TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

increased the power of local government. Rural areas have been rejuvenated as a result of
effective regional development, and privatisation has completely fallen out-of-favour as
government at all levels of society is seen to work. The implementation of NSSII demonstrated
the effectiveness of the Social Democratic approach which has held sway over the European
Parliament and the Irish Dáil for the past fifteen years. They were admired and emulated
widely.
Competitiveness
Ireland is regularly in the top five of Europe’s thirty states for levels of GDP, productivity and
personal income. It also frequently tops the tax table. Overall, however, the past decade has
witnessed a period of prosperity, based largely on high levels of innovation and resource
productivity.
Nevertheless, some tempestuous times preceded this. By 2012 the Euro was in trouble, caused
by contention over EU expansion, and the commercial sector was left exposed to sterling and
the dollar. The European Central Bank allowed the Euro exchange rate to fluctuate, causing
particular difficulties for Ireland as Great Britain continued to drag its heels over entry into the
EMU. On top of this, increased competition from Asia and South America also hit the Irish
economy hard and the country was bedevilled by inflation.
Since about 2018, however, Ireland has adapted to the global market: distaining protectionism;
focusing on knowledge creation; pursuing internationalist and communitarian values; and
placing great attention on the provision of a high quality of social infrastructure. Intangible
goods and services, such as consultancy and financial services, generate a large part of
economic value. Organic farming, in terms of research and advisory services, as well as
production itself, also plays a significant role in the economy. But by far the most important
field of promoting Ireland’s economic competitiveness has been that of neo-fabrication in such
sectors as: the cloning and growth of human organs; the production of bio-pharmaceuticals; the
development of virtual software; and the breeding of genetically modified animals, exemplified
by the notorious look-alike racehorses of Kildare.
The built environment has been transformed by a combination of cutting-edge innovations in
off-site construction and a high level of investment in the rapid replacement of old and low
quality buildings and infrastructure. Ireland’s construction industry, together with some of its
academic institutions, now export this experience and expertise to the rest of Europe and the
world at-large.
Not all, however, is rosy. Whilst Ireland has become as technologically advanced and adroit as
anywhere in Europe, there is a groundswell of feeling moving away from the “wired world” of
modern economies in 2030. For many, the Celtic genes are more suited to a conceptual age of
words, music and similar forms of artistic and scholarly expression other than numeracy,
electronic connectivity and computer logic. The boxing of individuals into ever more restricted
technological specialisms should give way, in their view, to a greater freedom of spirit,
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