Ireland is bouncing back despite all the naysayers -- It is time we stopped wallowing in despair and started cheerleading

Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore

In a media environment hungry for scandal, sensation and skulduggery, good news often seems like no news at all. Especially in a country stuck in a boggy mire of fear and self-loathing.

But just like the Mayans were proved to be overly pessimistic about the long-term survival of planet earth, the merchants of doom cheerleading the negative and ignoring the positive when it comes to Ireland’s revival look likely to be proved wrong in 2013.

Just several days into the New Year and many who have cut a figure of dourness over the past several years have now a noticeable pep in their step.

Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Eamon Gilmore, who is not know for his exuberance, was telling all who would listen that we will finally be waving goodbye to the recession come the end of the year.

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton believes the flood of job losses we have suffered has finally been stemmed. While, to top it all off, a rise in tax returns means that the Government coffers got an unexpected boost of €2.6bn.

Ireland is recovering. And while it will be a slow, gradual recovery, our economy is very well placed for long-term sustainable growth. And while we won’t reach the insane highs of the bubble, nor will we overly rely on the property and construction industry to over-inflate our expectations.

Indeed, over the past year the rest of Europe has been looking at the Irish economy with envy. We have learnt from our mistakes, took the harsh actions needed and now we are on the comeback. But Bill Clinton was right when he said that the world thinks more of the Irish than the Irish think of themselves.

“I know a lot of people in Ireland are discouraged,” President Clinton said back in 2011, “but the rest of the world thinks you’re pretty great.”

And now it is time for the rest of us to embrace this positivity and realize that post-Celtic tiger Ireland will be a leaner, and far fitter economic machine that is primed to thrive.

The core fundamentals of the economy are strong and will soon fuel growth once the burden of the banking crisis is eased. Foreign direct investment is also still as strong as ever, with a who’s who of the hi-tech and pharmaceutical elite doing business in Ireland, much to the envy of our international competitors.

And they are not just here for the tax breaks. With our well-educated, flexible and skilled workforce, companies like Google and Intel would not waste their time making such huge investments in innovation here. Indeed, while we were all crying a river for our demise, companies such as Twitter were busily setting up shop in Ireland confident of our bouncebackability (to rob a sporting term).

The Gathering will also provide us with the platform to embrace and strengthen our ties with the Irish Diaspora, whose importance has for too long gone unrecognized  This will give us the opportunity to re-energise and look to the future.

The rest of the world has been recognizing our success in turning things around. But while our Taoiseach was gracing the front of Time magazine and being presented with the Golden Viktoria European of the Year Award in Berlin, the rest of Ireland sneered.

But the fact is that despite our failings Ireland is the greatest little country in the world. But tell that to an Irish person and, sadly, they’ll ridicule you.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

The politics of anger rules in a recessionary Ireland as political debate turns nasty

Dr James Reilly

Reasoned, insightful political debate is being overthrown by mob-rule. But he who shouts loudest is not always right, writes Paul Allen

The country is once again in the grip of the ‘politics of the angry.’

Indeed, even as Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore declared confidence in Minister Dr James Reilly, the smell of blood is in the air as people cry for another political scalp.

It is the era of the loudmouth where the ‘politics of anger’ shouts down the ‘politics of the answer’.

But with the heat being turned up on the Minister of Health we would do well to remember in any sport it is easy to shout from the sidelines. And it is no different when it comes to the greatest, the dirtiest and most gruelling sport of them all — politics.

The former GP, who was listed in Stubbs Gazette over an unpaid €1.8m debt, says he did not break any rules. Indeed, he set up his business affairs when he became Minister in line with advice from the Standards in Public Office Commission.

While there are obvious questions arising from the affair, if the Minister is found to have followed the rules, then blame the game not the player.

While the Committee on Procedure and Privileges (CPP) is still yet to start probing the propriety of the political classes, the need for such rigorous referees to ensure fair play in politics has once again been highlighted.

But the illusion that it is only the members of the main political parties that need this type of supervision has been recently shattered.

For years the members of the holier-than-thou Technical Group have been taking swipes at the mainstream parties, attacking their ethical records and constantly questioning their integrity. And, sometimes, rightly so; every parliament and political party needs to be held accountable.

