he said social partnership was sometimes presented by its critics as a cosy consensus.

"Sadly, for its practitioners, it isn't. The social partnership progress requires a major investment of time and effort; hard choices have to be faced; and strong leadership is required on all sides," he said.