Taoiseach's Speeches Archive 2001
Arising from the very close connection between justice for the individual and peace for all, His Holiness notes that the World Day of Peace "offers all humanity, and particularly the leaders of nations, the opportunity to reflect upon the demands of justice and the call to forgiveness in the face of the grave problems which continue to afflict the world". I would also like to join with the Pope in echoing this call.
2001 was in some ways a difficult year for many in our community, with unanticipated events both nationally and internationally. By working together we can be proud of all our efforts to respond to these events. Ireland can also be proud of its role in international affairs.
I am delighted to be here with you today to announce this year's recipients of the Community Development Project Initiative awards. This is an important annual occasion for all of us who are committed to the all round development of Docklands as a thriving and active community.
Thank you Chris for your warm words of welcome. It is always a pleasure to come to Croke Park ! It is a special pleasure to be here today in the Cusack Club for this, the last, event of the programme to mark the UN International Year of Volunteers in Ireland.
This year's Budget, the fifth and last of the current series, is prudent Budget, and a Budget that is committed to the urgent task of underpinning national development. But, above all, it is a caring and equitable Budget, in keeping with our radical social philosophy.
The GAA is more than just a sporting organisation It represents part of our history, our culture and indeed our development as a nation. It is present in every parish in the land and its strength is its commitment to local communities. It continues to develop and expand the appeal of the games in every form. This year I attended one of the most exciting Ladies finals in years.
The Authority has a very broad regeneration mandate and today we are gathered to focus on only one, but a key aspect of that mandate - namely social regeneration. The Community Development Project Initiative is one of the foundation stones of the Dockland Authority's programme of social regeneration. It really is a great programme and it has been highly successful, so far.
In the area of marketing, the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr. James McDaid, T.D. and the Tourism State agencies have been working to ramp up our marketing efforts. Of the £90 million in the Exchequer budget for tourism, £14 million has now been targeted for extra marketing measures. These measures are designed to restore the confidence of international visitors following the foot and mouth epidemic. They will also fund a special Autumn and Winter marketing campaign to help address the problems following September 11th. The strong performance in domestic business in particular, reflects the success of these campaigns.
For many decades, and with increasing strength since the 1980s, people have said that our health services were seriously under-funded, and they were right. As soon as we came into government, we reversed the trend. Following our unprecedented series of annual increases, health funding this year exceeded the OECD per capita benchmark for the first time in our history. The pre-Budget spending estimates which we published last week showed once again the priority which we have given to health. At a time when we have to hold back overall spending; health is receiving twice the increase of other areas.
As a result of that new approach and a new spirit of partnership and confidence, Ireland is changing and changing very fast. We have become a leading economy and a modern society - and these changes are grounded in the skills and talents of our people. We are seeing unprecedented change, across all areas of Irish life. We are a leading economy in the high technology industries and we are well on the way to being a multi-cultural society.