But when the deeds of master tax cheat Mick Wallace finally made the headlines, it became obvious that cheating the system is not only in the gift of those belonging to Fianna Fail or Fine Gael.

The Independent Wexford TD has now refused to answer several questions from the Members' Interests Committee regarding the matter, casting an even longer shadow on his deeds.

However, while Wallace’s credibility rapidly crumbles, so does that of Socialist Party TDs Clare Daly and Joe Higgins, along with United Left Alliance TD Joan Collins after being found to have used their travel allowances to attend anti-household charge meetings outside their constituencies.

How can elected representatives spend public money trying to encourage people to break the law?

You would imagine that if one of the main political parties was found to have engaged in such highly questionable behaviour (to put the most positive spin possible on the actions of Daly, Higgins and Collins), the backlash would have been swift.

The fact is these members of the Technical Group have shown by their actions that while they might have been viewed as champions of the people, they are just as flawed as many of those they have berated over the years.

Pointing the finger of blame is easy, but holding a mirror up to your own actions can bring home many unwanted truths.

It would be amusing to think that the biggest impact these politicians who wanted to shake things up in Dáil Éireann will have made is underlining that even those with seemingly irreproachable reputations can fall foul of the high standards in political life.

Just like goal line technology will help referees and linesmen tighten up on the proper and correct regulation of soccer, the Irish political system will hopefully receive closer scrutiny from its new investigation committee.

So rather than having mob rule crying for heads to roll every time questions are raised over the activities of a politician, calm and reasoned insight will allow all to clearly see and assess if rules were broken. This will improve politics for all and make our system even more transparent. Because when it comes to playing dirty, being a member of a major political party is not a prerequisite.


*Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR

While Ireland punches above its weight, Spain is too big to fail - in football and economically

Despite the might of its football team and the fact it got a better bailout deal from Europe, Ireland is likely to triumph Spain, writes Paul Allen.

We used to laugh at the English. Every European Championship they qualified for they believed they would win it.

But while England fans took a more sober approach regarding their chances at Euro 2012, Ireland’s cheer leading brigade managed to convince themselves we would crush Croatia, spank Spain and lash
Italy.

Even Grumpy Dunphy was getting caught up in the hyperbole surrounding Trapattoni’s chances of leading Ireland to the promised land and out of the group of death.

However, reality can be a painful reminder.

Ireland is a minnow and not only in world football terms. Just like with our economy, we will always have to thrive to be greater than the sum of our parts. We are not Germany and Spain when it comes to football, and the same is true economically.

So when the details of the Spanish bailout were released, there was little shock the rules were different than those for Ireland.

The aid is expected to be focused entirely on Spain’s banking sector and does not appear to have committed to additional austerity measures or structural reform.

The media has also has been kinder to Spain.

When the IMF rolled into Dublin two years ago, the global media fed the world a strict diet of ghost estates, piebald ponies and beggars.

‘Rainy, dour Ireland was as depressed as its economy,’ was the general theme.

The images of protests, long dole queues and pensive politicians broadcast a different picture from sunny Spain and have so far not relied on worn clichés as in the case of Ireland.

The simple fact is that this is because Spain’s economy is the fourth largest in the EU and demands respect. It is too big to fail or, indeed, to patronize.

Ireland on the other hand might punch above its weight in many aspects, but also has to be realistic about its position in the pecking order.

While Greece rebelled, Ireland took its medicine and is playing a longer game. Because our nation’s reputation relies on stability, this is most likely the best option.

At present Spain’s unemployment level is 24.1pc (compared to Ireland’s 14.5pc), with more than half of all workers under the age of 25 out of work. Such a massive level on unemployment is a ticking time bomb as it will soon start to accelerate mortgage defaults, further fuel social unrest and political stability, while all the time suppressing economic growth.

Ireland is in a far better position, and while things continue to be tough the economy is well placed to recover (as long as Europe manages its way out of the current crisis).

So while we may struggle against Spain on the pitch in Poland, the longer-term prospect for Ireland is far sunnier than many people think.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Poor communications has a cost – Irish Government needs to be careful what it cuts

Irish leaders Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore

Government departments have spent nearly €400,000 on public relations in the last couple of years, according to figures released this week. But the fact of the matter is they should be spending more.

