The Ideas Campaign - sample of ideas received since campaign launch

Here is a selection of the ideas that have been pouring into the Ideas Campaign website. Please note that some have been edited, for space or clarity, for publication here. An idea’s inclusion on the website does not indicate it will be included in our final action plan for the Government.

Construction

Extend any planning permissions that have expired since mid-2008. Each of these permissions would be granted an automatic 3 - 5 year extension. As part of an economic recovery, projects which have had permission granted would be able to get off the ground quicker and help get the economy and the construction industry working again.

This would not cost the taxpayer or the Exchequer any money because it is a cost free directive and could be put in place immediately.

Construction

Offset some of the cost of home improvements and maintenance against tax. This would help stimulate employment for builders and trades people, and stall the development of a black economy.

Construction

Why don’t we introduce something like a national housing test along the lines of the NCT? This test could include basic checks like gas boilers, chimneys, roofing, fire escapes, electrical equipment etc.

There would be a basic fee per house check and any work required could be grant-aided/subsidised by the state. This idea would make our homes safer and create employment.

Education

I am currently working in the unemployment services and we have seen a huge increase in people accessing the service in recent months. A lot of clients are interested in, and want to retrain but waiting lists for courses are huge and the next intake for most VEC courses is September.

It would facilitate retraining enormously if schools and colleges were available throughout the summer so people can re-enter education.

Also, flexibility in terms of part time, evening/ weekend and modular programmes would facilitate returning to education especially for clients who are reluctant to forsake their job seeking for full-time education.

Green businesses

Consumers are increasingly preoccupied with the culture of celebrity and its association with the marketing of products and services. Ireland needs to latch on to our home grown international talent/celebrates (celebrities from our Diaspora are also welcome) to globally sell a new dynamic ‘GREEN’ Irish brand for innovative endeavours.

Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, we could have an internationally televised “World Green Awards” from Dublin, celebrating all that is best about our new dynamic GREEN brand. The awards would obviously have a strong emphasis on the environment and include international green awards.

Our Irish celebrities would be on hand to present awards, make speeches, and generally be advocates for global green issues. It would be a fabulous opportunity to spotlight Ireland on our national day, and would be a valuable ingredient in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival.

Green Business

My idea is to start rainwater harvesting in schools and public buildings being charged for water, starting in January 2010. Rainwater is collected from rainwater downpipes and pumped with small solar motor to a pressure vessel which maintains a pressurized supply to your attic tank or directly to the taps. The pressure vessel can be held inside school or plant building. ALL the cold taps in the school remain plumbed to the mains as rainwater is NOT drinkable.

Rain water can be used for all other functions including toilet flushing. During a dry period, mains water can be redirected to top up the water supply. When you recycle rainwater you:

• Save money on water charges
• Eliminate need for a water softener
• Guarantee an environmentally friendly, guaranteed supply of soft water

I have not done a costing for installation or equipment needed but I have done a similar costing for my own home coming in at under €700, so if the 2000+ schools in the country were to embrace this idea we can all see the savings. The savings achieved could help keep the valued special needs assistants - and plumbers - in jobs.

Innovation

I live in Ireland, but work for several foreign client companies because the software management/ measurement service we provide is virtually unused by Government departments, agencies etc in Ireland.

When a Government software development contract is priced, it needs to be assessed for size, whether the price is too high, if the project can be delivered on time and budget and whether it is adequately described.

Government departments etc need advice on how to measure performance against contract commitments, and how to manage ’scope creep’. It doesn’t require much time or investment to establish if a project is a ‘mouse’ or ‘elephant’ (white or otherwise).

As independent assessors, and temporary players in the contract arena, software measurement specialists are independent of both parties, so have no axe to grind and need not cost much, compared with project cost, and the cost of taking on too much.

The UK Government and Australian State of Victoria use software management/measurement systems to control costs.

Innovation

To encourage more IT start-up companies, the government should encourage wifi internet connectivity in all cafes, delis etc by way of a once- off small grant to encourage installation.

This would encourage more IT use and social interaction among young people - the ingredients company founders such as those behind Facebook, Google, etc consider essential for innovation. It wouldn’t cost a huge amount to implement, but could have a massive impact in years to come.

Innovation

Develop state assisted micro-clusters. These are locations where firms from the same sector come together to compete for large contracts - ones they ordinarily would not be able to achieve.

These business micro-clusters provide economies of scale on services and overheads and also make access to new technology easier through cooperation. I’ve just finished a doctorate in the area and concluded firms can achieve over twice the industry norm in profits through such ventures.

