Working parents are to benefit from a range of measures in the proposed new partnership programme, which is to be finalised early next week.
More flexible parental leave as well as enhanced rights for pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers have been agreed in talks between unions, employers and the Government.
Improved financial support for adoptive parents is also included in the deal.
A strategy to tackle inflation is now the only outstanding item on the social partners' agenda. Substantial progress on that issue was made this week and talks are expected to conclude on Monday or Tuesday, paving the way for the full proposed agreement to be published.
As well as a 7 per cent pay increase in phases over 18 months, the programme provides for action on a range of areas, including affordable housing, statutory redundancy and social inclusion.
It also spells out the timetable for payment of the benchmarking pay rises to public servants, and the work practice changes to be implemented in return.
The improved parental rights are contained in a section on "non-pay workplace issues". At present, parents of children up to the age of five are entitled to 14 consecutive weeks of unpaid leave. It is proposed to increase the child age limit to eight and allow parents to break the leave into minimum blocks of six weeks.
Adoptive parents are to be entitled to social welfare payments for certain leave periods in advance of adoptions going through.
Employers will have to provide flexible arrangements for mothers breast-feeding babies up to the age of four months, while pregnant women will be entitled to time off to attend antenatal classes.
Part-time workers are also set to benefit, through a code of practice to be drawn up by the Labour Relations Commission, aimed at removing barriers to the workplace which they currently encounter.
Measures to support lifelong learning, improve health and safety standards and strengthen equality rights are also included.
The executive council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions meets on Monday to consider the proposed agreement, but is unlikely to issue a recommendation in favour or against. Instead, individual unions will advise their members as they see fit and, after a nationwide ballot, Congress delegates will vote on the deal at a special conference on March 19th.
IBEC, the employers' body, is likely to hold its decision-making general council meeting around the same time.
The Community Platform, which represented 26 community and voluntary organisations in the talks, will hold a conference of its members on March 3rd.
A spokeswoman, Ms Frances Byrne, said she remained "extremely pessimistic" about the prospect of members supporting the agreement, as it contained no resources or specific commitments to address social inclusion.
Farm organisations say they will not sign up to the agreement in the absence of a new initiative to address the sector's income crisis. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said last night he "very much" regretted the farm bodies had not considered it possible to recommend the agreement. He said the offer made to farmers in the talks had been "generous and creative".
