Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will outline the benefits of the partnership process today in advance of talks on a possible new agreement, which will begin in the autumn.
Mr Ahern opens the final plenary session of the current agreement, Sustaining Progress, at Dublin Castle later today, at which he is expected to stress the positive impact of the partnership model for both the economy and society.
He will outline the success of the current agreement, which he will describe as having been negotiated during tougher economic times in 2002, and how the various pillars, including unions and industry, managed to overcome that.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen is expected to sound a cautious note however, in what some will see as an attempt to dampen down expectations in terms of Government spending commitments as part of any agreement.