A new vision is required to underpin social partnership in a new century. Within the past month two studies by the ESRI, a statement by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and a paper from the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, have combined to highlight what might form a central focus for a new national agreement to succeed Partnership 2000.

The ESRI quarterly review argued for "a new, heavily modified, consensus on socio-economic policy". It added, "if a new consensus is to emerge and to prove as effective as its predecessor, the one essential characteristic it must possess is a realistic, long-term perspective".

Such a perspective would have to get to grips with the widening divisions in Irish society. According to another piece of research conducted by Professors Tim Callan and Brian Nolan of the ESRI (Tax and Welfare Changes, Poverty and Work Incentives in Ireland) budgetary policy favoured higher earners in the years from 1994 to 1998. They found that lowerincome groups fell further behind higher earners.

This was in marked contrast to the 1987-94 period where the percentage gained by social welfare recipients exceeded the rise in average wages. Percentage increases, however, are not an effective policy tool in this context.

A "culture of contentment" has emerged in which the majority is better off. This has led to a decline in the commitment to egalitarianism and the common good. Instead, the agenda of the "contented" demands the lowering of taxation, the reduction of public spending and an ever-declining role for government (except where it would help the situation of the "contented"). The focus is constantly short term and very little attention is paid to the development of long-term policies to tackle unemployment, poverty, homelessness, environmental degradation or rural decline. This analysis mirrors the position argued by Mrs Robinson during her recent visit to Dublin. She said: "The gap between the top and the bottom is widening.

It is not an exaggeration to speak of a two-tier society with at one end levels of prosperity which would have been unthinkable a generation ago and, at the other end, a large disaffected community who have no share in the prosperity, no jobs and no hope".

Mrs Robinson added that "prosperity should in theory produce more wealth to share around but in practice I detect a greater selfishness in our society, a determination by individuals to guard what they have and not to share their prosperity with anyone". When launching the National Anti-Poverty Strategy Report two weeks ago, the Taoiseach spoke of developing a "strategy for social inclusion". He said the Government wanted "to halt the drift towards the development of a two-tier society in Ireland". What he said bears repeating: "Our people now, as in the past, need confidence in a vision of the future. In my view that vision must be of an Ireland based on fairness; where each individual is supported to achieve his or her full potential, whatever their gender, social class, religion or address. In short, we need to build a society where there is confidence that people have the necessary social, cultural and economic rights to complement and give substance to their political and legal rights as citizens."

To do this effectively a new national agreement should include three core programmes. The first would be a programme for social, economic and cultural rights. It would seek to ensure basic provision for all in the areas of income, work, accommodation, healthcare, education, participation and culture.

Clear, measurable objectives can be identified and policy initiatives put in place to ensure targets are reached. One such objective might be that everyone should have sufficient income to live life with dignity.

One of the policy initiatives to meet that goal could be the introduction of refundable tax credits.

The second core programme would focus on sustainable development. This would begin from the recognition that many existing public policies give powerful encouragement to unsustainable development. Changing policies for taxation and expenditure to encourage movement towards sustainability can counteract this. This programme would cover infrastructure, taxation policy and the development of "satellite" national accounts aimed at providing a more accurate picture of gains and losses in society.

The third core programme to be included in a new national agreement should be a programme for integration and synergy in the public sector. While much has been achieved under the Strategic Management Initiative, a great deal still needs to be done.

A new vision to underpin social partnership in a new century is required. Such a vision could be built around a broader understanding of citizenship that includes social, economic and cultural dimensions as well as civil and political. Taking this road would be likely to develop a much fairer future, an Ireland in which there was a meaningful place for all.

Father Sean Healy SMA is director of the Justice Com- mission, the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

Oliver O'Connor is on leave.