Saying such a thing in the current climate of swinging cutbacks is tantamount to treason. Years of austerity have frayed tempers, and the recent debacle over household and water charges have pushed many people beyond breaking point.

Regardless of the arguments for and against such measures, the government has ultimately struggled to clearly communicate its policy. Mixed and unclear messages have constantly been leaking from the coalition government sparking panic, fear and dismay throughout the country.

This resulted in only 920,000 out of 1.6m homeowners actually registering and paying the household charge.

Even after the frantic communications chaos that led up to the March 31 deadline, the government then messed up the communication of the water charge. Was it is to be paid in a lump sum? Was it to be spread over a number of years? Would there be any charge at all? The answer was yes, no or maybe depending on who you were listening to.

The business of government is never easy. Ministers receive constant briefs and daily updates from civil servants and then have to communicate that information to the public. But just like lawyers love to speak legalize, civil servants and government officials speak in what is often an impenetrable language for the uninitiated. It is little wonder politicians frequently get caught out making blunders.

Love or loath advisers the media has branded spin doctors, the fact is that clear communications between any government and its people is a critical necessity in a democracy.

While often derided for employing dark arts, there is nothing sinister in having public relations professionals helping government ministers communicate in a clear, concise and consistent way — the opposite of what it has been happening in many instances recently.

In a time of austerity any such suggestion is met with contempt from the media and the public at large. However, the question must be asked — what type of relationship do we want with those in power?

There is a danger in Ireland that the cold eye of the accountant is valued above all else, meaning we often end up knowing the price of everything but  the value of nothing.

We throw our arms up when we get misinformation or mixed messages from those in power, but will be filled with rage if we hear of ‘special advisers’ being hired to help.

While all government spending needs to be justified and accounted for, there is also a cost associated with good governance. However, some people seem blind to this equation.

Some would argue that the cost of flying the Taoiseach to a crunch meeting with EU heads of state in a private jet should be done away with and replaced with Ryanair. This is even though the time for planning, briefing and preparation afforded by taking a private jet can have a huge impact with regards to performance on the European stage.

The same is true with many areas of governmental spending. Strict accounting and transparency is a must, but there are some areas that when trimmed back too far will ultimately impact on the Government’s ability to govern.

So, when it comes to running Ireland, always taking the Ryanair option may provide an immediate saving, but could have far more costly implications on our future.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Time for the Irish to embrace Britain and not Boston or Berlin - Only the British have stood up for Ireland in these hard times

Enda Kenny and Queen Elizabeth

During the Irish boom years it was always painted as a simple choice. Did we want to be closer to Boston or Berlin? But while our ego fuelled an inflated sense of self-importance as we reveled in the fact that Project Ireland was at last an economic success, we failed to see what was staring us right in the face.

Now that reality has brought us crashing back down to earth it is time to forget Boston and Berlin, and start embracing the only country that can truly help us forge a solid economic future — Britain.

America is without question a true and best friend but ultimately will always look after its own interests, and rightly so. Then there are the boys from Berlin who have recently shown their true colours as they continue squeezing every last ounce of dignity from the Irish Government to ensure German banks stay afloat while the Irish people foot the bill. But while Europe twists the knife it is Britain that has rested a hand of friendship on our shoulders while our other European ‘friends’ desert us.

When the extent of Ireland’s financial crisis hit the headlines and Europe looked at how best to financially penalise the Irish people, the British parliament signed off on the Loans to Ireland Bill with little fuss. Meanwhile, as the IMF and EU handcuffed the Irish nation with astronomical debt, members of the European Parliament sniggered under their breath at the fact that Ireland, as they saw it, got what was coming to it.

Now that our true relationship with our European overlords is transparent, it is time that we saw sense and strengthened our ties with the UK.

The Queen’s visit last year was a huge turning point with regards to our modern day relationship with Britain. It allowed reconciliation with the past on both sides of the Irish Sea. However, most of all, it finally highlighted how our two sovereign states have more to benefit from by embracing each other rather than grasping onto the “us and them” mentality that for so long blighted our thinking when it came to Old Blighty or as some affectionately call it — the Mainland.

