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.

Has Gabriel Byrne lost the plot by attacking the Gathering? -- Criticism of the tourism initiative completely misses the point

Gabriel Byrne

Damned if we do, and damned if we don’t. That must have been the thought running through Enda Kenny’s mind as his ears were stung from Gabriel Byrne’s tongue lashing.

The Hollywood star lambasted King Kenny and the Government’s marketing centerpiece for the tourism industry next year, The Gathering, which aims to bring an extra 325,000 visitors to Ireland.

Rubbing even more salt into the wounds was the news that The Gathering had actually part-funded Today FM’s Last Word programme’s visit to New York on which actor Gabriel Byrne lambasted the tourism initiative as a “sham”. From Byrne’s perspective it was probably tantamount to shooting a man with his own gun.

The acclaimed actor has made his living creating dramas, but his role in this charade was no Oscar-winning performance. Yes, it was full of passion and came from the heart, but in the end Byrne simply lost the plot.

The Gathering is little more than a global PR and advertising campaign. Indeed, in a time of beleaguered budgets, it is a clever ploy to try and boost much needed tourism revenue. So rather than being an attempt to unscrupulously profit from Irish Americans who, according to Byrne are fed up with being “shaken down,” it is merely a tourism campaign — no more or no less. It is, as they say, what it is.

Byrne is right that “the bridge between the diaspora and the people is broken.” Indeed, it is questionable whether a bridge ever existed at all. Once people leave these shores we tend to turn our backs on them. That needs to change. But The Gathering has never been about trying make up for years of neglect. It is however a beginning. And while next year will see whether The Gathering works to its full potential, it has already been successful.

In September it helped host the American Football game between Notre Dame and Navy in the Aviva Stadium, which saw 33,000 people travel to Ireland. This was the largest movement of American citizens during peacetime for one event. The day following the game was Dublin Airport’s busiest since it opened in 1940 and the visitors who travelled to see this unique sporting event spent an estimated €100m-250m in the Irish economy.

And rather than feeling as if they had just been ‘shaken down’ many extended their stay in Ireland for up to two weeks travelling around the country and soaking up their Celtic origins.

But it is not all about shaking shamrocks and being proud to be Irish. The historic game also attracted a Who’s Who from corporate America’s leading companies, which included nine of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies, more that 50pc of world leading financial services firms, 17 of the top 25 medical devices companies, 8 of the world’s leading ICT companies and 10 of the internet’s top companies.

So I don’t think the Irish people, the Irish government or, indeed, Enda Kenny should be making any apologies for trying to forge such links. Do you Mr Byrne?

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

When suicide beckons what can a friend do to stop it? Dreadful dilemma as Irish prevention services slow to act

Suicide is still a taboo subject in Ireland

It should come as little surprise that the stigma attached to mental health is still stopping people accessing the necessary support, according to a survey released as part of Suicide Awareness Week.

However, knowing where to look for help can be just as big a barrier as any associated stigma.

I learnt this the hard way when I heard two words I will never forget.

At the other end of the phone line was a friend who had called me in a state of panic. He could barely get the words “attempting suicide” out of his mouth. Someone close to him was self-harming and in dire need of help.

With suicide being so prevalent in Ireland I wondered why this person whom I knew, but was not so close to personally, was calling me when his loved one was in need of urgent help.

When I began frantically making phone calls trying to help I found out why.

While he was on the other line telling me he had rang several hospitals, I used my landline to dial the Mater.

I was transferred several times before I was put through to A&E. The nurse who answered told me to tell the person to come in, take a ticket and wait for the psychiatrist on duty who would then assess the patient.

I immediately wondered, with little time to spare, how long that would take. So, I then decided to ring any psychiatrist that would answer the phone and ask if they could help.

Despite the urgent nature of my request, the earliest appointment I could get was in two weeks. They told me if it was urgent to go to A&E.

Luckily, through a close contact, a professional thankfully gave us advice to cope in the short term and saw the person who was in desperate need the very next day. They are now receiving the necessary help and support to help them on the road to recovery.

However, it appears when people are confronted with such a nightmare situation there seems to be little to help or guide them. In a country where such situations are sadly arising more frequently this is a disgrace.

The problem when someone is self-harming is that it falls between two stools — medical and mental health. The problem for the person left trying to cope is there is no clear course of action, because it is not something we openly discuss or are educated about.

Suicide is sadly still a taboo subject in Ireland, because for a people that love to talk, the last thing many of us want to discuss is our mental health.

While 186 people were killed on our roads in 2011, the latest official statistics show there were 525 deaths by suicide last year.

And even though suicide in Ireland can only be described as an epidemic, there seems scant support for those contemplating taking their own life.

Indeed, if we invested as much energy into suicide prevention as we do curbing fatalities on our roads the figures would be far lower.

While Suicide Awareness Week, which comes to an end on September 17, is certainly helping to raise awareness, the dialogue must continue.