Policy

There remain two systems of land registration in Ireland. From 1972 to 2006 there were only three counties in Ireland where it was compulsory to register title in the Land Registry as opposed to the Registry of Deeds.

Now, 12 counties are areas of compulsory registration. The Property Registration Authority (PRA) states on its website that: “land constitutes a major share of the wealth of a nation - it concerns individuals, businesses, institutions and public bodies”. The advantages of registration in the Land Registry include:

• Fast, efficient, on- line conveyancing
• State guaranteed title
• Electronic access to details of ownership etc

The PRA is ideally positioned to commence a nationwide campaign to register the entire State in the Land Registry. The resources that had been deployed in the Land Registry to register new- build houses at the height of the property boom could be redeployed on a title registration initiative.

As well as providing employment to engineers and solicitors (for minimal fees!), the initiative would make the State a more efficient economy. With minimal advertising, the initiative could be branded “Let’s get Ireland Registered!”

Policy

I am a solicitor of over forty years standing and have extensive experience in the property world and commercial business. As it is widely accepted that unfettered property development and construction contributed to the difficulties that Ireland finds itself in, I have the following suggestions to make:

• Place a moratorium on all Greenfield development for 10 years.
• All future development will be carried out within the boundaries of existing cities, towns and villages throughout Ireland. (There will be exceptions for one-off private housing for family needs.)
• All vacant sites within the existing cities, towns and villages will be utilised to their full extent

The strategy can be revised in 10 years to see how it has worked in the previous period. If there are urgent exceptional developments of a national nature, then these could be approved and overseen by an independent board, such as An Bord Pleanala, which would be allowed to break this moratorium.

This proposal would enhance the value of land and property within these designated areas. This would be of great benefit to the lending institutions because, in effect, it freezes the market and brings stability to land and property prices.

(This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Policy

As a HSE employee I see and hear examples of waste and inefficiencies all over the organisation. I think it would be a good idea to expand this campaign to seek ideas from HSE staff on how to reduce inefficiencies (sensible, simple ideas, not ones that cost money to implement).

For example, an email arrived the other day announcing that HSE mobile phone users could no longer ring directory enquiries from their mobiles as this was costing thousands of euros every year - what a simple idea.

Policy

Increase the fines paid for Tax Evasion. The current fines being issued by Irish Courts are so small that they in no way deter the black economy. Fines for offences like using agricultural diesel for non-agricultural purposes or importing alcohol or cigarettes could be regarded as no more than a ‘business expense’. The current fines don’t even cover the court costs involved.

Policy

The Spanish health service saves a fortune by using generic drugs at a fraction of the cost of branded drugs. We spend €1.8billion on branded drugs in this country. In Spain, Poland etc they use ‘drunk tanks’ people under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs are taken to specialised units where they are treated or allowed to sleep off their symptoms there is tight security.

The individual is charged around €100 for the privilege of getting into such a state. A similar approach here would take pressure off ordinary A&E units around the country, enabling them to treat those who are really sick.

Retail

I suggest that we introduce a Courtesy Charter for Business. The Courtesy Charter would be a declaration of values and principles such as paying invoices on time, fair employment, green environment, social conscience etc. Businesses would display the Courtesy Charter logo to show that they are signed up to the Charter.

Technology

The state should fund/subsidise public telecommute centres at key transport and broadband hubs in Ireland. These centres would allow workers reduce the number of commuter journeys and also help distribute jobs more evenly throughout the state.

When this idea is raised, people often ask: “Why can’t’ people telecommute from home?” The answers are:

• Many people find it difficult to be disciplined enough to work effectively at home
• People like to separate their home lives from their work lives
• There may be young children at home
• People need the social contact of a workplace

Telecommute centres already work to some extent within organisations like the HSE and eircom. But there are no public telecommute centres yet in Ireland where workers can book space to work. These centres should provide:

• A place for a worker to connect a laptop to a quick and secure Internet connection Instructions for workers and employers showing them how to establish VPN sessions and VOIP calls with their workplaces
• Heating, toilet and parking facilities
• Perhaps a privately franchised canteen facility if the location is out of town.

Technology

Teach small businesses how to use open source software where possible, saving them money on software licensing. For example, open office is free but licensing a copy of a well known piece of office software

Tourism

Tourism is as good as an export! My idea would help make Ireland the land of a 1,000 savings as well as the land of a 1,000 welcomes.

