Dinner hosted by National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) for the board and directors of WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers), the global organisation of the world’s press, representing more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries.

Thank you Paul and Gavin.

I’m delighted to be here this evening.

And  I hope that those of you visiting from overseas will take with you the vital  news…. that despite what you read…. or in your case what you ‘print’ in  the  papers….  the  things  that make Ireland  unique….our culture, our heritage,  our welcome…..are all still very much intact and still very much shine.

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Constable Ronan Kerr.

As  I  stood  with  Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams and Peter Robinson I was struck by the dignity and courage of Nuala Kerr and her family.

And as the GAA and PSNI worked in dignified relays along the streets, there was no sound.

Here  was  a  community  whose  sanity…..  and  speech  itself….  had  been ransacked. Completely. Anonymously.

What remained …. were thousands and thousands and thousands of sighs.

As  we  gathered  to salute a young policeman… who was very much a child of the  peacetime….  the only human sound….. involved sighing…breathing….. the essence of life itself.

It  made  me  think  of that night in the 90s when the newsstands of Dublin went  ‘live’ with some of the biggest news this island ever had.

Across Dublin streets, people rushed up the newspaper sellers, gobsmacked…. gasping….. – ‘is it true?’

The newspapermen beamed. As if they had conjured up the news themselves.

And  as  workers on their way home bought the papers, the sellers gave them the cardboard ads from the stand telling them…“Here… go on… frame these words for your children, your grandchildren.”

And they did.

In  studies  all over this city and country are the three words carved ever since on the hearts and the minds of our people North and South.

Ceasefire at Midnight.

In  a  world before Twitter and Facebook…..out on the streets that day…..it was  the  papers….  your  papers…..brought  us  the  news  that changed our country.

And our history.

News we have guarded since with our hopes, with our vote in a referendum. And in the case of Constable Ronan Kerr…. with his life.

Challenges facing Ireland

And  when  you  see  that reality…. and when you see the recent realties of Japan….you get perspective.

Yes – Ireland is in crisis. But we are a people united…in our country’s cause… And we will get through this crisis. Together. Despite  the heartbreak of our day-to-day lives….. and in many cases…. It’s sheer heartbreak….Despite  the  grievous  wrong  done to our people by banks and bankers….and past governments….we will survive. We will survive because our spirit is strong. And  though  we  are  a  small  country,  throughout our history….. as this building itself can attest……we have shown ourselves to be a significant nation.

The new government I lead now is now 29 days old. With a resounding mandate from the people, we have pledged to get Ireland’s deficit back in line by 2015. And we will. To  do  this,  we  are  implementing  strategies  to generate growth in our economy,  restore confidence, get money moving….. and most importantly, get Ireland working again.

Job creation is central to our recovery strategy. Next  month,  the  Minister  for  Finance  will introduce a Jobs Budget….to include  a  package  of  measures  aimed  at  reducing  costs  to  business protecting and creating jobs.

I  am  determined  to  make  Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business by 2016. And  together  we  will.  Because  the  grit and ambition of the Irish that helped  bring  Europe out of the Dark Ages in the 6th century is alive just as much today.

Fixing the banks is also an important part of our recovery strategy. And we get ideas and suggestions on how to ‘fix’ them every day. After  months  of  damaging confusion, we now have clarity and certainty on the banking situation.

Last week’s extreme-scenario stress tests have given us a credible basis on which to move on. We  have  already  set  out  our plans for a radically-restructured banking sector, fit to weather any storm that lies ahead. Ireland needs….. and will have…. a strong banking sector for the future.

Europe, of course, is central to all our plans. In  these  uncertain  times for Ireland and the EU, we will be working with all members to secure a solution that works for both. And the negotiations are ongoing as you know.

Potential for Ireland

I  am positive and confident about Ireland’s recovery because away from the fiscal  and  banking  crises, the Irish are well-educated, resilient and we love to work.

Ireland is:

4th in the world for the availability of skilled labour,

4th for being open to new ideas,

6th for labour productivity,

7th for the flexibility and adaptability of people.

We are in the World Bank global top ten.

