REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE NATIONAL FINAL OF THE GOLDEN VALE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE NATIONAL FINAL OF THE GOLDEN VALE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS SCHEME UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
Is breá liom bheith anseo libh inniu ag an ócáid speisialta seo.
I was delighted to have been asked by Monty Tinsley, to join you here at the National Finals of the 2001 Young Entrepreneurs Scheme. The Scheme was initiated over ten years ago, which means it still qualifies to be called a young scheme, and just as a child grows and changes beyond all recognition in a single decade, so too, the Ireland of our young entrepreneurs has changed to an extent which few could have even imagined back in the early 1990’s.
We know change is part of life. A lot of it occurs quietly, so imperceptibly that it is only when we look back from a great distance that we can see the results of its relentlessness. But we have been living through times when we can feel the gravitational pull of change drawing us to a fascinating future which is no longer a dream but a realizable ambition. For almost every generation of young people born on this island these past several hundred years opportunity and ambition were significantly linked to leaving our shores.
Now one of the great drivers of today’s prosperity is our native ingenuity, at work in our own country, Irish entrepreneurs changing the image of Ireland and the fortunes of Ireland. When we talk about economic miracles, we can cite a lot of impressive statistics. But for me, the real measure of the extent of that transformation is the self-confidence of our young people, their belief in themselves and what they are capable of achieving both individually and collectively. That achievement oriented mood is itself a vital source of creative drive and energy. It is a mood to be nurtured, fostered, celebrated as we are doing here because it is so central to the successful future we are in the process of creating. In these few short years we have been given a very heady taste of what this country is capable of and we all know the best is yet to come. We have not yet fully released the human potential which lies inside our people and which a fully inclusive society without spectators on the margins will deliver to us. We have not fully realized the potential for partnership which the Good Friday Agreement will help all of us on this island to access and to use well.
We have a strong vested interest in fostering in our young people and in our communities the self-belief that empowers determination to learn, to develop skills, to contribute, to set goals and to achieve goals. That is what this Scheme is all about. The results speak for themselves: behind every single one of the thousands of entries to this Young Entrepreneurs Scheme lies a story of self-discovery, achievement and great pride. Every single participant has gone on a journey on which they have learned so much about themselves and others, about their own strengths and the odd weakness. They have learned not just about marketing and finance, technical skills and planning, but about leadership and teamwork, the disappointment of encountering problems and the satisfaction of overcoming them. These are things that will stand to each one of you right through your life, no matter what direction life takes you. Whether or not you take home a prize this evening, I have no doubt that every one of you has gained a huge amount from your participation. And we have gained as a community, as a country from having young people so strong in personal insight, so focused on getting the best out of themselves and putting their talents at the service of self and of others.
A great deal of work has gone into every entry to this Scheme, not just by the students themselves, but also their family, friends and the wider community who rallied round to help. A special word of thanks is owed to the teachers in hundreds of schools throughout the country whose encouragement, support and practical assistance has been invaluable. This Scheme, and the many benefits it brings, would quite simply not be possible if it were not for the generous way in which so many teachers have given of their time and energy. So a big thank you to all of them.
I have no doubt that it is a daunting undertaking to organize a Scheme of this magnitude year after year, and so great credit is owed to Monty Tinsley, Vincent Ryan and all those within the Young Entrepreneurs Association and the County and City Enterprise Boards who have worked so hard to make this Scheme the success it is today. No-one compelled you to set this scheme up or to sustain it. No law except the law of human decency and vision out of which busy people with a million other things to do, recognize the pivotal importance of empowering our young people and then decide to become facilitators of that empowerment. Yours is a farsighted approach. You know that the earlier we start the better, that what is learnt in childhood is engraved on stone and engraving is a skilled art.
I know that the support of Golden Vale in sponsoring the Scheme has been an enormous asset and they too, deserve our thanks for this investment in our young men and women.
I would also like to commend the panel of judges for undertaking their difficult task of selecting the winners with such integrity and commitment. It can be an exhausting task, yet busy people that they are, they commit to it willingly. I have no doubt that however draining they found the decision-making, they have also been richly rewarded by seeing the exceptional standard of entries.
Today, we recognise through these Awards the achievements of all the participants in the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme. It is a day of special pride for those who have reached these National Finals and of course, those who will go home as prizewinners. I look forward to congratulating each of you in person in a few moments. You are entitled to feel proud today and to know how much pride and respect your achievements generate in the rest of us. You will inherit a much changed Ireland. You will change it even more and we are reassured that in you are people who combine personal gifts and skills which make not just for great entrepreneurs but good people, caring people too.
I hope that all of you have a wonderful time and like all astute entrepreneurs, you will take this opportunity to meet the other finalists and fine-tune those networking skills that will stand you in such good stead in the future.
Guím rath agus séan oraibh.