Reduce/eliminate VAT and excise duties on beers and wines and be as competitive as Spain, Italy or Portugal and confine the maximum reduction to restaurants.

This would reduce cross border shopping significantly, and stimulate socialising with food/drink - reducing binge drinking and this labour intensive industry

This idea would help drive year round tourism as we would have the cheapest flights, the lowest bed costs, and, at last the lowest socialising costs.

Tourism

More than 80 million people globally claim to have Irish ancestry and my idea is that we launch an international tourist campaign: ‘Trace Your Irish Ancestry’.

Employ a number of specialist or students of history and create a full package whereby a person can register online as much information as they have about their ancestors, send it to, Trace Your Irish Ancestry.ie.

They in turn arrange a customised package to include, flights, hotels etc where you can travel to Ireland and visit the village etc where your great grandmother was born while of course you enjoy a traditional Irish holiday.

It must be affordable, unique and a complete package to be successful

The Ideas Campaign - sample of ideas received since campaign launch

Here is a selection of the ideas that have been pouring into the Ideas Campaign website. Please note that some have been edited, for space or clarity, for publication here. An idea’s inclusion on the website does not indicate it will be included in our final action plan for the Government.

All Island economy                       

The Government should run an international advertising campaign highlighting the positives of living/doing business in Ireland. The advertising campaign could be based on the slogan: ‘We Are Confident in Ireland’, and highlight the logos of the big multinational companies based in Ireland. These companies could help pay for the campaign’s costs

Construction                      

Make it a Government priority to upgrade the nation’s aging water supply network.  This would be a labour-intensive construction project with long term social and economic benefits.

Education    

We need to make changes to the Leaving Cert curriculum. There should be four compulsory subjects: English, Maths, Applied Maths (geared towards information technology) and the “Chemistry and Biology of Everyday Life” (CBEL). This would be a significant step in helping to develop the ‘knowledge economy’.

(This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

 Green businesses             

Make it easier and financially viable for householders to generate their own energy by installing wind turbines. The Government should give a 10-year loan to a company large enough to start mass producing domestic wind turbines suitable for the average suburban house. This company would also distribute and erect the wind turbines/mills.

The consumer pays cash up front for the windmill, but can claim 100% of the cost back through tax rebates over 5 to 10 years. Consumers need a real incentive to take up such a scheme in large numbers, so they need to have low cost of entry, or at least a guarantee that they will get the money back directly in a few years.    

An efficient wind turbine should be able to generate most of the electricity required for the average house. In certain areas, the consumer may even generate enough power to sell some back to the grid.

 (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Green Business

One area where import substitution makes real sense is in the production of fossil fuels.  There is huge potential for the recycling of Used Vegetable oil (UVO) and production of bio-diesel from tallow.

We have millions of acres of land lying idle in rural areas that could be used to produce fuel from crops like rapeseed.  This would restore the fabric of rural society, get people back to work and by my calculations substitute up to 20% of our oil imports saving over €1 billion per annum.  To make this a reality we need to abolish tax on such fuel and designate areas for production.

Green Business 

The Government should create a ‘State Energy Bank’ to make better use of natural and untapped resources and reduce energy imports. This agency would harness surplus electrical power to create energy sinks (energy banks). The surplus energy would come primarily from surplus wind energy and non-peak production of electricity.

Green Business

We have got to invest immediately in harnessing our vast renewable energy resources. We should look to Europe to help us fast-track investment in a network of renewable energy power stations. This would create many jobs in the construction sector and the development of renewable energy should not be left to the private sector alone.

We should also put significant resources into R&D with the aim of being a world leader in wave technology and a net exporter of energy.

Innovation

The various Government departments and state agencies all have different IT hardware and software structures which are not capable of interacting with one another.

If all Government IT systems were integrated, surely it would contribute to the more efficient operation of our public bodies while also resulting in expenditure savings. 

 Frankly, it is a wonder that this was not made a priority a long time ago as I cannot imagine that this is not an obvious solution to the State’s IT requirements and problems.

Pharmaceutical / bio-pharmaceutical / medical devices

There is a severe shortage of laboratory space available in Ireland for indigenous young companies in the life-sciences sector.  Once companies in this sector have ’seeded’ their ideas in university labs, it is vital to have laboratory space available to facilitate further growth and development. 

Over the years, the Irish Government, through the IDA and other agencies, has given a lot of financial incentives to large Pharmaceutical/ Biotech companies to locate their operations here.   

