New Horizon Mall

source

Vanquished wrote: »

One measure that could be implemented very easily and quickly is increasing the Garda presence and the number of patrols in the city centre. It is shockingly lacking at the minute. They also need to make it their business to target the beggars and junkies who irritate and intimidate shoppers on a daily basis!

Can I ask how you plan on increasing these numbers when there hasn't been a single intake of trainee Gardai through Templemore since 2009?

Gardai don't grow on trees, there's a long recruitment and training process involved before one can go on the streets and perform.

stefanovich

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I really don't know why people think the presence of M&S will turn things around. I usually have a look in there when I'm in Galway and there isn't anything in there that you wouldn't find anywhere else, except that M&S prices are too high for what they're selling.

Women tend to have a look in all the clothing outlets in a shopping centre and make decisions based on price as much as anything else. So in that respect M&S would be on to a loser. Their sales are down in the Uk and there's hardly a throng of people in the Galway branch whenever I've been in there. I was going to buy a 3 pack of socks for my husband last time I was in but they were looking for 15 quid:eek: I could have bought much the same thing for less than a fiver in Penneys.

Not sure I trust your extremely subjective analysis of the viability of M&S in Ireland. Also, I don't shop in Penney's as I've found that the quality isn't the best. You get what you pay for.

stefanovich

Vanquished wrote: »

They also need to make it their business to target the beggars and junkies who irritate and intimidate shoppers on a daily basis!

Not illegal to beg in Ireland.

Kess73

pigtown wrote: »

I find the 'lack of suitable retail space' argument to be false to be honest. At the moment, large units are available at the former Instore place, that new building on Thomas St., the unit beneath the George Hotel, the old Dunnes on O'Connell St., the other one on Sarsfield St., amongst others. And for a long time the new Hook & Ladder unit, the Dealz unit, and all of those modern units on Sarsfield St., were empty.

In other cities if a retailer wants to expand they buy the space next door, like River Island did when Next moved out of Cruises St. I don't understand why they need other people to take the initiative for them in Limerick.

Saying that, I see an opening for a new office in the council with responsibility for attracting new retailers. It need only be one or two people, who have a list of all vacant retail space in the city and suburbs. They then effectively cold call the retailers, giving a presentation about the city, catchment area, economic data etc, and try to match them with the most suitable retail space in the city.

That is the kind of thinking that has appeared to seem alien to those in the council for years now. I think that is a really good idea that could pay dividends if it were implemented properly and a little bit of money was thrown at the idea to allow for professional presentations and for accurate data to be compiled.

As a business owner I have met with representatives from the council over the years with regards to potentially bringing projects to Limerick, and when the meetings took place I got to sit down with folks who had no up to date facts or figures to hand, who had obviously not done any prep work in advance, and who gave lots of answers that had the words "it is probably in the ballpark of" in them.

Since then I have opened branches in Cork, Galway, and Liverpool, and by the end of this year I hope to have two more branches opening in Dublin and Birmingham. Mid to late 2015 should see a Kerry branch opening and possibly a smaller branch in one of the Tipperary towns. Limerick city remains very much on the long finger, and at this stage if I do decide to try Limerick again I am most likely going to wait until a suitable unit is available in the Crescent Shopping centre and drop the idea of having a branch on O'Connell street.

In all of those other cities and towns I met with people who knew the facts and figures about the town/city/rates/footfall etc., and who were able to tell me straight away what was or was not feasible with regards to what I wished to do and who were able to offer suggestions with regards to alternative sites etc.

Maybe I was just unlucky each time with regards to who I met in Limerick, but if I go into a meeting and have taken the time to have the correct figures with me, and have taken the time to put together a properly laid out business plan, then the least that should be sitting down with me are folks who can read and evaluate that information, and who are able to discuss the pros and cons in a manner that suggests they know what they are talking about.

As a business owner I don't expect to be pandered to, but I do expect a professional approach and accurate information when I sit down at scheduled meetings.

Poxyshamrock

What's your line of business, Kess?

What would make your business more viable in Tipperary or Kerry than on Limerick's main street? Cheaper rates?

Kess73

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

What's your line of business, Kess?

What would make your business more viable in Tipperary or Kerry than on Limerick's main street? Cheaper rates?

Rates and rent do come into it, but things like footfall and projected spend per square foot etc all play a part as well.

