Sir, - In June, Ireland will assume the presidency of the EU. The number one item on the agenda during our period of office will be unemployment. A clock in each town, indicating the number of people there on the live register, and noting each decrease or increase, could go a long way to focussing our minds on this serious problem and to keeping them focussed. The Lotto might consider offering awards for each significant reduction in the number of unemployed people.
No doubt, more people would support the Lotto if stated sums were to be spent in this way. A few million could prove a great incentive towards generating more jobs. So why not switch on job clocks in time for Ireland's presidency of the EU and have something really worthwhile to celebrate on December 31st 1999?
Like the clock in the Liffey, many of those round the country might also register zero at midnight that night. Change is possible. We all have power to bring it about. - Yours, etc.
Loreto Convent,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.