My proposal is that when one of these companies pulls out of Ireland or closes down their manufacturing site, that the Government takes the site back and converts it into incubation spaces for life-science companies to rent.  This will help high potential life science companies ‘piggy back’ on existing infrastructure rather than having to build new facilities from scratch.

This approach has already been pioneered in a number of countries including Britain. (See www.wiltoncentre.com for details on the Wilton Centre, a former ICI manufacturing plant which has been converted into modular units available for rent to companies who need lab space.

Policy

Combine the resources of the planning agencies and local authorities to achieve the roll-out of better broadband access networks.

My idea is that the local authorities, in co-operation with the Department of Energy, Communications and Natural Resources, should create a network of structured neutral ducts and street-side cabinets which could be used by any broadband provider who needs access to homes.   

Anytime a road is opened and new cables, gas or water pipes are laid the local authority should require that these structured neutral ducts are laid. These should be built to an agreed national standard specification and be suitable for carrying any type of cable that is needed for broadband. Ducts would also be required in ALL new housing developments (including apartments). This would be part of the planning permission requirements.   

The ducts network should be planned so that it intersects with existing communications infrastructure. The infrastructure would be publicly owned and available to any telecommunications provider who wishes to provide broadband services, but could not be used for ‘traditional’ telephone wiring, electrical cabling or any other non-related purpose.   

Policy            

Increasing the charge for renewing gun licenses would a large amount of extra revenue for the Exchequer. The current charge for renewing a license is a mere €6 for a limited certificate and the license period is one year.  The charge should be increased to €100 for shotguns and to €150 for rifles and handguns, and the license should be granted for a period of three years. The increased licensing period would reduce the Garda workload and administration costs.      

On the basis that there may be somewhere of the order of 200,000 legally held shotguns and rifles in the country, an increase in the fee to €100 (minimum) as proposed above would generate significant additional revenue across the country.  And if the increased costs of obtaining a license resulted in fewer guns, then that would be good for society generally.

Policy            

Thousands of Irish people, especially in the 50-plus age group have money on deposit in banks earning very little interest. If the government were to set up a guaranteed ‘National Revival Fund - offering a small rate of interest over a fixed term, say 5 years - I am sure people would be prepared to invest in the future of their country, I know I would.

Policy

A number of oil companies are not drilling exploration wells in the timeframe as specified in the terms of their licenses. The government should pressure companies with such licenses to use them or loose them.

A drill campaign would boost a local economy at the very least, while a discovery would be of huge importance to the economy in terms of security of supply and tax income.

 Policy            

Unlike Israel, Ireland has no repatriation policy for our enormous Diaspora. What about providing passports to people of Irish descent (setting third generation as a limit), provided they transfer funds to Irish banks (as the Australian Government. insists if you want to live there) and show evidence of plans to purchase a house/business in Ireland and resettle/retire/spend some years here?

Services

The Government could set up an online bank where people could deposit money online and the Government in turn loan money to businesses. The key advantage would be that it could be set up quickly and provide a small-scale but efficient source of capital for SMEs etc.

Social and voluntary                    

My idea is the establishment of a national ‘Golden Days Skills’ Bank’.    There are thousands of retired people, many retired quite early, who would voluntarily contribute a day now and again to advise and assist new and developing businesses.

The Golden Days Skills’ Bank would be a simple register of people’s skills and location with e-mail address and phone number for contact. Those needing help would simply look up the bank and make contact. The volunteers would then assess whether they could help.

 A condition of assistance would be that the voluntary help wouldn’t be a substitute for proper employment.  The aim is to enhance a company’s ability to grow and create new jobs long term.

Social and Voluntary             

We should establish an ‘Ireland Peace Corps’, based on the US Peace Corps model, and drawn from the ranks of unemployed graduates. Selected members would be sent overseas to do humanitarian work under the leadership of former Irish army officers with a background in peace-keeping duties.  Funding could be available from the U.N. and EU.

Technology            

I am Irish and work at a high level in international space programmes and I am consistently disappointed by the lack of Irish Government interest in space technology R&D programmes Irish companies could participate in. These include European Space Agency programmes, and other projects funded by the European Commission.

My idea is that state agencies such as the IDA, Enterprise Ireland inform themselves of the opportunities available in this area and develop an Irish skills base for European space programmes.

