Forfas.ie | News

Enterprise Development Chiefs welcome Springboard’s 6,000 New Education Opportunities

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:59:00 GMT

The chief executives of Enterprise Ireland, Forfás and IDA Ireland today (21 May 2012) welcomed the 6,000 new part-time higher education places for jobseekers, announced by Government under the Springboard Programme.

Higher productivity is a prerequisite for a return to growth and employment creation

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:38:00 GMT

In a time of austerity and reduced demand, productivity offers significant potential to enhance competitiveness and living standards. Ireland's Productivity Performance 1980-2011 maps Ireland's productivity performance over the last three decades relative to the UK, the US, and the EU. The report analyses Ireland's performance at national and sectoral level.

Government's plan to target core €500million research budget at turning good ideas into good jobs

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:30:00 GMT

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton, T.D., along with the Minister for Research and Innovation, Mr Sean Sherlock, T.D., today [Thursday] launched the Government’s plan to target the majority of the Government’s core €500million budget that the State spends on scientific research every year on areas with the greatest potential for economic return. The Report of the Research Prioritisation Steering Group, chaired by Mr Jim O’Hara, former General Manager of Intel Ireland, which recommended 14 specific areas of greatest opportunity, was approved by the Government on 21 February 2012.

Enterprise Development Chiefs Welcome Plan to Develop Ireland’s ICT Skills

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:03:00 GMT

Enterprise Development Chiefs Welcome Plan to Develop Ireland’s ICT Skills

Swift action needed to improve Ireland’s international competitiveness in the face of global economic uncertainty

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC), today (12 January 2012) published its annual policy report, Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2011 which outlines policies to address weaknesses in Ireland's competitiveness performance.

Advanced Broadband Services the Top Infrastructure Investment Priority for Enterprise – Forfás

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:24:00 GMT

Delivering advanced broadband speed is the top infrastructure investment priority for enterprise. Advanced broadband services are crucial to achieve the productivity growth necessary to improve competitiveness, sustain high-level incomes and ensure Ireland captures new opportunities for entrepreneurship and jobs across all sectors.

Irish Primary Schools Spring into Science

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:09:00 GMT

This year 153 Irish primary schools took part in the 2011 mass science project, Greenwave, managed by Discover Science and Engineering, which involves primary school students across Ireland tracking the arrival of spring as it moves across the country.

Ireland can become a global games hub for the 21st century– Forfás

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:45:00 GMT

The report highlights the potential for Ireland in the video and electronic games sector and identifies issues fundamental to its future success and competitiveness.

Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn visits Forfás

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:57:00 GMT

Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was welcomed to Forfás earlier today, 22 September 2011, by Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive for a meeting on projects contributing to the enterprise, research and innovation agenda in Ireland within the EU context.

Science Week 2011 reveals 'The Chemistry of Life'

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Ireland’s favourite science and maths educator Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and Discover Science and Engineering (DSE), today launched Science Week 2011, 'The Chemistry of Life'. From the food we eat to the beauty products we use and the mobile phone in our pocket, Science Week 2011 will uncover the role of chemistry in our everyday lives! Go to www.scienceweek.ie for competitions, videos and information about the week.

National Competitiveness Council assesses Ireland’s competitiveness performance and highlights seven areas of concern

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:22:00 GMT

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC), today published its annual benchmarking report, Ireland's Competitive Scorecard 2011. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of Ireland's competitiveness performance, using 127 statistical indicators which provide insights into Ireland’s ability to compete on world markets.

Students should take every opportunity to develop a portfolio of skills for employability – Forfás

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Forfás, the national policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation, which advises Government on education, skills and labour market policy, today highlighted the need for students to take every opportunity to complement their core studies with a range of skills which will enable them to achieve lifelong employability.

Expert Group Publishes Monitoring Ireland's Skills Supply Report

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) today published its annual report on the supply of skills to the Irish labour market. The report, 'Monitoring Ireland's Skills Supply: Trends in Education and Training Outputs', examines the numbers of students entering and leaving the education/training system in Ireland

Green Enterprise guide launched

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:16:00 GMT

This brochure provides information on where businesses can go for assistance in relation to water conservation, waste prevention, energy efficiency and clean technology. It provides an overview of the key State agencies involved and the programmes and assistance that they offer.

Expert Skills Group Publishes Update on Employment Trends and Demand for Skills

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) published the 2011 update of the National Skills Bulletin, its annual review of employment trends and demand for skills in Ireland. This year's Bulletin shows that the rate of deterioration in the labour market during 2010 was slower than in 2009.

