I guess the Leno video was the final straw  most definitely a call for action.

The current crisis that has engulfed our very talented nation requires strong leadership.

Though it may require you to move outside your comfort zone, ongoing communication with the people of this country is a necessary and essential strategy.
Speaking in the Dail – though useful, isnt the only approach.

I recommend that for the duration of this Government that a State of the Nation Address happens monthly on a chosen day just after the nine o clock news. In this time period, the various pressing issues are addressed, the actions that are being taken are highlighted and indeed advice is sought from the public through forums etc so that they recognise they too have a part to play in the process.

As you are probably aware Einstein once said you cannot solve problems with the thinking that created them. Honouring this wisdom, I believe you need to look outside the current cabinet and your advisors to help get this country up and running again. I recommend you invite ten of Irelands best business minds or more to sit with you on a monthly basis and plot a potential recovery strategy. This group will also help in creating a compelling vision for this country  one that will inspire confidence and trust in the journey ahead.
As an aside, I am concerned about the focus on “the smart economy” in isolation. Based on a cocktail of gut and logic, I believe other economies will get smarter. However I believe we are not leveraging our main competitive advantage which is our friendliness. The whole world knows that the Irish are probably the friendliest in the world so how can this unique competitive advantage be leveraged more? Attacking growth markets like learning English abroad; developing new innovative business/tourism products around that theme, setting new standards in tourism that ensures that all visitors receive a truly authentic Irish experience…may be the way ahead.

Taoiseach, I know you understand the power of leveraging the talent in every community. With this in mind, I believe the unemployed should be used to harvest all the good ideas that exist in our communities from the schools to the different societies and groups. The farms may be just a better starting point for transformative ideas than Farmleigh.
Just a quick piece of research to point us in the right direction.

In 2006, Columbia University tracked the major break through companies in the US. They found that 88% of the companies were the result of exceptional execution of an ordinary idea  12% were considered new inventions/innovations. Consequently we need to look for incremental improvements right across the board, not just wait for that rare golden apple to fall off the tree.
Of course, the construction industry was hit very hard in the past few years  can the unemployed resources from this sector not be redeployed to rebuild our communities, make them green and more marketable for the future.
(Note I am obviously suggesting that the unemployed work for their jobseekers allowance.)

Let’s get Ireland working as a team again and allow those outside the establishment to shine a light of hope and inspiration for the future.