Foreign-owned firms were responsible for 91% of Ireland's tradeable goods and services exports in 2009. Food and drink exports, which come mainly from the indigenous sector, fell 15% according to the survey carried out by Forfás. The survey covers the client base of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and Údarás na Gaeltachta Export earnings for Irish-owned firms was €11.5bn and the earnings for the foreign sector was €114.4bn. Indigenous exports accounted for 8.7% of the total. 

The indigenous food and drink sector saw sales decline by 10.7% in 2009 and exports by 15%. The euro exchange rate with sterling was a contributing factor to this result. Exports in traditional manufacturing also saw a decrease of 15.5% in 2009 over 2008. In contrast, the relatively small sector of modern manufacturing & energy reported a small growth in exports in 2009 of 2% on the previous year.

Export growth among Irish-owned internationally traded services was over 7% during 2009. Exports of information, communication & computer services among Irish-owned firms were strong, with growth of almost 12% between 2008 and 2009 compared with 2.8% for the period 2000-2009. While the business, financial and other services sectors also saw growth in 2009 with 5.6% over 2008 and giving an increase of almost 14% for the period from 2000-2009.

Export growth of 2.6% per annum over the period 2000-2009 for all sectors compares with the 2.3% per annum growth in total sales among indigenous companies.

http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1021094.shtml

Published March 16, 201, Fox News
These are tragic and tense days indeed in Japan.

The immense loss of life and absolute devastation caused by last week’s earthquake and tsunami is heartbreaking – and serve as the culprits in this unimaginable tragedy. The tension, felt by its citizens and far beyond the country’s borders, centers most immediately on what happens next at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility.

Reports of radioactive contamination and a potential meltdown at the complex have many Americans wondering how prepared our own government would be in the event something similar occurred here. More specifically, could the the health of residents living near a severely damaged nuclear reactor in the U.S. be ensured?

Thanks to the advanced work of the men and women who develop our nation’s military medicine, the answer is yes – but only if the government now takes the necessary steps.

In what has to be one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of military medicine, the U. S. military has developed a radiation protection drug known as Ex-Rad that can give protection through DNA repair against otherwise lethal dosages of radiation. Ex-Rad, which is administered as an injection or orally, can be given either before or after exposure. While Ex-Rad officials are continuing to work with the FDA, it has successfully cleared two clinical studies showing it is safe.

Ex-Rad’s life-saving utility isn’t limited to countering radiation exposure near a compromised nuclear facility. From potentially enabling cancer patients to withstand greater levels of radiation to protecting soldiers deployed into radioactive “hot zones,” this drug delivers critical help and hope.

During most of the last decade, U.S. military scientists at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute have worked with some of the best scientists in the American private sector to develop this radiation protection wonder drug.

As someone who’s had the privilege to interact with these scientists over the years and watch the development of Ex-Rad, I’ve seen it grow from just a dream into a very real capability that can save lives.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of media awareness about its development in the U.S., Ex-Rad is probably the most important new drug the American public has never heard of. But thanks to the public writings of senior scientists from the U.S. Department of Defense, the private sector, and the prestigious Radiation Effects Research Foundation (based in Hiroshima, Japan) the secret about this breakthrough drug is finally getting out. And it’s happening not a moment too soon.

The U.S. Army recently recommended to the Office of the Secretary of Defense that Ex-Rad be stockpiled for the benefit of our military. That puts the ball in the court of Pentagon leadership to make certain one of military medicine’s most successful achievements in recent years is fully realized and able to benefit Americans.

With our nation facing a litany of threats today, American scientists at government agencies including the Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services among others are developing mature technologies and counter-measures with the potential to save millions of lives. Many of these life-saving discoveries have positive and far-reaching implications well beyond the narrow scope of that particular department. Ex-Rad is just latest example of medical innovation being developed by our military. Although we don't hear about it, we need to hear more and we to support it. 

The challenge for the Obama administration is to ensure that these various efforts are well coordinated and communicated throughout the government – and that the American taxpayers are ultimately provided the return they deserve on their hefty investment.

There’s something for Congress to keep in mind as well.

Some on Capitol Hill have questioned the value and relevance of U.S. military medicine in recent weeks. Obviously, these members have forgotten their history lesson on the significant contributions of Dr. Walter Reed and others who helped wipe out disease and save lives. They’ve also forgotten that when the Bush administration sought the creation of a real-time biological defense capability for the American people, it turned to the Pentagon and military medicine.

There’s no doubt about it, medical results trump political rhetoric every time. Ex-Rad is just the latest evidence that U.S. military medicine is meeting our most difficult medical challenges and leading the way in saving lives.

Van D. Hipp Jr. is chairman of American Defense International, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm specializing in government affairs, business development and public relations. He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/03/16/ex-rad-militarys-radiation-wonder-drug/#ixzz1HvlLXKVI

I was working with a company recently where there were some problems that clearly needed fixing. "Easily done not a big deal", according to his accountant he just needs some help. "Maybe a little bit of a plan, some sound advice" and they'll be as right as rain. 

The trouble was that's what the accountant wanted, that's what the client wanted - but I felt they needed something completely different. In my opinion they needed to create a plan for improved success, to create lasting change and to seek support from those who would implement his plan for change. 

