Taoiseach: Stop acting as if waiting for Armageddon

The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has called on the Irish public to leave aside the negativity and to stop waiting for Armageddon to happen. Speaking to the region's business leaders at the Midland Gateway Chamber Ambassadors Ball in Tullamore last weekend, he also strongly criticised what he described as an unbalanced media commentary that was impacting on confidence and feeding a fear factor. "I do think we need more balanced commentary in this country about where we are at," he told industry and commercial figures from Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar. "There was a crisis of confidence here because of the jolt that hit us. Let's drive it on from here now. Let the positive message overwhelm the wave of negativity that people are frankly fed up of because there is no future in that," he argued, during an on-stage interview with Albert Fitzgerald, CEO of Midlands 103. "It's incumbent on all of us to give people a sense of hope. We are carrying on here as if people were waiting for Armageddon. Let's keep the head here and get on with our lives and not be putting the head down wondering how are we going to get out of this," he said. And, citing the example of he said the success stories of Irish industry were not be sufficiently publicised, "Let's hear more about these success stories. I think the local media is far better than the others. "What we have to do is face up to where we are at, get on with doing a job of putting the country back on it feet and try and keep social cohesion within our country." And he contrasted the lack of confidence in Ireland with the positive sentiment towards the country overseas. "The real irony is that there is a lot of confidence internally among the investment community and bond markets but unfortunately it is not being mirrored by domestic confidence." He said as a country we need to try and emphasise the positives without being in denial about the challenges ahead. He said his job was now to try and instill confidence. "The actions we have taken in the new situation that we find ourselves in are absolutely necessary and imperative. We now have to continue on that road. We don't have an option we just have to get on with it." Stating that it was now accepted that "business as usual is over" and that it was unsustainable to borrow €400m per week, he said: "We are in a new place ... We have to compete in a far more difficult business environment." However, he pointed out that in the first quarter of this year there had been "a levelling off". And he insisted that Ireland had within its capability the potential to turn the situation around. "Irish business is a far more professional sector than it was ten, fifteen, twenty years ago," he argued. The Taoiseach also highlighted that the intellectual capacity of our people remained Ireland's best natural resource. He predicted the engine for recovery would be expert-driven growth - but lamented what he called a fear factor that was hampering the return to growth. And he defended the bank guarantee scheme, arguing: "September 29 was the biggest decision I ever had to make. I believe eventually that history will prove us right. Asked about the impact of political criticism the Taoiseach said: "From time to time, there a few situations where you say to yourself I could have done without that." However, he insisted negative personal comment did not affect him. "I don't mind that. We all have a thick skin in this business."