Irish competition asks public to aid economic recovery

The site encourages people from inside and outside Ireland to contribute ideas

By Stephen Fottrell
BBC News

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" - a famous phrase that could be applied to a competition in the Irish Republic asking the public to play their part in helping the nation's stricken economy to get back on track.

The Your Country, Your Call project is asking Irish people to come up with ideas that could be developed into new businesses with the aim of creating jobs and "bringing back the feel-good factor" to the struggling country.

The project is the brainchild of Martin McAleese, the husband of Irish President Mary McAleese, and has a budget of 1.2m euros, including 300,000 euros from the Irish government.

It has also garnered support from various companies who have offered money and their services for free in helping to promote the competition.

Two winners will each receive 100,000 euros in prize-money and an additional 500,000 euros to develop their ideas.

Low confidence in the Irish economy has seen protests in recent months

Proposals are also being welcomed from outside Ireland for business plans that can be developed within the country.

The organisers have received close to 3,000 proposals via their website so far, which they admit range from the innovative to the bizarre.

The portal is also being promoted as a social networking site where the public can contribute to "An Smaoineamh Mor" ["the big idea"], and comment and vote on each other's proposals.

A trawl through some of the ideas on the site reveals some wordy and weighty suggestions about how to get Ireland working again - but also more ambitious and left-field pitches, such as converting the country into one big amusement park.

Others include practical and environmental solutions such as promoting wind turbines, while another proposes using cattle urine as an alternative energy source.

"It's about finding new ways of working and thinking that will create employment in a jaded economic environment," said Shona O'Neill from the Your Country, Your Call group.

"We are looking to tap into people's resources and thinking here but are also looking for people overseas - and not just Irish emigrants - to get involved."

Irish unemployment figures are at their highest for 15 years

The country is among the worst-hit by the European recession and has seen its unemployment figures jump to 12.7%, their highest level since 1995.

A good number of the comments on the site reflect the increase in the country's jobless population, with many submitted by unemployed people, primarily recent victims of the recession.

The Irish president, Mrs McAleese, has signed up as the campaign's figurehead and says she sees it as an opportunity for her countrymen and women to rediscover their "can-do spirit", at a time where confidence in the Irish economy is in short supply.

Visitors to the site, which has more than 6,000 registered users - complemented by the 8,300 fans on its accompanying Facebook page - are encouraged to exercise that "can-do" attitude and come up with their "Ireland moment".

Ideas are being invited until the end of April, when a decision-making panel will begin to decide on the winners, to be announced in September.

Whether the cattle urine proposal or the giant amusement park are still in the running remains to be seen.