REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE TALLAGHT “PEOPLE OF THE YEAR” AWARDS ST. MARK’S
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE TALLAGHT “PEOPLE OF THE YEAR” AWARDS ST. MARK’S G.A.A. CLUB TALLAGHT
I am delighted to be with you tonight to present the Tallaght People of the Year Awards. I would like to thank Jim Lawlor for his words of welcome and the Tallaght Community Council for their kind invitation. These awards are a celebration of what a community can achieve by working together for the good of everyone – and the recipients of the awards continue to inspire and set an example to us all. Those of you who are receiving awards tonight have contributed so much in various ways to community life in Tallaght – many in a quiet and unobtrusive way. But your efforts have been recognised, and there is no doubt that you more than deserve your awards.
Motivation and enthusiasm play a huge part now in so many communities, and Tallaght has demonstrated that it has these characteristics in abundance – with more than three hundred and fifty groups and organisations working for the benefit of its citizens. Local Development is built on the principle of involving people in the development of their own areas. Throughout Ireland, people are finding that they can make a genuine contribution to the improvement of their areas and that they are sometimes surprised at the difference they can make to their daily lives as a result. Having a say is a new concept to many people as they find that their ideas and energies are valuable commodities which can be shared with others as a way of devising solutions to deal with particular problems. It is particularly important that this community and partnership approach is developed to its full potential because despite Ireland’s well deserved current economic prosperity, not everyone is benefitting from our changing fortunes.
While in the eyes of the world Ireland is seen more and more as a modern progressive country, we must continue to ensure that we work in partnership with each other and that we include all members of our communities. The partnership approach is serving our communities very well and brings together the community and voluntary sector so that they can collectively address issues within their areas. It is important that people living in urban and rural areas feel a sense of belonging to their communities. The problems of isolation and exclusion, which are felt by so many, must be tackled – and we have to constantly look for better ways of dealing with the problems we encounter.
In Ireland we have a proud tradition of a vibrant community sector and we are fortunate to have the supporting structures in place to encourage community development. It is important to build up communities so that the more disadvantaged among us will be encouraged to seek and acquire the skills, resources and self-confidence necessary to participate in the social and economic regeneration of their own areas. We can take heart as we now see new relationships of trust and collaboration being developed – which is further proof that it is only through working in partnership that groups will discover effective ways of dealing with social or economic exclusion.
Tallaght Community Council was formed because people living in Tallaght realised several years ago that living in new housing estates with far from adequate facilities and infrastructure they would have to come together, assess their problems and develop one voice. Tallaght Community Council is now a very respected organisation and has been responsible for bringing about enormous improvements for the benefit of everyone living in Tallaght. The Council has also built up a very good relationship with the local business community. Local business is so important to the local economy because it encourages job creation and means that people can live and work in their own areas.
I would like to thank Tallaght Community Council for inviting me to be their guest of honour this evening and I would like to congratulate each and every one of you who will receive an award. I think everyone here will acknowledge that the recipients of the awards left no one in any doubt about the huge unselfish contribution they have made to Tallaght and its people. There are so many people who could be considered for these awards and whose contribution to the community was invaluable, but we all must recognise that the people finally chosen have gone that extra distance.