

Choose type of search Shopping basket No Items in your basket

Metamorphosis
Lessons from the Formative Years of the Celtic Tiger, 1979-1993
Con Power
Oak Tree Press
978-1-904887-27-0 : Hardback
Price : €45.00

Related Titles : Business and Management

The story of how Ireland succeeded in transforming itself from the bleak situation of 1987 to the success of the Celtic Tiger years has many ingredients, originating domestically, in the EU, and on the world stage. METAMORPHOSIS is an account from the perspective of one insider, based primarily in the Confederation of Irish Industry (CII), who played a key role in national economic initiatives during the critical years of 1979 to 1993.

Detailed Description

There are consistent and recurrent themes throughout the CII campaigns from 1979 to 1993 that remain relevant in Ireland to-day. There is a continuing need for the generation of economic awareness on a broad basis within the community, and for social partnership to unite all stakeholders in the common objective of sustaining growth and ensuring equity in resource distribution. There is a continuing need for vigilance in the management of the public finances, and to guard against community expectations and aspirations outstripping economic reality. Associated with this is the need for vigilance about the level of inflation, especially Government-generated inflation. In relation to promoting an environment for enterprise, there is a need for a balanced approach to business legislation, business taxation, and employee issues, including employee shareholding and participation. Education and training needs to be up-dated constantly in line with, and even ahead of, international best practice. Challenges remain in infrastructure development, balanced regional development, and environmental protection and enhancement. Putting together all of the elements, there is a requirement for a dynamic in identifying national business growth sectors in the light of international developments and of the ongoing international reallocation of product and service specialisations.

Much was learned in Ireland in this regard in the decade and a half prior to the Celtic Tiger era. It is vital that these lessons, then learned the hard way, are not forgotten; they remain relevant not only for Ireland, but for the new and aspirant Member States of the EU and for developing economies throughout the world.

Book Contents

"In this book, Con Power has distilled a lifetime's experience as an influential participant in the development of Ireland's social and economic policy. In the current period of global economic and financial turbulence, we can learn from Ireland's experience in managing change successfully in times of adversity: Con Power's analysis, in effect, constitutes a self-help manual for business inputs to the process of national economic and social policy formulation. The emphasis on economic realism has an enduring relevance. So too have the policies involving the incentivisation of human endeavour, of risk-taking, and of capital investment through low taxation, light-touch regulation and open and flexible markets that have been a consistent feature of public policy since 1997 and must remain so."
From the Foreword by Charlie McCreevy, Member of the European Commission

"In January 2009, the Irish Government is grappling with our national economic crisis. It is not the first time that Ireland has been confronted by a major crisis that appeared overwhelming and without a solution. Con Power tells the tale, in a most interesting and comprehensive way, of how it was done before. He is uniquely qualified because he was a player, in his role as Director of Economic Affairs within the CII, from 1979 to 1993. It was a hard journey, which recent prosperity has obscured.
This book has arrived at a very appropriate moment. Most Irish people under the age of 40 have no experience of a recession, let alone a depression. Those that do may understand that some of the old solutions to our problems in the past are no longer available to us now. We should not be despondent, as economic recovery and success have been achieved before in difficult times and with fewer resources. This book is a good place to start learning from our successful past."
From the Introduction by Ruairí Quinn, TD

Author Biography

Con Power was Director, Economic Policy, Irish Business & Employers' Confederation (IBEC), formerly the Confederation of Irish Industry (CII), from 1979 to 1993, in which capacity he played a key role in public policy reforms and national economic initiatives during the formative years of the Celtic Tiger.

		By using this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions. Read about our Privacy Policy.
		See our Legal Notices and Disclaimer
		© Oak Tree Press 2003
		Oak Tree Press, 19 Rutland Street, Cork, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0) 21 4313855 Fax: +353 (0) 21 4313496 Email: info@oaktreepress.com