Prince William last week said that the visit “opened new doors” for the Queen and hailed it as a “huge turning point”.

Speaking as part of a BBC documentary he claimed the Queen’s enforced absence from Ireland due to the political tensions left her “like a child not allowed to go into a certain room.” It should be noted that it is Britain that is freely helping us pay the mortgage on that “room”.

Rumours are warming up again that another royal visit should be expected shortly, and this will further help cement the relationship between our two countries.

So, with our relationship with the UK stronger than ever, at last there can be open discussion about the possibility of joining the Commonwealth or ditching the Euro for Sterling, without cries of treason.

Indeed, the question is — why can proud, successful and powerful nations, such as Australia and Canada, have no problem when it comes to benefiting from the Commonwealth and the resulting deep economic ties with the UK while Ireland has for years balked at the very idea?

While we aspired to developing a Continental Café Culture during the Celtic tiger, the truth is we have always had more in common with our British neighbours. We speak their language, support their football teams, read their media, watch their television channels and hold many of their values.

Our relationship with the British has indeed suffered from bad PR over many decades. But the sign of a mature, confident Ireland would be to re-embrace Britain and pave the way for our two nations to truly thrive by closer economic and political ties.

The harsh economic reality has shown which nations we can rely on in times of crisis.

So as the Queen prepares to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee this year, it is time that we forged stronger ties with the UK.

Whether this is by joining the Commonwealth, adopting Sterling or some other form of economic co-operation, is for the people to decide. However, one thing is for sure — the ‘800 years of oppression’ chip on our shoulder needs to be brushed aside. In fact, it is time that we treasured and loved the British as much as they do us.


Paul Allen runs a major public relations agency in Dublin

The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow - Enda Kenny criticized for telling the truth

Enda Kenny

The Irish thrive on blaming others for their woes. We blame the British, the Catholic Church and just about anyone else that saves us from embracing collective responsibility for our own missteps. But it is high time for people to grow up. We claim we want the truth, but it would appear that we can’t handle the truth.

Enda Kenny is now facing a backlash for telling people something they desperately don’t want to hear yet alone believe — we are all to blame for the economic crisis.

The Taoiseach told a gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the problem with Ireland’s economy was that “people went mad borrowing” in a climate where greed saw the system spiral out of control and ultimately crash.
----------------
READ MORE:

More news on the Irish economy from IrishCentral

FOX TV anchor Greg Kelly strongly denies rape accusation charge by woman he met - VIDEO

Super Bowl 2012 - Breaking down Tom Brady and Eli Manning
----------------
This is of course an oversimplification of our economic downfall, yet it is in essence relatively accurate. The poor judgement of our political leaders and the corrupt nature of certain financiers and developers was all driven by a collective giddy greed that gripped our nation at the height of the boom. The vast majority of us were crying, “more, more, more” when in fact we should have been increasing taxes and cutting our spending levels.

Speak with any rational Irish person about this and they will agree that while the levels of blame rise significantly depending on your role in the crash, we all ultimately have to take a certain amount criticism.

But to utter such words in public is tantamount to treason. This warped view of reality is being fed into and fuelled by a media that constantly uses politicians, developers and bankers as scapegoats.

Minister for Transport and Tourism Leo Varadkar condemned this cynicism and highlighted how the media offers a “sugar-coated” truth rather than exposing the real facts. He is right.

The media has become so cynical of politicians and their roles, that it is affecting the balance portrayed in the pages of our newspapers and the broadcasts of our national news.

It is so easy to blame whoever is public enemy number one at any given moment, whether it’s Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Fingleton or Sean Dunne. However, these people did not operate in a vacuum and were part of a culture that was allowed flourish during the boom years.

Admittedly Enda Kenny did make a major error of judgement, but it was not telling the truth in Switzerland. It was telling Irish people what they wanted to hear seven weeks ago when he said — “You are not responsible for the crisis.”

We all criticise politicians for feeding us lies before an election and then once in office breaking these promises. But maybe this says more about us than it does about them. .

So now as the media turns on Enda and Leo for telling the truth, at least Irish people will now have two others to blame for their woes. *