Another big factor, for me at least, is how much work I would actually have to do on a unit ( basically how modern it is in terms of fixtures etc.) and also things like how delivery friendly an area is.

There are of course a lot of other factors that come into play, some seasonal, some not, but all play a part.


Branches in Tipperary and Kerry will be smaller than what I would have opened in Limerick city, but a fairer comparison would be my Galway city and Cork city branches as both of those would be on the same scale to what I originally planned for Limerick and both of those were brought into existence for less outlay that what a Limerick branch would have cost me at the time.

And to further add to the costs side of things, my Dublin branch will have comparable costs to what doing business on a similar scale in Limerick city would, and from my pov there is something wrong when doing business in a much smaller city can incur similar costs to doing business in the capital. Would be like a store in Liverpool costing as much to run/set up as an identical one in London.

I do have a Limerick link to my business at present as I set up the logistics side of my business here as being central between Cork and Galway is a great help, as is proximity to Shannon airport. Plus the road network out of Limerick suits my needs.


As for my line of business, well not to be overly obvious but I am in retail.


I know it sounds like I may have a downer on Limerick, but it is more frustration than anything else because I think Limerick city has a crazy amount of potential, and think it has scope for more growth in terms of % than what Cork and Galway have at present.

What scares me about and for Limerick city is that I see an awful lot now in Limerick that is similar to what was going on back home in Liverpool in the 1980's and 1990's. I see similar decline and similar rising unemployment. Similar jumps in social housing and what not.

But there is no sign of what was done in Liverpool happening over here. For example when Liverpool was announced as getting the European city of culture, and I know Limerick does not have this, there were millions upon millions pumped into building things like Liverpool One (which created thousands upon thousands of jobs), and there was a major push to relocate lots of the public sector and office jobs in Liverpool.

Have said this before in here, but the similarities between Limerick 2014 and Liverpool circa 1984 and 1994 are very eye catching to me, and the similarities between the locals in both cities has always caught my attention as well.

Just think that the authorities in Limerick could do a lot worse than to look at the problems that Liverpool faced, and at the solutions that were looked into and tried. Now I do not or would not expect the same type of financial investment into Limerick as what happened in Liverpool, but I do firmly believe that a lot of what was done there could work in Limerick city.

Things like

A big push to promote inner city living
A big push for public service and office based work in the city centre
A big push to stimulate growth in both the retail and services industries
A massive push to promote and grow cultural attractions



Liverpool is far from being a perfect city, but it is a city that has gone from being a favourite whipping boy in it's own country to being a city that punches it's weight across the board. Limerick has a similar whipping boy status at times here in Ireland, so it would be fantastic to see the city getting to the stage where it could genuinely go punch for punch with comparable(ish) sized cities like of Cork and Galway.

Vinz Mesrine

Do you mind me asking what shops you run Kess? Obviously, you're not plugging your own business in any way so I assume it's ok.

Would the demand be there in Limerick for your shop?

Kess73

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Do you mind me asking what shops you run Kess? Obviously, you're not plugging your own business in any way so I assume it's ok.

Would the demand be there in Limerick for your shop?

Not going to name my business as I would prefer not to give away my real name etc to anyone on here that does not already have it, but would see no reason why Limerick would be any different to Cork, Galway, Liverpool, and soon Dublin and Birmingham in terms of customer base for me.


My business is not one that caters for such a niche market that it cannot draw enough sustained business in smaller towns/cities, although I am looking into trying something seperate to my retail branches that would be more niche in nature, but will be launching it in a large UK city in order to use the larger population to increase the chances of that niche business succeeding.

Vanquished

stefanovich wrote: »

Not illegal to beg in Ireland.

I think you'll find it is actually. Unless you are legally authorised to do so. As in have a permit.

The Dagda

Vanquished wrote: »

I think you'll find it is actually. Unless you are legally authorised to do so. As in have a permit.

It's not illegal to beg in Ireland...

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/high-court-ruling-helps-put-beggars-back-on-our-streets-29210883.html

Vanquished

The Dagda wrote: »

It's not illegal to beg in Ireland...

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/high-court-ruling-helps-put-beggars-back-on-our-streets-29210883.html

Read the article. It refers to a specific situation whereby a certain element claim ignorance and an inability to understand English and then get off on a technicality!

