FORUM DEBATE:Delegates made suggestions about how Ireland could enhance international standing, writes SUZANNE LYNCH
AFTER TWO days of discussion and networking, the main business of the Global Irish Economic Forum came to an end on Saturday afternoon with a final debate on how to "harness" the Irish diaspora. "I went on the Late Latelast night – there was a million people watching – and I said that we would have five coherent business plans at the end of this forum," David McWilliams told delegates.
Underneath his usual blase tone, there was a serious edge – it was now up to the participants to step up to the plate.
For two hours, much of the discussion centred on the role of Irish culture in opening doors abroad. While talk of Yeats and Riverdancebrought lots of nods of agreement from the audience, at times the discussion seemed circuitous with few concrete ideas about how Ireland could capitalise further on its cultural heritage.
The forum did throw up some interesting suggestions, however. Denis O’Brien recounted how he had secured a mobile phone licence in Samoa because the prime minister was educated by the Christian Brothers.
He suggested Ireland increase its diplomatic presence in places such as Asia, South America and Libya. “Half the intelligentsia in Libya were educated in Ireland 20 or 30 years ago.”
Dermot Desmond also threw his hat into the ring. Speaking of the need “to monetise our culture”, he suggested Ireland should establish a performing arts university, which would be a global leader in the field of music, film, dance and drama.
A third suggestion came from John McColgan, who said a website should be set up after the forum which would serve as a global focal point for information about Ireland. McWilliams nodded profusely, scribbling furiously as he added it to his list.
Outside the banquet hall, the main focus of discussion was Intel's Craig Barrett and what he had or had not said the previous day. The decision to exclude the media from most of the sessions, meant that the rumour mill was in full swing. Micheál Martin downplayed the implications of Barrett's "robust" comments about Ireland, although Niall O'Dowd appeared to have let the cat out of the bag on RTÉ's Saturday Viewwhen he suggested that Barrett had said that of the 14 reasons Intel originally came to Ireland, only one still applied.
Despite the niggling presence of the Intel issue, the prevailing mood at the forum was one of genuine, if cautious, optimism.
As delegates chatted, it became clear that one of the key messages to emerge was that, even in a seemingly meritocratic society, contacts matter. More importantly, the event suggested that, despite its difficulties, Ireland still holds currency in an increasingly globalised world.