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DEVELOPMENT
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Overdependence on FDI |
·90% of exports produced by foreign companies ·Strong competition for FDI emerging….new EU states, China, India
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Existing Multinationals |
·Labour intensive activities closing and moving to lower-cost countries. ·Low level of research activity
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Indigenous Manufacturing |
·No export growth in 15 years ·Low productivity ·Low research and innovation capacity ·Low international marketing capacity |
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Transport Infrastructure |
·Poor transportation infrastructure ·Regional intercity roads not planned to Motorway standard ·Urban underground rail |
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Communications Infrastructure |
·Roll-out of regional/rural broadband ·Communications costs ·Energy supply/costs |
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Planning Process |
·Cumbersome infrastructure planning process |
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Cost base |
·Highest minimum wage in EU (apart from Luxembourg) ·Labour cost escalation ·Professional services, high cost/ low productivity |
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National Enterprise Policy |
Questions raised about move from a national pro-enterprise policy ·Proposed introduction corporate oversight & regulation harsher than the notorious US Sarbanes-Oxley ·Declarations of socialism |
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Labour Regulation |
·Intrusive evolution of labour relations regulation ·Impact on existing multinationals and pipeline FDI ·Ireland is now perhaps the most regulated in Europe o25 pieces of legislation o7 enforcement bodies |
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National Development Policy |
·Incoherence of national public policy (e.g.education/enterprise policy) ·Prospect of greater incoherence, rather than less: plans to relocate a majority of cabinet members with senior policy personnel outside the administrative capital ·Lack of sufficient focus to secure strong counterpoles to Dublin |
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Work Force Quality |
·Improving educational attainments of existing work force
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Immigration policy |
·Immigration policy design to encourage the migration of people with the appropriate skills and social compatibility ·Integrating immigrant 50,000 workers per year to sustain growth |
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CITIES |
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EDUCATION |
Declining numbers of scientifically literate school leavers |
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School curriculum reform impasse |
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Low international university ranking
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Higher education competitiveness issues ·State monopoly and unfair practices inhibit emergence of private sector competition ·Current neglect of higher education ·Impasse on OECD report ·Finance crises/ reintroduction of fees (plus loan system?) ·Governance reform |
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RESEARCH |
·Meeting the 3 % Lisbon targets ·Stimulating indigenous enterprise research ·Stimulate multinationals to accelerate investment in R&D in Ireland ·Research careers |
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SOCIAL |
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Regional Imbalance |
·Closure of labour-intensive enterprise in smaller regional centres and gravitation of knowledge-drive enterprise to major urban centres ·Counterpole to Dublin: need for a pragmatic plan with focus and vision |
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Health |
·Restructuring of system ·Creation of competition between public and private providers |
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Next Generation |
·Antisocial behaviour ·Substance abuse Parental responsibility |
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NATIONAL GOVERNANCE |
Electoral system reform and introduction of the list system, as proposed by the Seanad….Shift government policy balance towards ·Longer and visionary, rather than short-term and mundane ·National rather than local |