Unfortunately that disappointing but all too predictable interpretation by that judge has rendered implementation and enforcement extremely difficult. But essentially it is illegal to beg unless you are in possession of licence!

The Dagda

Vanquished wrote: »

Read the article. It refers to a specific situation whereby a certain element claim ignorance and an inability to understand English and then get off on a technicality!

Unfortunately that disappointing but all too predictable interpretation by that judge has rendered implementation and enforcement extremely difficult. But essentially it is illegal to beg unless you are in possession of licence!

The case was specific but the the ruling means that the begging law is now defunct.

acalmenvoy

Where's the ' New Horizon Mall' thread, link keeps bringing me here?

Vanquished

The Dagda wrote: »

The case was specific but the the ruling means that the begging law is now defunct.

It is still in place but sadly the difficulties with securing convictions means that it won't be enforced.

The entire judicial system in this country requires a radical overhaul but that's a different debate entirely!

Vanquished

source wrote: »

Can I ask how you plan on increasing these numbers when there hasn't been a single intake of trainee Gardai through Templemore since 2009?

Gardai don't grow on trees, there's a long recruitment and training process involved before one can go on the streets and perform.

Why would you need to recruit extra Gardai for this purpose? Obviously overall numbers in the force have fallen in recent years. But the last time I heard Limerick had the highest number of Gardai in the country per head of population.

Back at the beginning of the year the city business association were promised dedicated city centre patrols during business hours. Possibly four officers if I remember correctly.

source

Vanquished wrote: »

Why would you need to recruit extra Gardai for this purpose? Obviously overall numbers in the force have fallen in recent years. But the last time I heard Limerick had the highest number of Gardai in the country per head of population.

Back at the beginning of the year the city business association were promised dedicated city centre patrols during business hours. Possibly four officers if I remember correctly.

There are a lot of things happening behind the scenes that people don't see. When I was working in AGS there were 30 Gardai, on my unit.

Out of that 30, there were 3 required for the communications room, 1 jailer and 1 public office. There were 6 armed protection posts taking 2 members each, usually other stations would help, so say 8 from my unit.

There were 3 on long term sick due to injury/serious illness. Then there was an allowance for 5 on leave each day.

You then had court and courses, there were times when we were lucky to field 2 cars.

Now granted it's quite a while since I was a guard, but this will give you some insight as to why the beat can be sometimes neglected.

Vanquished

I'm aware of the range of roles and responsibilities that have to be fulfilled but street policing should be an absolute prerequisite. It should be part of the forces bread and butter. An adequate on street police presence is essential for any large urban area.

It's very noticeable on the continent that a visible police presence in town and city centres is a high priority and something that they just take for granted.

A more effective and efficient use of resources has to be found especially now that a commitment has been given to restart recruitment. Having guards stuck behind desks doing paperwork is beyond a waste!

source

Vanquished wrote: »

I'm aware of the range of roles and responsibilities that have to be fulfilled but street policing should be an absolute prerequisite. It should be part of the forces bread and butter. An adequate on street police presence is essential for any large urban area.

It's very noticeable on the continent that a visible police presence in town and city centres is a high priority and something that they just take for granted.

A more effective and efficient use of resources has to be found especially now that a commitment has been given to restart recruitment. Having guards stuck behind desks doing paperwork is beyond a waste!

I agree there should be more beat patrol in the city centre, but when you're that under resourced you send your available resources where the calls are. It's no use having two Gardai wandering around town to act as a deterrent when the only other two gardai on patrol in the district have a 3 hour long call backlog. Those people deserve a response, the fact that there's two gardai in town acting as a deterrent is no use to them.

As for paperwork there's nobody else to do it. You can't get civilians to do it, you can't have a civilian going out to get an injured party statement, or a cautioned statement. You can't have them do the arresting member or the assisting member statement or the case report. They can't do charge sheets, bail, or court schedules. Practically speaking, there is very little paperwork a civilian can do for AGS.

Poxyshamrock

Planning refused!

Kess73

Well that is one more excuse taken from the list for the local authorities to use as to why businesses are still in decline in the city centre.



Was wondering through the "Fashion" quarter the other day, and for the life of me I cannot understand why there is not a push to create a proper Fashion Quarter rather than expecting a few signs to fool people.


It just got me thinking that reduced rates and the like could be offered to fashion related businesses if they took up units on Roches street etc., and use incentives as a means to create a proper fashion quarter.


