US: President Mary McAleese has stressed the central role that universal access to education played in creating Ireland's economic success. Speaking to business leaders in Denver, Mrs McAleese said that Ireland had a long history of valuing education for its own sake.
"More recently, however, education was prized for what it offered in terms of job opportunity and security. Indeed one of the most significant and farsighted steps taken by an Irish government was the decision to make second-level education free in 1969. In the 1990s we consolidated this by improving access to third-level education which today is also fees-free," she said.
Mrs McAleese pointed out that, while US companies employ 90,000 people in Ireland, Irish firms employ 55,000 in the US.
At a state dinner hosted for the President by Colorado governor Bill Owens, Mrs McAleese said that Ireland had matured as a nation and had learnt much on the path to economic development.
"The lessons include the realisation that avoidance of change and an inward-looking approach does not protect employment or encourage economic growth. We can see, too, that economic success and social inclusiveness are inextricably linked," she said.
Mr Owens said that states such as his should look at Ireland's economic model as they once looked towards the Scandinavian, German and Japanese models of economic development. He expressed support for an immigration bill that would allow tens of thousands of illegal Irish immigrants to remain in the US and eventually apply for citizenship.
Mrs McAleese yesterday visited Denver's Regis University, which has links with University College Galway. She travels to South Bend, Indiana, tomorrow to deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame University.