People building a sustainable future

I want to heartily agree with the sentiments of Joe Gill (Irish Examiner, Oct 9) when he decries the pernicious knocking of everything happening in this country, as reflected in so much media commentary on the part of hosts and guests alike.

‘No jobs, no hope and banjaxed country’ seems to be the prevailing narrative.

Like Joe, I reject this characterisation, not least because it does not tally with my own experience or countless others around the country. The reality is that Ireland today is recovering from the awful recession of the past five years; in the year to the end of June, employment increased by about 33,000. The Gathering has boosted the tourism sector, and all over the country local enterprises are fighting back and offering better value than ever before to locals and visitors alike.