LOVETT LECTURE: The fundamental thrust of the State's economic policy and social partnership have been questioned by Prof Joe Lee of University College, Cork. Speaking at the 10th annual Lovett Lecture in Limerick last night on the theme of Labour, Employment and Society in 20th Century Ireland, he said social partnership was a form of economic power partnership and economic activity had become an end in itself.

Irish society required "a paradigmatic shift" if it was to find "the best balance between material and emotional fulfilment".

"We like to congratulate ourselves on the fruits of our social partnership. But we do not have social partnership, we have a form of economic power partnership," he said. "I am far from denigrating it. But we should now be considering how to move to genuine social partnership, with a view to improving not only the standard of living but the quality of life."

He questioned traditional views that Irish people lacked enterprise or that trade union unrest created obstacles to growth. People showed plenty of enterprise when given the opportunity but often had to emigrate to find it. Unions had "certainly played their part in the collective flight from reality in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But they didn't initiate that flight, however energetically they participated in it.

"I cleave to the view that what is striking is not how irresponsibly, but how responsibly Irish labour behaved in all the circumstances.

" Unlike many European countries, Ireland had not been wracked by major right-left confrontations".

Prof Lee said it was "inconceivable" to think of the birth of the Celtic Tiger without the national agreements made with unions since 1987.

He questioned the role of bodies such as Forfás and the National Competitveness Council. Their role was to develop the economy in the interests of "society as a whole" but there was no similar policy body to advise the Government on society's needs.

When the main problem facing the Republic was unemployment the economic priorities were clear.

"But full employment brings all sorts of complexities," such as immigration, environmental issues and relations with Europe. These required policy makers to think in terms of society as a whole, rather than simply a group of interactive economic sectors.