The second phase of the Ideas Campaign to generate ideas for Irish economic renewal and recovery has kicked off after some 5,284 ideas were logged on the campaign’s website.
Traffic to the website approached almost 48,000 visits, with a typical visitor spending approximately 4.5 minutes on the site.
International interest in the campaign represents 17pc of traffic. Policy, education, environmental initiatives and tourism were the top categories for ideas submitted. Three out of four ideas logged from overseas came from people born in Ireland.
The second phase of the campaign will centre on devising an action plan for Government, individuals, business and communities based on the ideas submitted, and this is expected to be produced later this month.
An expert advisory group will be set up comprising Paul Rellis, general manager, Microsoft Ireland, Alan Gray, economist with Indecon, Moya Doherty from Riverdance, Kieran McGowan, the ex-CEO of IDA Ireland, and Patrick Collison, a 20-year-old technology entrepreneur from Limerick.
“This is the start, not the end of the Ideas Campaign, which is independent and non-political,” said campaign director, Aileen O’Toole.
“The response we have received shows that Irish people are creative, resourceful and want to focus on solutions to the economic problems.”
By John Kennedy