Business Lunch hosted by Enterprise Ireland, Sydney

Business Lunch hosted by Enterprise Ireland

Speech by Michael D. Higgins President of Ireland

Sydney Opera House

Tuesday, 17th October, 2017

Is mór an pléisiúir dom a bheith anseo libh i Sydney.

It is a great pleasure to be here in the beautiful and historic city of Sydney, and to have the opportunity to meet here with representatives of business, both Australian and Irish.

It is also a delight to be here at the world-renowned Sydney Opera House, one of the most recognisable buildings on the face of the planet and a testament to the creative mind. The design of the building was inspired by nature, in many of its forms and colours. Jørn Utzon, the architect, was influenced by bird wings, the shape of clouds, shells, walnuts and palm trees. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee rightly described it thus:

“It stands by itself as one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind.”

The ingenuity and commitment that created this home to some of the world’s greatest artists and performances and changed the image of an entire country has a relevance to our gathering here today, a topic to which I will return in a moment.

Our host today is Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government’s trade and technology agency, whose core mission is to work in partnership with its client companies, Irish-owned SMEs, to grow profitable sales, global exports and jobs in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland has been active in Australia for a number of years and which has been notably successful in bringing the extensive range of Ireland’s businesses to the attention of Australian business leaders.

Export performance remains a key element of the Irish economy. During the recent economic contraction, Ireland, as an open economy, increased its exports by 40% and I would like to emphasise that it is Ireland’s export performance that continues to be responsible for our sustained economic growth. That growth is export related rather than being the consequence of any austerity programme imposed on us by the Troika.

As President of Ireland, I believe that the continuous sustaining and renewing of the ties that bind Ireland to Australia is of ever greater importance. It is an old and enduring connection but now with new possibilities. These ties have been established over many years and have continued to develop in each succeeding generation.

Irish men and women have for generations come to this country seeking a new life. Some were sent, some chose to leave, some were forced by circumstance. Many left a life of hardship, unemployment and sometimes great suffering. Australia offered them opportunities denied to them in their home country.

But the story of Irish migration to Australia is also a story of new beginnings. The Irish story in this country is woven with tales of opportunity seized, innovation and re-invention; and above all, the importance given to education and to participation in public service and politics. It’s gratifying to see the descendants of Irish people now thriving in Australian life, many of whom are with us today.

Irish people are to be found in every walk of life across Australia; in hospitals and schools, public life, banks and the digital economy as well as roles at the highest levels for example Alan Joyce, the CEO of Qantas. Our country is very conscious of the debt of gratitude we owe to our wide diaspora network and we are proud of all they have accomplished both in this country and around the world.

Ours is a close relationship of kinship and friendship. It is one that both of our peoples dearly value and I know that it will continue to deepen as we now travel, more frequently than ever, between our two countries.

Of course, one of the reasons for this travel is the fact that there are so many successful Australian firms operating in Ireland and many new Irish firms establishing themselves or expanding in this part of the world. More and more Irish businesses have looked to Australia as a key export market and Enterprise Ireland is working to connect them to the many opportunities this country offers.

The Irish companies represented in the room today are testament to the strong and growing commercial relationship that Irish and Australian people have developed in recent times.

You are representatives of modern Ireland, an Ireland that is dynamic, progressive and outward looking, an Ireland that is known the world over for its creativity and imagination, its flair for innovation, an Ireland that is culturally vibrant, tolerant and confident in its future.

Ireland today is a nation of entrepreneurship. Much like Australia, our economic success is driven by international trade. The spirit of innovation is very much part of modern Ireland’s economy and society. New start-ups have sprung up across a wide range of innovative technology sectors and are successfully competing internationally.

Innovation in industry is also powered by creativity, and both flourish in cultures and communities which value a rounded education, the importance of free-thinking and pluralist modes of teaching.

Whatever sector you are in you can derive enormous satisfaction from creative practice, originality, working hard to bring a new reality into being – bringing one’s innovative product or service the full journey from the earliest stage of development to full realisation, just like Jørn Utzon’s vision for the Sydney Opera House.

The capacity to imitate, which may exist in abundance is not as important as having the edge to create, and tradition and culture are sources of that creativity.

Across the world, Irish firms have been recognised for such creativity, energy and drive. Many have set up a base here in Australia. This week I was delighted to witness at first hand examples of the two-way business relationships between Ireland and Australia. These partnerships demonstrate, I believe, the enormous benefits which both of our countries gain from continued collaboration. I met today with a wide spectrum of Irish companies working across many industries and sectors, from education, with Akari providing curriculum management software to Sydney University, to Gartan Technologies, who provide software to emergency service organisations across Australia and to Cubic Telecom, who have made such an impact on the Australian Telecoms Market in partner with Telstra.

For the past two years Ireland has been Europe’s fastest growing economy, and this growth must be sustainable and innovation-driven. We are committed to building on the foundations we have developed for a prosperous and sustainable future through investment in the education and training of our young people, our most valuable national resource. We have the largest proportion of young people in the European Union who are qualified graduates and also in terms of their qualifying and proceeding to postgraduate work.

In light of Britain’s decision to leave the EU, we recognise the importance of expanding and deepening our international trading relationships in the 21st century. Almost nine out of ten Irish companies plan to extend into new international markets over the next twelve months.

The number of Australian companies with a presence in Ireland is growing year by year. Our competitive economy, matched with our highly educated, multilingual workforce, has made Ireland a hub for international investment. We are pleased that many of Australia’s leading firms such as Macquarie Bank, Resmed and SiteMinder have chosen Ireland for their international expansion. I welcome these developments and the worthwhile careers that these companies offer young Irish people.

Ireland’s energy and determination mirrors Australia’s in many ways – our strengths align and are mutually reinforcing. We have a young and highly qualified population, the youngest in Europe, with 40% of our people under the age of 29. Our citizens have in common a strength for research, creativity and innovation and I very much look forward to the sharing of ideas and connections for the future that such a dynamic can generate. As new technology continues to disrupt many previous economic certainties, I’m confident that this generation of Irish people will rise to the challenge of this new global landscape.

In conclusion, may I thank you all for joining myself and Sabina here today and for your work in developing partnerships with Ireland, both present and future.

I congratulate the Irish companies present here on their continued success in Australia and look forward to the new relationships formed as a result of this visit.

It is my sincerest hope that the relations between Australia and Ireland will deepen and strengthen in the years ahead.

Beir bua agus beannacht.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.