Tourism                   

Engage all our citizens in a renewed campaign to really make this country the ‘Ireland of the Welcomes’ for tourists. We need to make visitors feel more welcome in Ireland than anywhere else, and we need a fresh approach to rediscover and revive what made this country so attractive to tourists in the first place. We could start with the recruitment of voluntary ‘citizen ambassadors’ to assist tourists and people working in the tourism industry.

Tourism

Bord Failte should organise annual festivals for people with the same surname, inviting people from abroad to attend. The festivals could be held in various towns around the country associated with a particular surname.  Hotels could be asked to give discounted packages to those attending these festivals which would showcase Irish culture, and products as well as boosting local economies.

Transport    

Scrap VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax) and replace it with increased road tax and duty on petrol/diesel. Road tax would increase in line with a vehicle’s CO2 output, but there would be special rebates for some businesses such as the haulage industry etc. There would also be special lower rates for congestion relieving vehicles like motorbikes and scooters.   

This approach to motor taxation would boost the motor industry reducing price son new vehicles and giving people incentives to switch to more fuel efficient models. It would also provide the Government with higher and steadier motor taxation revenue than VRT which has all but dried up.    

The Ideas Campaign - sample of ideas received since campaign launch

Here is a selection of the ideas that have been pouring into the Ideas Campaign website. Please note that some have been edited, for space or clarity, for publication here. An idea’s inclusion on the website does not indicate it will be included in our final action plan for the Government.

All island economy

I run a small business and I feel that my peers and I would really benefit from a Voluntary Mentoring programme.

Now more than ever, we need to persuade individuals who have experienced various forms of success in their careers or enterprises to give a small amount of their time to young or start up businesses. 

The knowledge and wisdom, while they have earned over the years and which is immensely valuable, can be passed on for free to those hungry to learn.

Education

Invest in ICT in schools both primary and secondary. The ‘knowledge economy’ has to start somewhere. ICT can be used throughout the curriculum and in particular in Maths, the Sciences and Technology subjects. 

ICT should be a choice subject in 2nd level schools. This investment is overdue by many years and will make these subjects more desirable and will in turn lead to a higher number of third level graduates in Science and Engineering.

Green businesses

My idea is that the government should invest big in green energy through the ESB. We should encourage a company like Siemens or GE to set up here to manufacture wind turbines. The government could guarantee buying a certain amount of power from them every year. 

This needs to be done now, as we need to get to the market before everyone else. This could be funded by issuing bonds. I know there is a global downturn, but the market is hungry for green investments. With the greens in power they should be pushing very hard for this.

Green businesses

I visited Bad Homburg, Frankfurt last year and noticed that on every second street light standard was a half inch band of red insulation tape about 10ft up. I was told that at midnight these lights were switched off. I understand that in some parts of Germany you can switch these on for a short period with your mobile phone.  How’s that for a neat idea for saving half the night-time electricity.

Innovation

Young entrepreneurs are facing huge barriers.  Enterprise Ireland and the state enterprise infrastructure are cutting back and many of these individuals are left with little funding or meaningful support.  

My idea is to encourage large established organisations to adopt of take equity positions in High Potential Start-Ups (HPSUs) in their sector to ensure that HPSU creativity is not lost at a time when we need it urgently.

Innovation

My idea is that the Government should identify empty office buildings (often buildings that have been financed by banks that the state effectively owns or has recapitalised) and offer them at a token price to professionals recently made redundant.

These idle buildings could be transformed into Innovation Hubs. For a new tech or services company, the things needed are time, space and ideas. 

Policy

I went to A & E in Mullingar Hospital on a Friday evening.  The initial tests found that there was nothing serious wrong with me, but they decided they would have to keep me in for the weekend because there was no MRI/Blood tests being done on a Sat/ Sun. 

I ended up having to stay in hospital until the following Wednesday night trying to get an MRI Scan. Surely the cost of keeping a patient in hospital for five nights is far greater than the cost of staffing an MRI over the weekend. There were at least 40% of the patients in my ward being kept in over the weekend because they could not have tests done over the weekend. 

If a cost analysis was carried out in this area, there could be huge savings for the HSE and it might also ease a lot of the problems regarding beds in hospitals.     

Policy

FAS used to have a week-on, week-off type community employment scheme where you worked in the community for one week and were free to work for the other week while claiming benefit.

My idea is that we should revive this scheme and tap into the skills of the thousands of highly qualified engineers, accountants, teachers etc who are now out of work - they can help their communities while also retaining their skills.

It may not generate much money but it could generate a more positive outlook for people now unemployed and give them encouragement

Policy

My idea is that we should get rid of the present system of taxing cars. Instead of this inefficient and costly system we should copy the French model whereby car tax is collected from the sale of petrol/diesel. 

