We need to better harness the diaspora

The employment numbers reported last Thursday by the Central Statistics Office should be a boon to business confidence across all sectors of the economy; more people gainfully employed and fewer people out of work, more wages to be spent in the domestic economy and an upward tick on the tax returns for the exchequer.

Not much to dislike there. There is even the beginning of a silver lining for the long-term unemployed; construction, one of the only sectors with a real opportunity for many of these individuals, is showing a net gain in employment for the first time in five-and-a half years.

Momentum in the economy has been evident for a while, given that we’re into our third consecutive year of GDP growth.