We have some of the finest renewable energy & precipitation sources in the world. We also have some of the mot beautiful scenery in the world. However most of these resorces remain unharvested & when we eventually do start generating from renewable sources our infrastructure is not good enough to make power export a viable option. We could feasably export water but at times we can't even cope with our own water needs. Our beautiful scenery can often be only seen safely by car as we have no footpaths or cycle lanes and the scenery is scared by the proliferation of telephone & electric cables on telegraph poles. We also have a massive human resourse out of work in the construction industry. The Utilities Interlink is proposed to provide a realistic and achievable system to link utilities to all our towns and cities while providing cycle lanes & footpaths. At the moment all our utilities follow there own tracks around the country. However all centres of population are linked More...

Irish people have always been partial to a bet. It is in our nature. The amounts of money bet annually by Irish people are considerable, and the contribution that betting has made to the Irish exchequer in the last four decades has been significant. However, the global betting landscape has changed irrevocably in recent times, and it is time for Ireland to change with it. The proposal is to create a favourable tax regime for betting operators in Ireland, an International Betting Centre (IBC), similar in ethos to the International Financial Services Centre. There would be little or no tax take directly from the firms in terms of taxes on net profits, and there would have to be a long-term commitment to that, but the benefit to the economy in terms of the employment that it would generate, the direct and indirect contributions to the exchequer by employees, and in terms of the increase in economic activity, would be significant. The betting industry is one of the fastest-growing More...

We have some of the finest renewable energy & precipitation sources in the world. We also have some of the mot beautiful scenery in the world. However most of these resorces remain unharvested & when we eventually do start generating from renewable sources our infrastructure is not good enough to make power export a viable option. We could feasably export water but at times we can't even cope with our own water needs. Our beautiful scenery can often be only seen safely by car as we have no footpaths or cycle lanes and the scenery is scared by the proliferation of telephone & electric cables on telegraph poles. We also have a massive human resourse out of work in the construction industry. The Utilities Interlink is proposed to provide a realistic and achievable system to link utilities to all our towns and cities while providing cycle lanes & footpaths. At the moment all our utilities follow there own tracks around the country. However all centres of population are linked More...

This proposal suggests that Ireland capitalize on a national spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship and create an Independent Contract Research Services Organization that will offer both R&D services to industry, for Ireland and the EU and provide improved success for commercialization of innovation. Though it is believed that Ireland has the majority of skills in place to capitalize on bringing technology from inception to market delivery, we lack skills in certain areas that are critical. One of the key opportunities for improvement of technology commercialization is specifically in the area of “Commercialization” and also in “Marketing”. These areas have been acknowledged as needing improvement by several thought leaders in business, government and academia. (Innovation Taskforce Report, 3/2010). There is a great opportunity and desire to create an “Innovation hub” in Ireland, and for this hub to become a European Center of Innovation. Large organizations are alrea More...

ESF: Enterprise Support Framework Enterprise Support Framework is essentially a structure that will aid entrepreneurial spirit, business startups and all businesses who participate within it. This customizable framework defines how business can be nurtured and supported within the community and business environments. This framework is based on the called keiretsu system in Japan and has been utilized in a number of successful countries throughout the world. It supports individuals, families and businesses in all business related matters including financial, technical and management advice. This government led community support group will foster an entrepreneurial spirit within each parish in the country. This framework will be based on the shared experiences and the enthusiasm of like minded individuals who wish to achieve their goals. Local businesses will assist each other in an open manner to offer their services and expertise to each other. Businesses and individuals that oper More...

ESF: Enterprise Support Framework Enterprise Support Framework is essentially a structure that will aid entrepreneurial spirit, business startups and all businesses who participate within it. This customizable framework defines how business can be nurtured and supported within the community and business environments. This framework is based on the called keiretsu system in Japan and has been utilized in a number of successful countries throughout the world. It supports individuals, families and businesses in all business related matters including financial, technical and management advice. This government led community support group will foster an entrepreneurial spirit within each parish in the country. This framework will be based on the shared experiences and the enthusiasm of like minded individuals who wish to achieve their goals. Local businesses will assist each other in an open manner to offer their services and expertise to each other. Businesses and individuals that oper More...

My proposal is a system where consumers buying Irish products are rewarded by tax credits or rebate. There would be a labeling system on the products on the lines of the BER labeling. Products could have a FIR (FULLY IRISH RATING) rating in the sales of the product. Where an A labeled product if fully 100% Irish and an E or F labeled product is only 20 or 30 % Irish. The better the rating a product or service gets, the higher the tax credit / rebate for the consumer on purchasing their product or service. If a company uses Irish services for supply and distribution, employees Irish people and uses Irish raw materials then, their products would be rated more favorably and given say an A rating. This would be promoted and marketed to the consumer as being more attractive when a higher tax rebate /credit is given to purchase this product or service . This would increase sales and expand such companies that more Irish based than other companies. This can be on a pilot system for two yea More...

The proposal is that Ireland should develop itself an Asian Services Centre in the same way that the IFSC was developed in the Dublin docklands through incentivisation. It is now well recognised that the emerging super economies are India & China and Asian economies in general. The EU is a significant marketplace on the worldwide stage but as of yet there has not yet been proper integration of trade between these economies and the EU. Ireland should step into this gap.

To get money flowing in the economy and to facilitate small loans to start up businesses, we should work on creating a technology-enabled community based banking solution similar to Zopa or Kiva. It could be unique to Ireland and facilitated or supported by the Credit Unions of Ireland. For public credibility, it should be distanced from the mainstream banks, and marketed very clearly as a solution for small businesses funded by individuals within the community. It is a great opportunity to get money flowing in the economy! If my proposal were to be selected,I would put the money towards a feasibility study to prove the concept.

Give to each Irishman/Irishwoman a well designed place, together with the time and the best tools to think, and create a nation of a thinking and communicating population to get Ireland back to where it belongs, at the forefront of the “intelligent society”, and the emerging wave of the so-called Third Industrial Revolution. This idea is to regenerate a number of pubs (as social hubs) across the country, and through redesign converting it into ‘social innovation hubs’ and ‘places for thinking’, open to the general public. The physical network will be supported by an online network of users and partners, which will be a catalyst for Irish social and creative capital, to boost thinking and ignite innovative collaborations