Obviously the price of fuel will increase, but it means that all car users will pay provided the fuel is bought in Ireland. It means that tourists will also pay for the use of our roads and also that whoever uses the road the most will also pay the most. 

It is a more equitable system and has the potential to increase revenue because extra revenue will come from non-registered cars. 

Retail

My idea is simple.  All mortgage lending institutions, both building societies and other, should offer every mortgage holder a two month repayment holiday over the next 18 months.  This would only be applicable on a mortgage holder’s principle mortgage

This idea, in my opinion, would not only provide a well needed break in Joe Public’s monthly overhead, but would and could promote people to pump some of this money back into the economy, through retail spending.

Services 

I am a barrister and trained and qualified as a mediator. I think that Ireland has a huge number of articulate, charming, intelligent and persuasive lawyers and politicians. 

Many of these professionals have the ability to mediate in disputes, and techniques for conflict resolution and resolve conflict.     Ireland could become an international centre for dispute resolution and training in conflict resolution.   

If we created a space where international academics, politicians and representatives of groups involved in conflicts all over the world could come to share their experiences and learn how to resolve their conflicts, then we would enhance our reputation abroad.

Services 

I have spent the last seven years running a number of small internet retail operations in the UK, Ireland and in mainland Europe. We run our business from a small office in Dublin and, with the right conditions, I believe I can grow my three person operation into one which employs 100 staff within two years.    

My idea is this. I think that online sales is something that works anywhere, so why not develop centres of commercial operation and excellence in areas where there are large tracts of empty offices and houses. 

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Services (local)

I am 62-year-old cobbler who is willing to pass on my skills of general shoe repairs and shoe covering.   Shoes can be recovered in almost any fabric you choose for that special occasion such as weddings etc  

From my travels around the country, I see that the shoe repairer has all but disappeared from most Irish town and villages.  I feel most towns in Ireland could support at least one cobbler    

Social and voluntary

My idea is that, through close cooperation between designated voluntary organisations and local social welfare offices, suitably qualified unemployed people could be offered employment with a voluntary group.

In return, they would receive their social welfare payment plus a contribution from the voluntary group they are working for. The intention in time would be that the person could be weaned off social welfare and be employed full time by the voluntary group.  

Technology

My Idea is for Enterprise Ireland to setup virtual offices for start-up companies.    The virtual office would advise on patents, legal, HR, accounting, innovation assistance, IT, secretarial services, facilities for audio and video bridges, printing services, mentoring etc.

The major advantage of this proposal is that all the features listed above would be available in a one-stop-shop format; and people wouldn’t waste their time and resources in trying to find out where the services above are available.  They could concentrate on bring their ideas to fruition, not wasting it on administration tasks.  

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Tourism

My idea is to create and promote a national network of walking routes. Creating the walking routes can be done on a local level, encouraging “shovel” ready projects. I am thinking something along the lines of the West Highland Way in Scotland.

Tourism

Most European countries have very large theme parks and fun parks. My idea is that Ireland should have a theme park based around Celtic mythology and called - we could call it Tir na nOg. 

This would be a large venture, where people would spend the whole day. It would be educational and thrilling and suit the many tourists interested in our mythology. 

The Ideas Campaign - sample of ideas received since campaign launch

Here is a selection of the ideas that have been pouring into the Ideas Campaign website. Please note that some have been edited, for space or clarity, for publication here. An idea’s inclusion on the website does not indicate it will be included in our final action plan for the Government.

Construction

Double the amount of electricity available from wind farms by building hydro-storage stations near or beside all wind farms. Build upper reservoirs and lower reservoirs similar to the ESB hydro-electric plant at Turlough Hill in Wicklow. SEI (Sustainable Environment Ireland) has done a study on this alternative approach to energy production. This technology has been tried and tested, it works, it lasts for decades, and could slash the cost of our energy bills/ production bills/ and everything that follows on from that. I suggest the Government launch a scheme to build these hydro-storage stations all around the country. Get the economy moving, draw on the ESB’s previous experience with Turlough Hill, and do it fast before it is too late. Master it, and we could pioneer this approach all over the world.

Construction

Over the last 15 years, Ireland has accumulated a huge amount of civil engineering expertise in roads, bridges, water treatment plants, sewerage plants, pipelines, reservoirs, landfills, ports etc. Irish civil engineers (especially those in contracting) are highly regarded internationally as being practical, pragmatic, safety conscious and having the drive to get projects completed on programme.