Similar incentives could be applied to other sections of the city centre and we could get more Service or Retail themed Quarters in the city centre.

1huge1

Probably for the best, it was the non logical side of my brain that wanted to see this go through (just years of seeing that eyesore had a lot to do with it).

As to whether this means something will be done in the city on the other hand, the Opera centre is pretty much ear marked for UL now so its unlikely to ever be a mall right?

Not necessarily retail, but finishing the Hanging gardens would be a good start to get more employees in the city and hopefully spending money in the city.

Iranoutofideas

Great, Can they tear down that eyesore of a site now so?

pigtown

Am I right in thinking that the original planning permission still stands? Wasn't this application for a scaled down version of the centre?
EDIT: Just read the article and this is the case. Here's hoping the original plan isn't commercially viable and it doesn't get completed.

On a related note, that paper was advertising a feature on business in Limerick? Did anyone read it? Is anything new in it?

Poxyshamrock

I got the SBP this morning for the retail in a Limerick article, pigtown. Nothing new in it. I imagine it was just to give people outside Limerick a taste of the problem the city faces and what's being done to tackle it.

iora_rua

So, is that the end of us ever getting a decent M&S within reasonable driving distance?

puntosporting

Load of bollix!
Jobs people! town is ****ed anyway !

bazz26

A case of closing the gate when the horse has already bolted imo.

salamanca22

Out of interest why are people so against this? It will create a lot of jobs for Limerick and will bring people in from further away. Town is pretty much done for anyway.

iguana

puntosporting wrote: »

Load of bollix!
Jobs people! town is ****ed anyway !

And what do you think would have happened to the jobs of the people working in the Parkway, Aldi, Word of Wonder, Next, TK Maxx, Heatons, Smyths, Burton, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins, Argos and all of the masses of other shops that are already competing in the already oversaturated market in the same .2 of a square mile that this mall would have gone? There are already plenty of empty units in that area. The market isn't there to fill the premises that currently exist. If a new mall opened it would just mean job losses elsewhere.

jbkenn

salamanca22 wrote: »

Out of interest why are people so against this? It will create a lot of jobs for Limerick and will bring people in from further away. Town is pretty much done for anyway.

You have some facts to back up this assertion?, or is it just wishful thinking.

salamanca22

jbkenn wrote: »

You have some facts to back up this assertion?, or is it just wishful thinking.

What assertion? Where I suggest that town is pretty much done for?

I don't really need to go digging for facts do I when it is plainly obvious that it is deteriorating. I walk through town twice a day and it is but a shadow of what it was before.

It will take some serious effort to fix it and if it hasn't happened by now then I don't see it happening very soon either.

ongarboy

It sounds like there is nowhere in the city centre to accommodate an equivalent retail centre for the likes of M&S etc either. The Opera Centre is now to be used for a secondary UL campus, student accommodation and other non retail uses.

The only suitable city centre place I can think of is the dilapidated old Dunnes Sarsfield centre. The problem with this is Dunnes hold onto their idle properties like newborn babies rather than let competitors pay big money to occupy them. This is what they have done with many of their traditional older town centre outlets (Tralee, Kilkenny, Wexford, O'Connell St-Limerick etc) that they closed leaving ugly eyesore gaps on the towns main/high streets.

1huge1

salamanca22 wrote: »

What assertion? Where I suggest that town is pretty much done for?

I don't really need to go digging for facts do I when it is plainly obvious that it is deteriorating. I walk through town twice a day and it is but a shadow of what it was before.

It will take some serious effort to fix it and if it hasn't happened by now then I don't see it happening very soon either.

Well the country has been in a significant downturn over the past 6 years and only now things are getting brighter again. So retail was going to be hit either way.

As much as it would be nice to have a city centre alternative to the horizon mall, that probably won't happen (Opera centre was the only really opportunity). But there is great potential to revive parts of the city centre, especially with retail sales on the increase once again.

The_Dave

ongarboy wrote: »

It sounds like there is nowhere in the city centre to accommodate an equivalent retail centre for the likes of M&S etc either. The Opera Centre is now to be used for a secondary UL campus, student accommodation and other non retail uses.