As one of the world’s most open economies, right now, we export 80% of what we produce. Costs  have  fallen  dramatically,  and  we  are  committed  to remaining a business-friendly economy. We  continue to attract foreign direct investment (with our 12.5% corporate tax  rate),  despite  the  turbulent  global  economy: Intel, Google, eBay, Facebook,  Citigroup and Boston Scientific are just some of the world-class global companies that expanded activities in Ireland in the last year. These companies know Ireland and they see a bright future.

My  government  is  about  to embark on a concerted campaign to rebuild and strengthen  our international reputation and to make sure the international community knows that Ireland is certainly…. open for business.

Challenges facing the newspaper industry

I  know  of an old lady who used to say every day when the paper would drop through the letterbox:”Give me a look at the Deaths Column…. ‘til I see am I in it….. ”

Newspapers  continue  to  make  a  vital  contribution to cultural, social, economic, intellectual and political life. Especially  here  in  Ireland…..where  more than 330 million newspapers are sold  every  year…..  and  over  4,000  people are employed directly by the industry.

Of course, the industry worldwide is facing challenges. Citizen journalism, the rise and rise of social networking, online content, the ubiquity of Twitter, all brings their issues. Raising questions too, of what is objective? What is reliable?   Who or what do we believe?

A  look  at the so-called Jasmine revolution shows the impact of the social media on news, its gathering and content. Very  different  to this day in 1994 when Civil War broke out in Rwanda. Or in 2003, when the US was reported in the papers as taking Baghdad.

More  locally,  the  recession here, for example, has put great pressure on the  sector,  for  example,  The  Sunday Tribune closing and subsequent job losses.

The National Newspapers of Ireland has recently raised the issue of VAT and its  damaging  effects on your business. You have also suggested that a cut in the VAT rate could reduce the cover price of your papers.

And  it is the stated intention of this government to reduce the lower rate of VAT from 13.5% to 12% up to the end of 2013… as part of the terms of the renegotiation of the EU/IMF Programme.

Such  initiatives  would  also  benefit labour-intensive services generally construction,   hotels,   restaurants,  hairdressing,  etc.,  boosting  the competitiveness  of  our  tourism sector as well as helping divert consumer spending   from   import-intensive  goods  into  labour-intensive  domestic services. These initiatives will aid our recovery, increase trade and boost activity in business which in turn will protect and create jobs.

Legislative and policy developments

The  Irish  Government  recognises  the  need  for a strong, public-service broadcasting sector.

I  want  to acknowledge RTE’s proposal to allow NNI members host news clips on  their websites. The goal must be to ensure fairness for all and through that the continued development of a competitive and diverse media market.

There  have  been  a  number of other positive developments in recent years here,  including  the 2009 Defamation Act which has reformed our defamation laws in this country. We  have also seen the opening of the Office of the Press Ombudsman and the Press  Council  of Ireland.  I am happy to welcome here tonight the current Chairperson  of  the  Press  Council,  Daithí  O’Ceallaigh,  and  the Press Ombudsman, John Horgan.

In   keeping   with  our  desire  to  bring  openness,  accountability  and transparency  to  politics  and government, we have already started work on restoring  the  powers  of the Freedom of Information Act and to extend its scope to other  public bodies.

It  is  also  our  intention to bring forward Whistleblowers legislation to protect individuals who disclose, in good faith, identified misbehaviour. Equally, we propose to introduce a statutory register of lobbyists, as well as a set of rules governing the practice of lobbying.

All grist to the newspapers’ excellent mill.

Conclusion

Thomas Jefferson said: “I  don’t  take a single newspaper… nor read one a month… and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it. “

There are times when all politicians might agree! And we welcome the newspapers’ next-day function…..to wrap fish and chips. You know the power you have. But with that great power comes great responsibility….Even more so, perhaps, when you’re operating in a world where, at times, it seems  that  rubbish tends to fascinate more and more.  And still there are titles and ad space to be sold.

I would ask you then to keep the high standards for which you strive. And  to  be  in  Ireland’s  case,,,, as you have been called…. “the devoted witness”.

Ends