On the general question, the delegation mentioned many elements of what we did over the years. I have been a Member of Dáil Éireann since 1977 and I was involved in the development of the Celtic Tiger. One of the most important elements arose from the fact that within the State people constantly criticised one another. Farmers criticised business people who criticised trade unions who criticised both other groups, and everyone criticised the Government. We are good at criticising ourselves. That happened continually and we went around in circles until we formed the social partnership, which brought the four pillars, the Government, trade unions, business people and farmers, around a big square table. Another pillar made up of people involved in community development was later added.
Those groups came together and decided it was pointless to fight continually over wages. They decided to see what could be achieved by putting everything on the table, showing all the cards they held and listening to other ideas. As a result the Government was required to state that a certain amount of the wealth and growth created must go to older people and people with disabilities, and a certain amount was put towards research and development for the future and investing in educational facilities. Industry and business sought grants to develop new industry and farmers had many requirements, as would Faroese fishermen.
We worked on everything that was put on the table and developed a plan which was extremely detailed and included instructions on what to do, how it was to be done and who would be involved. It was not merely a macro plan. It included all the micro-elements which hold the key to making developments in small industries and businesses. Social partnership and education were vital and formed the two major elements. Prior to social partnership we had a good education system but all of those educated were for export and one finds they built businesses in America and all over the world. An estimated 74 million people of Irish origin live outside Ireland, in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, America and Europe. The largest amount is approximately 44 million in the United States. The Famine had a major impact on this country and that had been the tradition since then.
In 1966 when the then Minister for Education made a special drive with regard to second level education he did not have much money but he made a start which had to be continued. It was done on a slim budget. The leaving certificate examination is sat by students aged approximately 18 years. In 1987 when we initiated the system of programmes for development, we invested heavily in further education, not merely in university education but also in the two-year post-leaving certificate courses chosen by many people who do not attend university. Approximately 15% of those who complete those courses continue to university.
We moved to a broader spectrum of educational provision. We also moved away from the old idea of universities as places where people were there to be consulted and considered to be the experts. We encouraged the universities to become much more involved with industry, government and business and to engage in planning. In turn, the universities sought more funding for research, in which we have invested a great deal recently. In tourism, for example, we can now bring together the views of many people involved in the industry, not just those with an interest at university level. The same applies to music, in respect of which we can examine the scope and potential to expand the market.
Having access to the European Union is another major advantage enjoyed by this country. I understand the Faroe Islands have a free trade agreement with the European Union. Before Ireland joined, it was very much out on its own, an island with a big brother beside it, namely, the United Kingdom, which forced us to supply agricultural produce at very low cost. We were very dependent on agriculture and could not get ourselves out of that situation. However, when we joined the European Union, we established a minimum level for agricultural prices, which provided stability. This, in turn, meant that people could move from the land in a more organised fashion because there were other opportunities available which EU membership gave us time to develop. All of these factors came together simultaneously.
Members of the delegation should examine what has been done in Ireland. They should look at the tax incentives offered and the approach Ireland adopted. We tried to secure development with a social balance, an aspect in which I was very much involved when Minister in the former Department of Social Welfare in five Governments. I also served in the Department of Agriculture and Food and the former Department of the Marine.
The Irish case provides many ideas for development but it is for the people of the Faroe Islands to decide on the strategy to be adopted. As Deputy Carey stressed, education is crucial. While social partnership was the most important element of our development, the next most important driving force was the education system. I was one of the few graduates who did not emigrate. I stayed at home and tried to work here——
