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.
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