ACSTI Welcomes New Members

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:25:00 GMT

The Forfás Board, is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr David Lloyd, Dean of Research, Molecular Design Group founder and Hitachi Lecturer in Advanced Computing, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin; Kevin O'Leary, Chief Executive Officer, Qumas and Julie O'Neill, Vice President, Operations and General Manager, Gilead Sciences Ltd as members of the Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Focus on enterprise is critical to the success of entire economy – Forfás Annual Report 2010

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT

"Increasing business investment and competitiveness is not just a necessity for enterprise recovery, but critical for the success of the entire economy.", commented Martin Shanahan on the launch of the policy advisory board's Annual Report 2010.

Structural reform is needed to deliver enduring cost competitiveness – NCC

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2011 evaluates Ireland's relative cost competitiveness, identifies barriers to competitiveness and sets out actions needed to improve and sustain Ireland's competitiveness. The 2011 report finds that while there have been significant improvements in cost competitiveness over the last two years, further progress is required.

Forfás welcomes the IAE Report on effective delivery of essential infrastructure

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:30:00 GMT

This Irish Academy of Engineers' report examines measures for the cost effective delivery of essential infrastructure in Ireland.

Forfás addresses Northern Ireland Annual Skills Conference

Wed, 25 May 2011 10:51:00 GMT

Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive, Forfás addressed the Northern Ireland Annual Skills Conference in Belfast on 25 May. He outlined the critical importance of skills development to the Irish economy, highlighted progress made towards the targets set out in the National Skills Strategy and the challenges and opportunities for Ireland in skills development.

Forfás to support the work of the Small Business Advisory Group

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:51:00 GMT

The Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny, T.D., attended the first meeting of the Small Business Advisory Group on Thursday 16 June which is being chaired by John Perry, T.D., the Minister For Small Business.

Forfás at the Spirit of Enterprise Awards

Fri, 20 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Calmast, the Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology presented with the Spirit of Enterprise Michael Dee Award for 2011 by Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive of Forfás and Michael Maddock from the Spirit of Enterprise Forum's Steering Group

Irish businesses continue to invest in R&D despite recession

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:10:00 GMT

Commenting on the publication of the joint Forfás and CSO 2009/2010 Business Expenditure on R&D Survey (BERD) today, Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive of Forfás welcomed the fact that Irish businesses are continuing to invest in R&D despite the recession.

Minister seeks bright ideas for Dublin City of Science 2012

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:58:00 GMT

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr. Richard Bruton T.D., announced a call for proposals for the Dublin City of Science programme of events in 2012.

Third level qualifications coupled with work experience and foreign language skills in demand by employers

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Amid a challenging labour market and continuing high unemployment, the first annual Vacancy Overview Report from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) has found that despite the recession and high unemployment levels, some job vacancies continued to arise in 2010, providing positive news for job seekers in Ireland.

Irish firms outperform most European counterparts in innovation performance

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:00:00 GMT

A new report analysing Ireland's innovation performance shows that although Irish firms continue to outperform most of its European counterparts in terms of engagement in innovation, an opportunity exists to stimulate export-led growth in small firms by encouraging innovation activity in the sector as a priority so that indigenous companies can grow and successfully exploit overseas markets.

Ireland must continue to support research and innovation for stability and growth

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:05:00 GMT

The Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ACSTI) today published a statement highlighting the main areas which need to be addressed to ensure Ireland continues to support research and innovation as key priorities for economic and employment stability and growth. The statement, “Staying the Course”, gives the Council’s views on what can be done now to support the research community and the R&D-based enterprise sector.

Delivery on Actions to Grow Exports will Provide Sustainable Jobs - Forfás End of Year Statement

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:37:00 GMT

The four key issues for businesses in 2011 remain Ireland’s cost base including labour and utility costs; the availability of finance; the availability of skills; and the taxation regime.

National Competitiveness Council publishes New Competitiveness Challenge

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:00:00 GMT

"Repositioning Ireland as an internationally competitive location for doing business is essential to support sustainable economic growth and drive job creation" said National Competitiveness Council chairman Dr Don Thornhill, on the publication of the NCC's Annual Competitiveness Report.

Expert Group identifies Future Skills Needs of the Green Economy

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:30:00 GMT

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs has launched its report, "Future Skills Needs of Enterprise within the Green Economy in Ireland". The fast growing Green Economy has been identified as an area where Ireland has potential for growth, as highlighted in the Government's National Recovery Plan 2011 – 2014 published last week.

