Economic vision - Pro-active Government role essential

CHARTING a vision of Ireland to 2015 may sound aspirational, but it is more realistic now than at any time because the country boasts an economy of unprecedented strength.

In contrast with darker days when the Whitaker and Culliton reports were born, the incredible economic growth of recent years will serve as high-octane fuel for the new O’Driscoll blueprint.

While there may be nothing earth-shattering in the document as such, its strength lies in the fact that this long-term strategy is geared to accelerate economic growth rather than having to deliver success from a standing start. Far-reaching implications flow from the proposal to generate a spirit of enterprise at the heart of government as distinct from the present policy of concentrating this task in one or two key departments.