The challenge now is to retain this expertise - if we people in the 30 to 45-year-old bracket it will be near impossible to get them back. This group of 30 to 45-year-old engineers have terrific skills sets and their expertise could be harnessed. Huge opportunities are available across the EU, especially Eastern Europe (Brussels has earmarked billions for Poland alone and they lack the expertise to deliver these projects just as Ireland did in the early 1990’s) where substantial sums will be invested in infrastructure over the next decade.

I suggest that an expert group/working party group be immediately set up in connection with Enterprise Ireland (and possibly Engineers Ireland) to see how we can package this expertise, market to Europe and develop links with local companies.

A full supply chain of expertise (site investigation, materials testing, civil construction & design) could be supplied, provided we can offer competitive tenders and control costs both here at home and with local country suppliers.

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Education

In the 1990s, Ballyfermot College of Further Education became (according to Disney) one of the top five colleges in the world for animation. This was achieved in five years through close links with the Don Bluth studios here in Dublin.

3D Animation and 3D graphics is now the foundation of the multi-billion dollar Games industry. Each year we export 3D artists to Scotland and the US.

We need to develop the idea of a Technology Development Park to retain these skills and develop the Games industry in Ireland. Expand the existing colleges and encourage games companies to do in-house training here.

Education

This idea is about making further education and training available to more people. I work as Principal of a College of Further Education. The students do training courses for jobs or for advancement to Higher Ed. Unfortunately, the numbers are capped nationally so we technically have no places for the ‘new unemployed’, many of them school-leavers who might otherwise have got jobs or apprenticeships.

My idea is that the Dept of Education gives us more part-time teaching hours to expand/set up new courses. Under current policy, I will be forced to drop 2/3 teachers next year and they will go on the unemployment register as they are part-time or contract teachers. If they were hired to teach these young adults, neither the students nor the teachers would be claiming benefits.

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Green businesses

The ‘national’ taxi fleet is aging and needs to be updated. My solution to this problem has environmental, tourism, and business benefits.

Reduce our carbon footprint by investing in new cars for our ‘national’ taxi fleet. All taxis should be a specific colour all over the country -an Irish ‘Green Cab’ similar to London’s world famous ‘Black Cab’ - as this would be a plus to tourists. Taxis should be used to compliment the public transport system. With Government support, this would be a realistic package that would be attractive to the operators and the public, as well as creating a safe and structured industry.

Green businesses

There will be a world shortage of steel wind turbines & possibly a shortage of teams to install and maintain them. Get FAS to train teams of wind turbine engineers to design, manufacture, install and maintain advanced wind turbines and other renewable technologies.

Make Ireland a world centre of excellence for renewable energy. Surely its time to invest in training programmes now?

Innovation

I have worked as a marketing mentor for a County Enterprise Board. It is clear to me that there are many people with good small business ideas who don’t ever get as far as opening the door of their local Enterprise Board office. Many small business start-ups begin without any of the help that could be so valuable at their inception. And the reason they don’t access that help is that it doesn’t occur to them that the County Enterprise Boards exist for people like THEM.

That’s the background to my suggestion, which is to have Ideas Evenings in local parish halls, where potential start-up businesses can get an initial evaluation on their business idea and advice on how to proceed, delivered in an accessible, non jargon format.

The local advertising to promote the evenings should have an emphasis on accessibility, welcoming people of all ages. The advisors could either be local consultants, who would offer their time pro bono, or representatives from the relevant agencies as long as they remember to leave the jargon at the front door!

Pharmaceutical / bio pharmaceutical / medical devices

My idea is that the Government should set up a National Process Development Centre to develop chemical processes for the pharmachem industry. This should have links to universities and ITs as well as the multinational industries based here. There is a similar institute in Israel (see http://www.pilotplantcenter.com).

The Government has already established a similar centre for biotechnology, namely NIBRT in Dublin. Setting up a National Process Development Centre would reinforce Ireland’s standing as one of the major world centres of pharmaceutical chemical synthesis and would build on the concept already applied in NIBRT.

Policy

Having lived, worked and studied in Silicon Valley, I feel that I am well placed to make suggestions about what Ireland needs to do to become a ‘Silicon Island’.

We have to prioritise the education and supply of high-end R&D graduates at a relatively low cost from our Universities and Institutes of technology. Our Universities and ITs should have a strong commercial policy and links with industry. These should be international, not just national links. IDA Ireland needs to shift its focus on linking Universities to the international R&D centres of world renowned companies.