Driving Innovation, Increasing Productivity and Improving Costs Will Have Positive Economic Impact

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:30:00 GMT

The report Enterprise Statistics at a Glance 2010 is a summary of statistics on the performance of the Irish enterprise sector, including the broad economic context; economy expenditure and output; Ireland's international trade in goods and services; and inward and outward foreign direct investment flows. The statistics highlight some of the key trends in the activities of the enterprise base in Ireland and how it has developed and restructured over recent years.

Expert Group Calls for Focus on Skills Needs of the Biopharma-Pharmachem Sector

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:00:00 GMT

A new report from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, finds that an appropriately skilled workforce will be critical for the Irish biopharma-pharmachem sector to meet the significant challenges it faces.

Forfás and Expert Group on Future Skills Needs welcome Bonus Points Scheme

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:50:00 GMT

Forfás, Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise and science and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) today jointly welcomed the bonus points initiative for leaving certificate higher level maths students as announced by the Irish Universities Association (IUA).

Forfás to undertake exercise to establish "Priority Areas of Focus for Irish Research"

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:00:00 GMT

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O'Keeffe, TD announced the membership of the high-level group to work on a five year prioritisation plan for Government investment in research and 'smart' jobs on Monday, 27 September. The exercise which will be undertaken by Forfás, under the guidance of the Steering Group, will be completed within 12 months with an action plan for each priority area setting out specific goals for the five year period.

Forfás publishes recommendations to deliver sustainable growth and jobs

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Ireland has the potential to deliver economic growth and jobs that are sustainable into the future, right across the entire economy, according to a new report from Forfás, Ireland's policy advisory board for enterprise and science. The report - acknowledging that even though the current economic climate presents challenges - emphasises that it is businesses that create jobs and drive economic growth, and it is essential that the optimum business environment is in place to allow them to do so. Making It Happen: Growing Enterprise for Ireland sets out a number of recommendations to address concerns raised by Irish enterprise and that can create this supportive environment.

Ireland's world class nanotechnology infrastructure and a strategic approach to investment will position Ireland to become global nanotech leader

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

A substantial investment by the Irish Government in nanotechnology in recent years has made Ireland home to a world-class infrastructural base which will serve as a strong foundation to produce high-quality nanotechnology research, push commercialisation and ensure Ireland's international competitiveness in this space, according to a new report published today by Forfás

Climate Change Adaptation will present Opportunities as well as Risks to Irish businesses

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Rising temperatures, increased risks of floods, wetter winters, drier summers and more intense storms are some of the climate changes anticipated to impact on Irish businesses in coming years. However changes in climate can also bring opportunities as well as risks to Irish businesses, according to a new report, Adaptation to Climate Change: Issues for Business, published today by Forfás.

Forfás publishes Review of the Role of State Owned Enterprises

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:00:00 GMT

The role of state owned enterprises should be reviewed in terms of supporting wider economic growth and cannot be solely guided by how much revenue they could raise in the event of privatisation, according to a new report from Forfás, Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise and science.

Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2010 Volume 1

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:43:00 GMT

The Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2010 analyses our relative cost competitiveness performance across four key business inputs – labour, property, utilities (e.g. energy, water, waste, telecoms) and business services (e.g. accountancy and legal services). It also looks at the broader cost environment that indirectly affects the cost of doing business here.

Monitoring Ireland's Skills Supply - Trends in Education and Training Outputs 2010

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:30:00 GMT

Monitoring Ireland's Skills Supply - Trends in Education and Training Outputs is an annual report produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit of FÁS on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.. This series of reports aims to provide an indication of the supply of skills to the Irish labour market from the formal education and training system by examining outflows from the formal education system across levels 1-10 of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

Forfás appoints Martin Shanahan as Chief Executive

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Forfás, Ireland's policy advisory board for enterprise and science, has appointed Martin Shanahan as Chief Executive.

Expert Group publishes Update of Employment and Skills in Ireland

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:00:00 GMT

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) today published the 2010 update of the National Skills Bulletin, its annual review of employment and skills in Ireland.

Future Skills Requirements of the Wholesale and Retail Sector

Mon, 10 May 2010 11:00:00 GMT

While employment growth is not forecast to return to the wholesale and retail sector in the short term, the sector continues to provide significant employment accounting for over 14 per cent of jobs in the country, according to this report.

Maximising Ireland’s Potential for Company R&D

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:16:00 GMT

Science, Technology & Innovation Council launches report on improving the environment for company R&D

Ireland’s Solid Enterprise Foundations and the Prioritisation of Actions for Growth and Jobs will ensure our Recovery

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:37:00 GMT

2009 was an intensely challenging year for the enterprise sector and although we have not yet fully turned the corner to recovery, there are tentative signs of international economic improvement which will help Ireland in its recovery. To move towards recovery and growth we must focus on our significant strengths and the solid enterprise foundations that have been built. We must also prioritise actions that will ensure that our enterprise environment provides businesses in Ireland with the very best opportunities to compete globally.

