Economic recovery - We must pull together

RESCUING the economy is going to take much more than government action.

Everyone can play a part. A group in Tralee has formed a task force to promote local employment. Elsewhere on this page, there is the story of Denis Reen, the driving force of that group. He is a retired dentist who has already demonstrated exceptional initiative in being one of the motivating forces behind the Rose of Tralee Festival in its early years, as well as the driving force behind the building of Tralee’s world famous golf course at Barrow, and the Aqua Dome project in the town.

Mr Reen’s last mission was rescuing the Jeanie Johnston project, which involved the replica famine ship that was initially supposed to cost around €2 million but eventually ran to more than €15m. He supervised that ship’s visit to North America, which was undertaken as a self-financing project that garnered enormous publicity on the other side of the Atlantic.

Since that successful American venture, it has essentially been parked at the Dublin docks gathering dust. Another of those dreams-turned-nightmare due to official bungling and indifference.

All of this should be a stark reminder that individuals can make an enormous difference. People should not always be waiting for politicians or public servants to take the initiative. There are many things that everyone can do, and we should all be pulling together.