In his opening address, President Higgins delivered a passionate speech calling for a fundamental rethink of the structure and nature of the economy, imploring students to try and build a society based on shared common good and inclusiveness rather than self-aggrandisement and individual gain. He repeatedly attacked the faceless, market-oriented nature of the economy in the Celtic Tiger era, as he saw it, and noted the environmental and social costs of untrammeled economic growth, underlining the need for a more inclusive and socially cohesive society, as well as a new theoretical approach to political economy.
In the second half of his speech, President Higgins tried to offer ideas for fostering economic growth by highlighting the creative industries as an example. He pointed out that the sector, one close to his heart as a poet and former Minister for Arts and Culture, had grown by almost 9% in the period 2000-2005, and opined that this could be a lucrative outlet for growth in the future.
The Forum’s co-founder Patrick Lynch explained in his introduction how there was a desire among students today to create a platform for discussion on issues of social and economic importance, and to stake a claim in shaping the nation’s future, hoping that the Trinity Economic Forum would fill this void.
President Higgins’s address was followed by a survey of the Irish economy at present by economics editor of the Irish Times, Dan O’Brien, which brought delegates back down to earth, reminding them of pressing economic issues and rather dampening the triumphant atmosphere created by the President’s idealistic and intellectually engaging speech. Other guests who attended over the weekend included John Bowman of RTÉ, Mark Fitzgerald of Sherry Fitzgerald, Eamon Ryan, Green Party leader and former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, and Mark Little of Storyful.