You can't just focus on planning and scheduling the really good performers eliminate any defects in an improvement plan before they ever turn into work. Small problems are seldom left to turn into big failures and big problems rarely happen. Efforts which simply focus on driving the right organisation maintenance work practices bog the organisation down in mire. Efforts must be targeted on lasting change and improving rather than fixing. 

Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross pioneered the idea of the five stages of grief (not always death but any major loss): denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Today many people are facing serious emotional trauma from job loss, enforced relocation, financial issues and bankruptcy to name just a few. However this 'grief cycle' can actually be a 'change model' for helping us to understand and deal with change and grief. Interestingly Kübler-Ross also identifies that one person's despair (a job-change, or loss) is to another person’s delight.

To me this explains how and why 'time heals' all and when we know more about what is happening, then dealing with it is made a little easier. For more check out: http://www.ekrfoundation.org/

I’ve been reading, when I can, articles about risk lately. Most are written with regard to large institutional risk management, systemic risk management and all sorts sleep inducing ideas. But that’s not what I wanted to learn more about, however noble the thoughts of the writers were in most cases I think they are missing a point.

For me, working with entrepreneurs and new start-ups, is all about embracing risk and encouraging it. Because amplifying risk is a way to increase the amount of information one receives. Just like racing a car around a track. Driving within the limits is good but gives you little feedback about the car. Driving on the limit pushing hard gives you all the feedback you need about the car and its driver. High risk, high feedback. In business the feedback is vital, it's our market research and all those customer interactions (or lack of them!).

Obviously there is a balance that needs to be struck because there is a limit to the availability of funding and or time. Let’s imagine a ‘risk lever’ with the entrepreneur pulling one way towards more risk (for more reward) and on the other side we have funders (banks et al) on the other side trying to reduce the risk in order to protect their investment and secure their return. Who's going to win? The winner is normally the one who proves his results. 

A good entrepreneur like a good engineer will seek out where the failure points are so that the risk of operational failure is reduced. My mantra for the last while has been to research the idea in order to seek out the risk and reward balance. Put in the hours push the envelope and ask the hard questions.  

Then and only then, go forth and take that risk!

Not one to read a paper most days I reluctantly picked up the the Irish Times while waiting for my next meeting. You'll be glad to hear I skimmed the wall to wall Cowen coverage and stumbled upon coverage by the Irish Times of the recent visit to Ireland by Thomas Donohue, president and chief executive of the US Chamber of Commerce. Amidst the relentless beating of our breasts and scorning of anybody remotely to do with politics I found the article a beacon of hope and sanity. You should check it out: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/0124/1224288162493.html

The nugget I took from it was: “American business people and financiers are worried about a cascading problem from Greece to Portugal to Spain and wherever. They were not worried about Ireland because it had the fundamentals of a strong economy. It had an improved infrastructure, a trained and educated workforce, a good location and good management." There you are now. Someone is optimistic. 

Self-Serving Bias: The tendency to attribute one’s own success to internal factors while blaming failures on external factors. Anyone recognise this trait, Kildare street area? 

As a nation we have been battered and embarrassed lately. For me it started with the government's failure to cut enough in the 2008 budget in order to balance our books, something that came back to haunt us when the IMF lads arrived to Merrion Street recently. But the final insult was Harrington being disqualified. It made me think that there is a conspiracy. Are there people out there who are looking to punish the so called celtic tigers? 

However humbled we have all been lately I know one thing for certain. It will be great to have a clear slate come March 11. Make sure you and all your family vote and lets hope that the new government takes a little more care in their work - underpinned with a dose of humility. 

 

RTE The Business sets up a Pop Up Bank

If you need credit/capital/finance for your business, then RTE’s pop up bank could be for you. On Tue Feb 8th the RTE TV show The Business will establish a one day only pop up bank at the Croke Park Conference Centre in Dublin. They’re inviting anyone who offers credit/capital/finance/grants in Ireland to come together in the one location for one day only. From banks to credit unions, state agencies, venture capitalists to non profit organisations, The Business Pop Up Bank will pull it all together to try and help you find the best credit agency for your business.

Amongst those attending include Enterprise Boards, Enterprise Ireland, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, AIB, The Irish League of Credit Unions, First Steps, InterTradeIreland, Dublin Business Innovation Centre/Halo Business Angel Partnership, LEADER, Clann Credo, Grow Corp Group LTD, Quintas, Ryan Academy Propeller Seed Fund, Kernel Capital, Delta Partners, Endeavour Programme and the Irish Local Development Network plus many more.

So come along and state your case and who knows, you might start to access the funding you need.
Doors open at 11am and close at 3pm.
If you have any questions or wish to attend this event please contact:
Louise Hynes - email louise.hynes@rte.ie

Taoiseach sets 11 March as election day. Interestingly today, in most democracies, the right to vote is granted without discrimination with regard to race, ethnicity, class or gender. However many countries have disenfranchisement of sentenced prisoners, for example in the USA voting privileges are denied to prisoners by some states, however several others (most nations of the European Union) allow prisoners to vote, regardless of time served, nature of the crime, etc. 

Given all that we have been through as a Nation, perhaps it's time for 'compulsory vote' in order that we have an elected Dail that knows and clearly hears from her people. 

 

Mismanagement of a crisis - in the extreme. 
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0120/dail_tracker.html

According to RTE:
11.48 David McCullagh: Is this the first time TDs have turned off their phones in case they get a call from the Taoiseach offering them a job?