Community and voluntary groups reacted with disappointment yesterday to the Government's proposals for social change as part of a new partnership deal.
They said a document presented by officials at talks yesterday amounted to little more than a restating of existing commitments, but with qualifications added.
More specific commitments are to be demanded as negotiations continue if the community and voluntary sector is to sign up to a new partnership deal.
Parallel talks on the implementation of the benchmarking pay awards, meanwhile, were adjourned last night without agreement on any of the main sticking points.
In the main partnership talks, the Government outlined its proposals for delivering a "fair and inclusive society".
The core objective, it said, was to ensure that people had the resources and opportunities "to live life with dignity" and have "access to the quality public services that underpin life chances and experiences".
Representatives of the community and voluntary sector, one of the four social partnership "pillars" alongside unions, employers and farmers, felt the proposals were long on such broad commitments but short on specifics.
Concern was also expressed at the extent to which commitments made would depend on the availability of resources.
However, Ms Frances Byrne of the Community Platform, which represents 26 organisations, welcomed the fact that the social agenda was now being discussed.
"This is a negotiation. It's an opening gambit. We're looking forward to the next draft which we expect will have more specificity," she said.
Concern at the lack of specifics in the document had been expressed "in the strongest possible terms", she said, and not only by those in the community and voluntary sector, but by representatives of other pillars also.
Today the focus will be on macro-economic policy when the social partners return to Government Buildings. Negotiations on this area began earlier this week.
Public service unions, meanwhile, will continue negotiations this morning on the conditions for payment of the benchmarking pay rises.
Three-quarters of the 8.9 per cent average increase recommended by the benchmarking body last year is conditional on staff signing up to a programme of modernisation and change.
Some progress was made yesterday on issues of new recruitment and promotion procedures in the Civil Service.
Unions were also presented last night with a revised document on verification procedures, designed to ensure that agreed changes are implemented.
Both of those issues are on the agenda for today. Two of the most contentious matters, however, affecting the health and education sectors, have been "parked" and were not discussed yesterday.
These are the proposal that parent-teacher meetings be held outside school hours, and the health service employers' insistence on industrial peace in that sector for the duration of any new agreement.
