ISME chairman, Mr Don Curry, says his organisation is still opposed to participating in talks on a successor to the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. He was speaking at the official opening of ISME headquarters in Kildare Street, Dublin, yesterday.

The organisation has been invited to take part in the broad forum on a post PCW agreement but not in the negotiations on pay and taxation, in which IBEC, the ICTU and the Government will be the main negotiators.

The premises had been opened by the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, who said he regretted the decision of ISME not to participate in the talks but it had made an invaluable contribution to small Irish industries in developing their potential.