Silicon Valley has prospered because of a strong Venture Capital community. We need to encourage more risk taking for Venture Capital in this country by offering greater tax relief in this area.

We also need strong financial incentives to attract world class thinkers, leaders and innovators to our rainy but green country. We should not put all our eggs in one basket and I fear we are focusing too much on “green” enterprises. Housing, access to education, should be made available to these international visitors. Just like the tax breaks and assistance IDA gives to companies, we need to do likewise to individuals that can help our economy grow. Silicon Valley does not produce people like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, it attracts them.

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Policy

We have vast oil resources of our West coast and we need to renegotiate the contracts signed with multinational corporations for exploring and developing these resources. We need to start by setting up our own State oil Company. In Norway, the money generated by their national oil company is put back into the country, benefiting everything from health to education.

Policy

If the trend to off-shore all the IT development tasks to India and other locations continues, in 15 years time there will be no one available in Ireland to conduct the high end tasks. At that point Ireland will be required to import these skills and the software development industry as we know it will be lost. The reality is that most developers in software houses in India are actually graduates. The cost of such resources can be as low as €50-€100 per day. Difficult to compete with, but the Irish IT sales pitch needs to change to quality, on-time delivery over pure cost.

My idea is to somehow combat this without being accused of protectionism. Graduate programs are one angle. Allow a company to hire Degree level IT graduates for software development and technical management roles on a three-year ‘apprenticeship’. This would be a fixed term contract that the employer is not obliged to continue after the three years. This could be structured to provide cost benefit to the company by way of tax credits or Enterprise Ireland grants.

The economy benefits by retaining a solid base of software designers and engineers in the long term.

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Retail

My idea is an e-tailing venture that would compete with the likes of Etsy, DaWanda Artfire and Folksy in promoting handmade Irish crafts produce. While there are undoubtedly great resources for craftspeople in Ireland, there is little to nothing on the e-commerce side of things. Etsy and the likes have had major success and I believe, after consultation with customers and crafters themselves, that an Irish site inspired by these would do very well.

Sport

Why don’t we revive the National Stadium project? It would be a vital piece of national infrastructure which in the longer term could earn us money through sports tourism etc. For example, if we had the National Stadium now, we could offer world-class acclimatisation facilities pre-London Olympics 2012. We could host a world athletics or boxing championships. Combine a National Stadium with Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium and we could make a realistic joint bid with the other ‘Celtic Nations’ to host a European Football Championships.

Tourism

Once you encounter a busy and thriving waterway system such as the Canal du Midi in France, you realise how lifeless the canals in Dublin really are. In Dublin, with its population of well over 1 million, you don’t see any barges of people actually living on the canal as they do in Amsterdam or Paris or Oxford. That’s why I’m proposing a substantial repopulation of the Grand Canal in Dublin. This would have many benefits including:

• A substantial increase in waterways tourism
• A very cheap form of housing for first-time buyers and tenants
• Direct and indirect business spin-offs for local suppliers, from retailing to restaurants
• The development of a specialised “green” barge building industry, with all the ancillary products and services that would entail (fitters, furniture makers, repairers, solar panel installers etc)
• Seasonal employment for lock-keepers, guides and staff on the large tourist cruisers

* (This idea is very long and detailed and has had to be edited for space reasons.)

Tourism

Build a coastal walking path all around Ireland similar to the coastal Grande Randonee in France. We have a wonderful coastline, but it is hard to access most of it. Pay landowners a small fee for access. This would attract tourists and create jobs in tourist sector, provide significant employment during its construction (labour intensive, low materials cost) and allow our people the chance to enjoy their own country

Transport

Dublin Bus recently announced that it was mothballing a large number of buses due to falling demand for its services. This is both a waste of valuable assets (the buses aren’t being used), and a drain on current resources, (they will still need to be maintained while in storage).

Simultaneously, I note that Bus Eireann have recently reintroduced double-decker buses onto some routes in Cork. These buses are brand new. Almost all of Cork’s current fleet is single-decker, and I believe the same is true of the fleets in Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

I propose that, rather than buying new buses for Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick, the mothballed buses belonging to Dublin Bus would be given/leased to Bus Eireann for use in the regional cities, or for use on the routes between dormitory towns and the major employment centres.

This should be an easy change to implement, as Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus are in the same group of companies under state management.

Previous ideas: Batch #3