The only suitable city centre place I can think of is the dilapidated old Dunnes Sarsfield centre. The problem with this is Dunnes hold onto their idle properties like newborn babies rather than let competitors pay big money to occupy them. This is what they have done with many of their traditional older town centre outlets (Tralee, Kilkenny, Wexford, O'Connell St-Limerick etc) that they closed leaving ugly eyesore gaps on the towns main/high streets.

I believe councils can take control of derelict sites (possibly through CPOs) I cannot find the legislation though

vkid

salamanca22 wrote: »

What assertion? Where I suggest that town is pretty much done for?

I don't really need to go digging for facts do I when it is plainly obvious that it is deteriorating. I walk through town twice a day and it is but a shadow of what it was before.

It will take some serious effort to fix it and if it hasn't happened by now then I don't see it happening very soon either.

Not sure I agree. There is a lot of sale agreed sold and let signs around the place. Doubt they are there for the craic. Its not going to happen overnight either.

Property owners have a serious disregard for their buildings in limerick though. The state of some of the Georgian stock is criminal. They should be forced to upkeep. O'Connell street is also disgraceful.

FobleAsNuck

The_Dave wrote: »

I believe councils can take control of derelict sites (possibly through CPOs) I cannot find the legislation though

all it takes is for Dunnes to paint them every now and then

1huge1

Assume you're referring to the old one on Sarsfield Street, its been derelict for over 6 years at this stage. A lot of potential there too, such a shame. Was very impressed with how Hook and Ladder improved the building just up the road.

Though I would imagine that old Dunnes would have to be knocked, horrible looking even when it was in use.

Totally Tropical

puntosporting wrote: »

Load of bollix!
Jobs people! town is ****ed anyway !

With an attitude like that it would anyway.Thank god this development was turned down.The city centre is showing signs of recovery we can't be having that undermined.Let's do something about the vacant business fronts that are still in the city centre and there will be plenty of jobs then without inflicting another bland and soulless shopping mall on the city.

Iranoutofideas

If you want to talk about reviving the city, what can be done and the viability of these proposals then talk to business people currently operating there.

The average joe soap generally hasn't a clue what they are talking about when it comes to this kind of thing.

salamanca22

vkid wrote: »

Not sure I agree. There is a lot of sale agreed sold and let signs around the place. Doubt they are there for the craic. Its not going to happen overnight either.

Property owners have a serious disregard for their buildings in limerick though. The state of some of the Georgian stock is criminal. They should be forced to upkeep. O'Connell street is also disgraceful.

I hope I am proven wrong to be honest as I have too many childhood memories of going around town with the family that are being tarnished with the state of town at the moment.

I just don't agree with peoples sentiment that having another mall available is a bad thing. It will create a massive amount of jobs while it is being constructed and will create jobs when it is opened and not to mention upping the profile of Limerick if it had anchors like M&S.

Sure jobs may be lost in the areas around it but I put it to those naysayers that more jobs will be created overall and those that may lose jobs in areas around it will likely be prioritised for employment for the positions in the new mall as they have the experience. There will always be collateral damage though when progress is involved.

yankinlk

i fail to see how refusal of planning is hailed as a victory by anyone other than biased competing traders. its not like ground was not broken already. the site was in progress, and now we have an enormous eyesore.
is there any plan to address this? tear it down or build it, but leave it in limbo is seriously bad. is there a single route into the city that is not an eyesore? best view is the bypass...

did the project not have permission to be started? is there a list of genuine reasons why it was refused this time?

Poxyshamrock

yankinlk wrote: »

i fail to see how refusal of planning is hailed as a victory by anyone other than biased competing traders. its not like ground was not broken already. the site was in progress, and now we have an enormous eyesore.
is there any plan to address this? tear it down or build it, but leave it in limbo is seriously bad. is there a single route into the city that is not an eyesore? best view is the bypass...

did the project not have permission to be started? is there a list of genuine reasons why it was refused this time?