Forfás launches broadband benchmarking report

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:52:00 GMT

Ireland has made significant progress in improving levels of broadband coverage and take-up in the last two years, however, we are still behind competitor countries in terms of rolling out high speed next generation networks (NGN), according to this broadband benchmarking report.

National Competitiveness Council publishes Competitiveness Challenge

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Urgent action is required to ensure a competitive operating environment for business and to enable exporters to trade successfully in difficult international markets, according to the National Competitiveness Council.

Employing PhD Graduates Benefits Irish Enterprise

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:22:00 GMT

A new report launched today by the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ACSTI) has found that Irish R&D firms employing PhD researchers have rates of patenting 2.5 times greater than similarly active firms which do not employ PhD researchers and have vastly higher collaboration rates with both Higher Education Institutes and other firms. While only 29% of R&D active firms employed PhD researchers in 2007, these companies accounted for 70% of business expenditure on R&D.

Ireland Ranks Well on the Impact of its Research

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:17:00 GMT

A comprehensive study of publicly-funded research performance has shown that Ireland has improved in terms of the volume and impact of its research. Ireland ranks 8th on the impact of research publications within a group of 20 comparator countries, including; Denmark (1), Netherlands (3), US (4), UK (6), Finland (8), Australia (10), Singapore (13) and China (17).

NCC highlights critical competitiveness issues for exporting sectors

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Future economic growth and job creation will not be driven by the construction and retail sectors as in the past. Generating export-led growth is the only sustainable strategy to secure long term growth and prosperity. It is therefore critical that we understand the specific needs of our exporting sectors and enable them to compete successfully in international markets.

ACSTI outlines actions to maximise outcomes from investment in research and development

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:24:00 GMT

The Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ACSTI) published a statement welcoming the tangible commitment that Government has made to research and development and outlining the successes of that investment and the actions needed to maximise the impact of future investments.

Expert Group calls for focus on skills needs of the food and drinks sector

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:36:00 GMT

The Irish food and beverage processing industry will continue to provide sustainable employment as one of our major exporting sectors, according to a new report launched today by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN). While employment growth is not forecast in an increasingly competitive environment, the sector will continue to provide significant direct and indirect employment. The study also identifies a number of skills challenges and makes recommendations on how they might be addressed to ensure the industry’s future success.

Life Sciences Opportunities Key to Ireland’s Return to Export-Led Growth

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:08:00 GMT

The Life Sciences sector has contributed significantly to Ireland’s economic development and has real prospects for future growth, according to a report published by Forfás today. Health Life Sciences in Ireland – An Enterprise Outlook asserts that by enhancing the collaboration of the key stakeholders including industry, research institutes, the hospital system, government departments and agencies, and regulatory bodies, Ireland can emerge as a global leader in high value-added products and services based on technology, scientific expertise and clinical research excellence.

Irish labour market to benefit from increased output of education and training system

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs today published its annual report on the supply of skills to the Irish labour market. The report, “Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply: Trends in Education and Training Output”, found that while higher level participation rates declined for maths, physics and chemistry at Leaving Certificate level between 2004 and 2008, there has been an increase in higher level participation in maths and science at Junior Certificate level with the share of students achieving a grade D or more at higher level also increasing.

Reducing Energy Costs is Essential for Competitiveness - NCC

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:45:00 GMT

A reliable and competitively priced supply of energy is vital to enable Irish exporters compete successfully in global markets. While recent reductions in gas and electricity prices are welcome, further, immediate action is required to improve Ireland’s ranking relative to other countries with whom we compete, according to the National Competitiveness Council on the publication of its Statement on Energy today.

Jane Williams appointed new Chief Executive of Forfás

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:21:00 GMT

Jane Williams has been appointed Chief Executive of Forfás for a six month period following the retirement of Martin Cronin.

Boost your Company’s Productivity Guide Launched

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:30:00 GMT

“Today’s businesses are facing increased competition and are under pressure to cut costs. They face escalating labour, energy and material costs and are concerned about their business’s environmental impact. Productivity is a powerful tool to address these pressures and provide companies with the competitive edge,” said Eoin Gahan, Head of Regulation Trade and Policy Foresight, Forfás, at the launch of a joint agency productivity guide for employers and employees.

