Co-operatives lead the way

A chara, – Page 3 of your Business + Innovation section (August 12th) is quite unusual in stating a problem and referencing the solution on the same page without connecting the two.

The first article bemoans the lack of “entrepreneurship” in Ireland. If this is seen merely as some sort of individual superhero putting his underpants over his costume in a telephone box and then flying off to save the planet, then yes, there is a lack of entrepreneurship.

However, if it is seen as groups of people coming together to reach solutions to the economic problems they face then there is much more of it about than the article acknowledges. The lower article refers to Cork Taxi Co-operative.

This is only one of thousands of co-operatives in Ireland. From tenants managing their own housing, to workers managing their own employment; from credit unions to farmers’ co-ops, to ourselves, consumers managing their own retailer, there is a strong and vibrant co-operative sector in Ireland. Most of these owner-members would not see themselves as entrepreneurs, nevertheless they are making a significant contribution to economic activity.

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Unlike entrepreneurship models there is little incentive for co-operative owners to sell out to a faceless multi-national. Co-operatives in Ireland are almost entirely owned and managed by Irish residents, for fairly obvious reasons. Profits are returned to members and not sent overseas. Jobs and wealth are normally diffused through the local economy and not sent out as part of a global supply chain.

Rather than try to attract footloose global capital and seek mythical entrepreneurs, Ireland would do better to invest in its indigenous co-operative enterprises through improved legislation, simpler models of financial investment, and the development of expert support networks to enable diffusion of knowledge in the way other countries have managed. – Is mise,

NORMAN RIDES,

General Manager,

Dublin Food Co-op,

Newmarket,

Dublin 8.