Oh yeah, the Ennis Road is such a dump! :rolleyes:

Insect Overlord

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Oh yeah, the Ennis Road is such a dump! :rolleyes:

In fairness, apart from Tesco, the Coonagh Cross site is almost as bad as the Parkway Valley.

mitresize5

In all the conversations about out of town/in town/opera centres/cresent extensions the one thing that keeps baffling me is the obsession with Marks and Spensers .... its like a department store that's demographic is half way between Pennies and BT is the white knight riding to the rescue of Limerick City,

I cant get me head around it at all

Kess73

mitresize5 wrote: »

In all the conversations about out of town/in town/opera centres/cresent extensions the one thing that keeps baffling me is the obsession with Marks and Spensers .... its like a department store that's demographic is half way between Pennies and BT is the white knight riding to the rescue of Limerick City,

I cant get me head around it at all

M&S coming to Limerick would be a good thing, especially if they were to open a store of the scale that they had planned to open in the Horizon Mall ( What they had planned for was going to be their second biggest store in Ireland, and it would have been their biggest store in Munster by some distance), as it would create jobs, both primary and secondary, and it would bring in people from outside of Limerick city ( Their stores in Clonmel, Cork etc are very good examples of how they bring in the sort of numbers that have a positive knock on effect on the footfall for the surrounding areas.) into the vicinity


But they are obviously not a fix for the state (in terms of retail and services) that Limerick has been let get into over the past decade. M&S coming to Limerick would be a good thing, but would only be one step in the right direction if we are talking retail only in terms of a city plan.

I know there are other non retail related changes that the city needs, and those things would have the potential to have a massive positive impact, but I am only talking retail in this post due to the M&S/ Horizon Mall topic.

vkid

mitresize5 wrote: »

In all the conversations about out of town/in town/opera centres/cresent extensions the one thing that keeps baffling me is the obsession with Marks and Spensers .... its like a department store that's demographic is half way between Pennies and BT is the white knight riding to the rescue of Limerick City,

I cant get me head around it at all

I am lost myself on that one.. I have never understood the fascination with the place, but might depend on the size of them as well. The one in liffey valley has some nice food, didn't see anything else of note...but the one in Galway is totally laughable. Your average Lidl is as big.

squonk

Speaking as somebody new to Limerick I think that the city center has been utterly ruined by building shopping centers outside the center area. Say what you like but there isn't all that much choice in the city center. Yes there are the BTs and a good few clothes shops but the situation would be far better if some redevelopment within the center had been considered.

As a non car owner it's a pain in the hole having to head out to the cresent for some decent shopping. I don't get the obsession with far out shopping centers when there's a whole existing city center that could be redeveloped and which would invigorate the city. It's not rocket science. The experiment has failed. Back to the drawing board and some common sense.

damienirel

Congrats to Limerick Co. for being corrupt and as short sighted as we've come to expect.
And think of all those people that will be saved from having to get up and go to work instead of the dole, major pain in the backside averted. :-)

damienirel

"We're dealing with all the vagaries of a planning system that is shrouded in mystery. We'll just have to make a judgment."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/belfast-developer-suneil-sharma-still-hopes-for-80m-limerick-mall-green-light-30535411.html

Kess73

squonk wrote: »

Speaking as somebody new to Limerick I think that the city center has been utterly ruined by building shopping centers outside the center area. Say what you like but there isn't all that much choice in the city center. Yes there are the BTs and a good few clothes shops but the situation would be far better if some redevelopment within the center had been considered.

As a non car owner it's a pain in the hole having to head out to the cresent for some decent shopping. I don't get the obsession with far out shopping centers when there's a whole existing city center that could be redeveloped and which would invigorate the city. It's not rocket science. The experiment has failed. Back to the drawing board and some common sense.

Keep an eye on local media over a 12 month period. Without fail every year there will be three or four "stories" about how a one massive development or another is on the brink of being built in the city centre.

As for the out of town shopping centres, well the only one of any real note is the Crescent Shopping centre. All the rest are small and/or in a bad way. The Crescent Shopping centre opened in 1973, so it is not as though the powers that be have not have had the time to come up with a coherant and achieveable long term plan for the city centre that actually happens.

At present the city is undergoing through the latest great plan to modernise and improve it, but have a feeling that come this time next year and the yeat after that we will still see the number of city centre businesses that close continuing to rise, and we will still be hearing tales about how massive employment and massive development is just about to happen.


Too many people in positions who are trying to use empty soundbytes to raise their own profiles, and not enough by way of joined up thinking. Reminds me of how politics at national level is done here in Ireland. Most politicians seem to focus on what will get them elected, and what will give them a chance to be re-elected, but very few seem to want to try and set things in motion that will
benefit the country much further down the line.

There is an old Greek proverb that will be familar to anyone who studied philosophy that rings true for me.


A Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in


A bit corny? Maybe

But it does suggest the kind of mindset needed to make long term and sustainable positive change.