Policy decisions on waste management need to support Ireland’s competitiveness

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:27:00 GMT

The 2009 update of the Forfás waste benchmarking report published today (Wednesday, 19 August 2009) confirms that Ireland continues to perform poorly relative to a selection of competitor countries and regions in meeting the waste management needs of enterprise. Waste management charges are higher in Ireland than in comparator countries, progress on developing new facilities is slow and we have a heavy reliance on landfill.

National Competitiveness Council publishes Competitiveness Benchmarking Report

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:30:00 GMT

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) today published its Annual Competitiveness Report: Volume I, Benchmarking Ireland’s Performance. The report provides an assessment of the competitiveness strengths and weaknesses of the Irish economy relative to competitor countries.

Today’s decisions will define the success of tomorrow’s enterprises

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:39:00 GMT

“The incorporation of long term thinking into today’s decision making remains vital despite the pressure of urgent short term issues,” said Martin Cronin, Chief Executive, Forfás, the national policy advisory body for enterprise and science, today (Monday 13 July) at the launch of its enterprise futures report, Sharing Our Future: Ireland 2025. The report was launched at a forum where national and international delegates gathered to discuss long-term strategies for the development of enterprise in Ireland.

Skills Opportunities Identified by Expert Group

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:51:00 GMT

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs published its annual review of employment and skills in Ireland. The National Skills Bulletin 2009 confirms that while the Irish labour market took a sharp negative turn in 2008, with all labour market indicators disimproving, there are still some areas of job opportunity.

Exports and innovation key to Ireland’s future – Launch of Forfás Annual Report 2008

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:30:00 GMT

“International trade is the only way Ireland can achieve a return to sustained growth. This is not an easy task as recovery can only come from increasing our share of international markets until there is a return to growth in the economies of our trading partners,” said Martin Cronin, Chief Executive, Forfás on the publication of the agency’s Annual Report 2008.

Immediate Action Needed to Restore Competitiveness

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:37:00 GMT

While good progress is being made, including restoring the sustainability of the public finances and the stability of the banking sector, the National Competitiveness Council has identified further immediate actions needed to drive cost competitiveness, sustain employment and enhance training and education opportunities.

Advisory Science Council calls for excellence in commercialisation to ensure Ireland gets return on investment in Research

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:47:00 GMT

The Advisory Science Council today commented that to effectively convert our investments in science and research into products, services and business that there must be a significant change in mindset and focus.

Prioritising Our Cities is Critical for Sustainable Economic Growth

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:31:00 GMT

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) today called for the prioritisation of investment in Dublin and our other main cities to enhance and ensure Ireland’s long term competitiveness. Launching the report Our Cities: Drivers of National Competitiveness, the Council highlighted the increasingly crucial role that cities play in enhancing competitiveness in modern knowledge-based economies. It is vital that Irish cities are enabled to achieve their full potential and thereby enhance national competitiveness.

Ireland’s Education and Training System Must Continue to Improve Performance – Even in the Face of Scarce Public Resources

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:00:00 GMT

The National Competitiveness Council today called for a renewed emphasis on strengthening and reforming aspects of the education and training system in Ireland as part of the broader effort to reignite economic growth.

World class skills, education and training can underpin Ireland’s return to export-led growth - Forfás

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

“The successful export of high value goods and services enabled by the availability of world class skills, education and training is essential to Ireland’s economic success” commented Martin Cronin, Chief Executive of Forfás, the national policy advisory body on enterprise and science, delivering the keynote address at the Institute of Guidance Counsellors Annual Conference in Kilkenny.

“Economic recovery will come from cohesion and flexibility, not from blame and recrimination” – Forfás

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

“The winners in today’s global economy will be those who pull together and demonstrate flexibility, those who adapt rapidly to remain competitive. The losers will be those who focus on blame and where sections of society seek to protect their position at the expense of others,” commented Martin Cronin, Chief Executive of Forfás, the national policy advisory body on enterprise and science, delivering the UCD Engineering Graduates Association Annual Lecture today.

Forfás End of Year Statement 2008

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:54:00 GMT

Global economic turmoil has created an unprecedented economic challenge for Ireland. The enterprise sector is facing a range of acute challenges. This statement provides an overview of enterprise performance in 2008 and describes Forfás' outlook for 2009 and beyond.

We cannot afford a defeatist attitude about our future prospects: Ireland must focus on the policies which improve competitiveness - NCC

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:02:00 GMT

“Now is the time to focus our attention on policies that will enhance our competitiveness and provide for sustainable economic growth,” said National Competitiveness Council (NCC) chairman Dr Don Thornhill, today at the launch of the NCC’s Annual Competitiveness Report.