Ministers should learn from the real achievers

THE forthcoming inaugural Global Irish Economic Forum, which is the brainchild of the visionary economist David McWilliams, is to be welcomed.

This forum is intended to bring together many of the most successful people of Irish ancestry from around the globe, with the ultimate aim of rebuilding our shattered and perilously mismanaged economy.

I was disturbed , however, when Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, appeared to preempt the outcome of this potentially fruitful forum. He appeared to do this, in my view, by claiming that the ideas, outcomes and thinking resulting from it would likely consist of “green technology” and “climate change”.

In other words, the forum may only vindicate and serve existing government proposals.

I’m sorry, minister, as a young citizen with a stake in the future of this economy, I would much prefer actually to listen first to the independent views, ideas and visions of the invited guests. There should not be politician-imposed, de facto terms of reference to bind the deliberations of this forum either. This must be an economic event, not a political one.

Mr Martin and the other government ministers have a opportunity every day (if they wish) to offer their own ideas for the rebuilding of our economy. This forum, on the other hand, is a crucial opportunity for policymakers and so-called opinion-formers in Ireland to hear the views of hard-nosed achievers from around the globe.

The invited guests will offer a genuine understanding of what makes economies and enterprises tick, where the future opportunities may lie, and how Ireland should go about rebuilding its economy. Along with a profound knowledge of how economies outside of Ireland work. This event should also be a crucial learning experience for our government ministers. It is clear to many that they economically illiterate. This is evidenced, for example, by the economically catastrophic budgets of October ‘08 and April ‘09. The advisers to whom the Government has paid most heed have been Merrion Street civil servants and trade union leaders.

They know little about what is required to create the requisite conditions for real job growth and a revived economy.

Therefore it would be most constructive and educational if government members sat back, listened and learned from the guests at the forum.

John B Reid

Knapton Road

Dun Laoghaire

Co Dublin