Mr. Terry Clune:

We are carrying out a pilot programme in Dublin Airport with Dublin taxi drivers, because for people coming into the country taxi drivers are probably the most influential people they meet during their first hour or half hour in the country. In our pilot we are developing a simple slip of paper for taxi drivers informing them of some of the simple, positive features about Ireland. Until I became involved in this area, I was not aware that over the past five years Ireland was twice voted the friendliest country in the world by Lonely Planet. That is a positive point we should be aware of as a people, because we have gone through challenging times over recent years.

There are many positive points and reasons that companies choose to locate in Ireland and we should all become familiar with these. This would also help improve our self confidence as a country. Developing a simple top ten list of what is so good about our country would be a great starting point. If we all carried that list in our wallets and had simple positive messages to give to visitors, whether family or business friends or customers, that would greatly improve our ability to promote our country. We could provide the simple facts on why some of the big foreign companies are choosing Ireland. There are financial reasons for choosing Ireland, but there are also many other positive reasons.

When my business expanded internationally, where we expanded was very much to do with the encounter one had with the people of the country. This is a significant factor in deciding whether to choose a location. Making everyone aware of the positives about Ireland would be a good first step.