Irish economic forum - Opportunity must not be squandered

ON the face of it, the first Global Irish Economic Forum has proved to be a resounding success.

From China, America, the Middle East, Australia and Europe, leading figures of the great Irish diaspora have combined to generate the kind of energy and ideas that are desperately needed to stimulate Ireland’s economic recovery, boost the country’s image abroad and foster a new sense of confidence at home.

The Government will be well pleased if the event succeeds in creating an upbeat impression of a recovering Ireland in the eyes of investors and developers abroad. Against a backdrop of the Lisbon referendum, the NAMA financial salvage deal, and a harsh budget on the horizon, the forum has given the country something of a shot in the arm at home and abroad.