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PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE LAUNCHES BRAY ENTERPRISE NETWORK WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY, 1998

PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE LAUNCHES BRAY ENTERPRISE NETWORK WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY, 1998

The President, Mary McAleese, today launched the Bray Enterprise Network at a function in the Open Door Day Care Centre in Bray.

The President referred to the energetic spirit of partnership now prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the last decade – and which had achieved enviable and viable success at national and local community level.  Irelands recent economic success had been largely brought about by the national social partnerships involving the trades unions, the employers organisations, the agricultural and State sectors. She said that the partnership approach had since been adopted in many local communities - in both urban and rural areas – bringing about a tremendous spirit of self-confidence and a “can do” mentality which was transforming communities throughout the length and breadth of the country.  She recalled her visits to many communities in city towns and villages – where people at local levels knew what their own problems were, had a clear vision of what was needed to resolve them and set about constructing the path to achieving it.  They had set up ‘strategic’ partnerships with those who could help them to address the issues, and with others who shared their problems. Out of these partnerships came the pooling of talent, wisdom, experience and other valuable resources – and the synergistic benefits which flow from working in effective, robust partnerships.

The President praised the Bray Enterprise Network on their initiative in drawing together the many local voluntary organisations, and the unemployed people in the community - along with the small and large businesses – in a partnership designed to meet the challenges facing Bray – with a growing population base, large numbers of young unemployed people and a transient workforce who work in Bray but live elsewhere.  She commended their drive to create more opportunities for local enterprise and employment in working with the larger companies, using the ‘network’ approach for establishing contacts and linkages.

The President also referred to changing nature of society in Ireland, and of the potential for further change as developments in this country and in Europe unfold over the next number of years.  She pointed to the organic nature of communities facing as they do ongoing change.  The people of Bray had proved that they could rise to challenge by coming together to form this network to address an obvious consequence of the changing structure and nature of their own community.  She said that these challenges and obstacles - and those that they are likely to meet in the future - should be seen as catalysts for bringing the community together – that the perceived necessities would stimulate inventive and constructive action at all levels.  Each problem solved builds community confidence, by releasing resources of talent, creativity and imagination that would otherwise remain locked up and unrecognised.

The President referred to the coming on stream of the Network’s services - including the Website - planned for 1st June.  She had no doubt that the enthusiasm and commitment she had seen in Bray would go a long way towards realising their objective to capitalise and build on Bray’s strengths to the benefit of business and community enterprise – and thereby improving the quality of life in Bray so that it can continue to be a place of which all of the community can be proud.

ENDS