REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR THE SOCIAL PARTNERS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR THE SOCIAL PARTNERS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN FRIDAY, 21 JULY, 2000
Is cúis mhór áthais dom fáilte fíorchaoin a chur romhaibh go léir inniu chuig Áras an Uachtaráín.
I am delighted to welcome you to Áras an Uachtaráin today and to have this opportunity to mark the contribution which the social Partners, and our unique model of social partnership, have made to the development of the Irish economy and Irish society over recent years.
It has been a remarkable success story and you have written some of its most extraordinary chapters. It has been a difficult journey at times but it is important not to underestimate what has been achieved. Put yourselves back for a moment in 1987 when the crisis in public finances, escalating deficits and mounting public debt created a draining and pervasive malaise. How many of us would have even dared to dream back then of today’s astonishing success story which commands interest and admiration around the world? Who would not have gladly swapped that bleak horizon for today’s Ireland, for all its undoubted problems? It is an achievement worth celebrating and I am delighted that you, the architects of so much of that success, have joined me today for this celebration.
You all know better than most the milestones that have characterised Ireland’s journey of transformation over the past 13 years or so – the extraordinary growth figures, the export statistics, the way we succeeded in meeting the criteria for joining the European Economic and Monetary Union... the list goes on. But for me, the most important aspect of this transformation story is the human dimension, the turnaround in opportunities for Irish men and women to find work, a career and an opportunity to contribute in their own place. From a period when we topped the league table of unemployment, we have come to an unemployment rate that is among the lowest in the developed world. More important still has been the reduction in long-term unemployment which was such a corrosive blight on so many communities, and indeed, on our whole society. There are few things more uplifting than seeing the impact of restoring hope to those communities, restoring a sense of self-confidence and self-worth that had been eroded by years of unemployment and deprivation. Now there is a mood of energy and determination among our people, a belief in their own talents, in their capacity to make a better life for themselves and their children. That, more than any statistic, is worth celebrating. They see in these times, prospects, hopes which are realisable and not just hot air.
From a historical perspective, even more significant has been the transformation of our migration experience. A haemorrhaging of people from this island for over 150 years has been halted and reversed. Many who had left our shores have found it possible to come back and to build lives for their families in the context of their own home and culture. Many others have been attracted to come here and to find in Ireland a home from home.
This is truly an inspiring social, as well as an economic story. It has not been without difficulty and disappointment and many issues remain between us and the kind of humanly decent, inclusive society we aspire to. Long term unemployment although much reduced, remains a major problem. Disadvantaged individuals, groups and communities, both urban and rural, need continuing support and new inspiration to participate fully in the benefits of the development which they see around them. Somehow these good times can be particularly frightening for them, because as others accelerate ahead all they see is the growing gap.
Growth and change have brought both good things and major challenges. Not least among those challenges has been the physical pressure of such rapid development, reflected in the pressures on our housing system and our physical infrastructure. A major test for the future is whether we have the capacity to renew the strengths from which growth emerged. That means ensuring, for example, that our education and training systems continue to equip not only our young people, but our whole population, with the skills and the outlook necessary to remain competitive in an increasingly global context. More people than ever are in post secondary education, their reservoir of talent adding to the national human energy, human genius, grid. But we are still not releasing our full potential. Many of our people see their life chances close down too soon and their potential remains untapped, a huge loss to the individual and a huge loss to our society. Can we convince them and our young people that idealism is not a ‘mug’s game’- that we flourish as a people when we work in partnership, in acknowledgment of our interdependence, our connectedness. Looking around me here today, there is no shortage of rolemodels and robust leadership, people who can navigate that difficult causeway between the parts and the whole.
Of course, it would be wrong of me not to acknowledge also that there are other, more immediate challenges to be faced now and in the period ahead. I would not presume to advise this gathering about how issues of inflation and living standards should be handled - these and many other issues are part of the lived and often untidy reality you have to contend with. I have no doubt though that with the distilled wisdom and experience you have accumulated, and the commitment you have to the wellbeing of those you represent and of the whole country, you are well equipped to face whatever lies ahead.
You have put flesh on the Irish saying: “ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine”. But you have also shown that in searching for partnership, the social partners do not have to surrender their aspirations or abandon their differences. On the contrary, the priorities and sensitivities of each participating sector have become clearer over the years. What we have seen, however, is a willingness to listen to the other side, to identify a way forward which provides benefits for all sides. This contrasts with old adversarial approaches and the conflicts which can so often sap energy and confidence.
We have also benefited from social partnership arrangements which are grounded in careful analysis and reflection, sustained by bodies like the National Economic and Social Council and the National Economic and Social Forum. These have strengthened our civic culture and provided a source of wisdom in the analysis and conduct of public affairs. They represent an effective investment of energy and resources and a vital part of our collective social capital.
Social partnership has also benefited from the wisdom of successive Governments over the years in providing space and leadership to the social partnership process. In turn, social partnership has evolved in a way which respects the unique role of the political system and the paramount status of democratic accountability. This has required careful and sensitive engagement by Ministers, officials and the social partners themselves.
Above all, it seems to me that social partnership has been such a success because it has enjoyed widespread legitimacy. This is not just a matter of delivering results, although that has been vitally important. It seems to me that it has also been about the fair-minded approach which the social partners have taken over the years. For example, it is no accident that long-term unemployment fell so rapidly: it had been identified as a priority in successive Programmes. It is no accident either that social partnership as a process was extended to include the community and voluntary sector, enabling their insight and experience to be brought to bear on the process. In other words, social partnership has been about – to quote the current Programme – Prosperity and Fairness.
But social partnership is not a chemical formula. It is a living process involving effort and imagination on the part of a large number of people. It was to celebrate that effort and commitment that I invited you here today. I would like to thank you on behalf of the wider public whose interests have been well served over recent years by your work. I want to encourage you in your continuing efforts in the ongoing development and renewal of the social partnership model itself. I want to salute those in Government Departments as well as in the social partner organisations who have worked so hard to make this possible. I want to commend also the partners and families of all of you who are engaged in these long and late negotiations. I can only imagine how popular social partnership must be in certain households when it is associated with early departures and very late arrivals, cancelled dinners and lengthy telephone calls. I have a feeling that the partnerships that come under strain are not only those between the Government and the four Pillars!
I hope that this afternoon’s event provides you with an opportunity to appreciate just how valuable your work has been and how much it is appreciated. I hope it will renew your enthusiasm and commitment to face the challenges which lie ahead. I would like to thank our musicians here today: Michael Inight on electric piano together with Brian Dunning on flute, and of course, our harpist Orla Kelly.
I wish you every success and fulfilment in your work and I hope that you have the opportunity for a good Summer break to recharge the batteries to resume that work in the period ahead. Go gcúití Dia bhur saothar daoibh.