Because, the fact is, if we remain silent when it comes to suicide any services provided by the health service, while much welcomed, will ultimately be tantamount to the sound of one hand clapping.

Paul Allen is managing director of Paul Allen & Associates.

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.

Irish voting on a Euro treaty that no one understands -- Language used in treaty is impossible for ordinary voter to understand

Irish leader Enda Kenny

The upcoming referendum is sadly more likely to be decided upon by raw emotion rather than hard facts, writes Paul Allen.

“A vote is like a rifle,” according to Theodore Roosevelt. “Its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”

The former US president’s words come to mind as our upcoming referendum is fast approaching. The reason is it seems the electorate is in danger of shooting its nose off to spite its face regardless of how they vote.

The reality is for the vast majority of us the last thing we will actually be voting on is the fiscal treaty.

While both sides of the yes and no divide have valid arguments, both are also slinging misinformation into the maelstrom.

The fact is regardless of whether you vote yes or vote no, austerity will continue. So the debate is being targeted at an emotional level. The yes cheerleaders are preying on our fear, while the no side are stoking our anger.

This vote will have major implications for the country and for future generations. Hence it needs to be made with the head rather than the heart. However, there is little chance of that come Thursday.

The truth is, this conundrum is impossible for the Irish electorate to solve.

Winston Churchill might have been embellishing things a tad when he declared, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter,” but when it comes to highly technical European treaties he has a very valid point.

Even the most enlightened economic, legal and political minds are arguing over the treaty and its potential impact. The truth of the matter is the majority of voters are just not in a position to understand the treaty.

Are you going to vote on Thursday? Have you read the treaty? The truthful answer is most likely “no.” So how can a nation go to the polls to potentially decide our children’s future without having read the precise nuts and bolts of the treaty they will be voting on?

The reason is because the language used is impenetrable to all but those versed in EU political legalese or, as it is more commonly known, Euro Babble.

The Irish Constitution is something to be treasured but its flaw is that it allows the people to decide on issues that they are not in a position to make well-judged and informed decisions on. We are swayed by emotion and by the general mood, but the hard cold facts are generally the last things we cling to.

This is why there is so much hysteria surrounding Thursday’s vote, not only in Ireland but also in Europe. It is telling that other European governments don’t throw such treaties to the public for them to be torn to shreds in a cloud of misinformation. The result is while other nations in the EU rely on sober analysis, the Irish will decide on its future relationship with Europe depending on how angry or how scared the majority of us are this coming Thursday. Regardless of the outcome, that is something we should all regret.

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

Tabloid sleaze, sex and sin may have been diluted during the Rupert Murdoch scandal but it has not gone away

Rupert Murdoch

The muddy mire that engulfs Rupert Murdoch’s media empire seems to get thicker and murkier by the day as the Leveson Inquiry continues its investigation into the gutter press.

While Murdock appears contrite as he points the finger of blame elsewhere, his grip on this media empire is being slowly loosened.

Murdoch once had Prime Ministers and politicians at his beck and call while he single-handedly destroyed the reputation of the tabloid press. What the Daily Mirror had achieved over many years of socially aware and campaigning journalism in the ‘60s and 70s, the Sun almost instantly crushed when it launched its mix of sleaze, sex and sin.

And what The Sun was doing during the week, the News of the World did every Sunday. This was achieved, according to one former reporter, through a culture of fear and unethical practices. Working within this “culture of fear” journalists felt pressurized into making up stories and engaging in illegal activities, such as phone hacking.

It is this culture the Murdoch virus used not only to destroy the reputation of the press in the UK, but also to infect the Irish media.

The competitive pressures heaped on Irish media by Murdoch’s low cost scandal sheets as they infiltrate our media landscape threaten the high standards of journalism we have often taken for granted.

Thankfully, so far the Irish media has not seemed as susceptible to Muroch’s mighty influence as Fleet Street was. Indeed, to what extent he has succeeded on this side of the Irish Sea remains to be seen.

However, claims made in the High Court last week show, if true, just how the rules of journalism not only change but are thrown out the window when the British tabloid press strolls into town.

The court heard that a Sun journalist allegedly paid the man at the center of false allegations against Louis Walsh to make the untruthful sex claims in an attempt to “take out” the X Factor judge “as a public person.”

The man behind the false allegations was sentenced to six months in prison last January after pleading guilty. The Sun, which originally published the allegations, also accepted they were false. But now Walsh is seeking access to the documents that will allegedly show The Sun offered to pay Watters to make the false complaints.

With the Government is currently obsessed with ensuring RTE pays a heavy price for its defamation of Father Kevin Reynolds, the insidious nature of the British tabloid press should not be forgotten. Because if there is any truth behind The Sun’s part in the false allegations that could have intentionally destroyed Louis Walsh’s career out of simple spite, RTE could be the least of the Government’s worries.

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