Summary of ideas submitted in the Other category…

• Understanding the power of superfoods to heal the body and junk foods to harm the body has an amazing impact.
• Unemployed construction workers could be paid by the Government to build state-owned crèches, which would be staffed by unemployed women who can be trained by a government agency.
• Universities should get in touch with companies and arrange a mentoring service from the companies so that an expert from them gets an oversight on the research project and provides early and continuous advice to the project leader and the research team to get the project on the practical track.
• Unleash a massive wave of investment in R&D in billions to take in technical graduates who are currently on the dole.
• Upgrading the roads, rail roads, and other transport systems makes it easier to get around, making things more attractive for investors.
• Upon reaching school age 5/6 the enrolment details of the school should be submitted to the Revenue and any change in that enrolment be forwarded by the school.
• Use capital development bonds instead of public private partnerships to finance capital development.
• Use credit unions for cash flow, instead of the banks.
• Use European languages on Irish websites to improve export rate of Irish products.
• Use our country’s natural resources to help create wealth for the state and afford jobs for Irish people: zinc and gold mines.
• Use the millions of euros assigned for another Lisbon Treaty Referendum to keep viable businesses up and running.
• Use the private health providers with extra capacity in services and beds.
• Use the recession to prevent global warming in any way we can find possible.
• Use tidal energy.
• Vanity (personalised) car registration plates.
• Vastly increase the number of wind turbines in the country.
• Wall space in public buildings e.g. government offices, airports, bus and train stations, banks etc to be used to advertise and sell items with a minimum value of €100.
• We can offer 30-year fixed-rate mortgages where the money comes from pension funds. Sub prime mortgages: Many of these borrowers are there because of minor problems or because they are self employed. Pension funds can put up the money to refinance borrowers with a good record.
• We have all encountered tourists on the street who are obviously lost. I propose to stop and help them out.
• We need a plan or system to lower or stop taxation, insurance, banking and other start-up costs for the first few years of a new business. This would give the small and medium business a step up on the ladder and keep people in a secure job.
• We need a symbol to rally around, the flag provides a powerful rallying point, and these could be sold as little pin lapels, small flags for cars.
• We need peace in the whole of Ireland. On St Patrick’s Day we have enormous sporting events and the parades. Let the world see that while we are struggling with our economy we have no intention to have the additional issues and that we will not support violence.
• We need to (re)brand Ireland.
• We need to find a way to get the Government to stand up and recognise the ideas put forward by this campaign. My ideas are: find at least one champion TD (if not more) and get this representative to push the innovations proposed by this campaign. Have a very vocal campaign to make sure that we are heard. Have a committee to check every new “idea” proposed by the Government.
• We need to find better ways to operate our businesses especially where global demand is down and global competition is increasing for customers. An idea would be around bringing an understanding of what innovation is.
• We need to get people spending or second best get access to the locked away euros and stop paying too much on the markets for cash to fund our obligations. Launch a government bond/instrument to the masses - this can be done in weeks, and with interest rates going south this is getting more and more attractive. A 4% annual return should do it.
• We need to return to a 48% tax rate for those on €100,000 or more.
• We need two lists of information. List 1 showing everything we import for the home market and the price it arrives at in this country. List 2 showing products we can export which we are close to being competitive with. Use lists to see where there is potential for innovation.
• We should be very careful about cancelling capital expenditure. There are many projects that could create a huge stimulus for the economy.
• We should copy the financial regulatory system in Canada.
• We should look to Europe to help us fast-track investment in the development of a widespread network of power stations.
• We should support our leaders in every way.
• We want to run workshops throughout the country that teach people from teenagers to adults how to deal with life problems such as redundancy, recession.
• What is needed to kick-start public confidence and consumer spending is strong political leadership and belief that our ship’s captain has a compass. We should establish a Dáil “super committee”, tasked with finding a roadmap for economic progress.
• When sending out voting cards to every eligible citizen for the forthcoming local government elections, each card should be accompanied by a copy of the following documents: (http://www.ombudsman.gov.ie/en/Publications/Guidelines/) (a) ‘Public Bodies and the Citizen - The Ombudsman’s Guide to Standards of Best Practice for Public Servants’, (b)’The Ombudsman’s Guide to the provision of Redress.