[FONT=Verdana][FONT=Arial]..Ireland has been poor in managing big projects and last month, in the Irish Times, I gave the example of the almost 36 years to complete 80 kilometres of continuous motorway/dual carriageway, from Dublin to the Cork/Limerick side of Portlaoise..[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana][FONT=Arial]In 1973, the year Ireland joined the then European Economic Community, 55% of total Irish exports went to the UK. In 2009, foreign-owned firms - - mainly American - - are responsible for 90% of Irish exports. Of the remaining 10% from Irish-owned firms, 50% go to the UK. Shouldn't we look at why our exporting record and development of new internationally tradable goods and services firms, is so poor?[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana][FONT=Arial]Shouldn't we at least properly examine the value of the budget of over €8 billion to become a "world-class knowledge economy" by 2013 - - which will be an unrealised dream? Shouldn't the likes of .. Ray Kinsella, other academics and policy makers wonder why the biggest home-grown tech company Iona was sold to a US firm of more recent vintage last year? <article continues>[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1016650.shtml
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