Ireland’s Future Hinges On High Standards And Robust Regulation – New Engineers President

Ireland's future hinges on the country moving to a platform where high standards and robust regulation are the bywords, according to new President of Engineers Ireland, Martin Lowery.

Mr Lowery, a former Chief Executive of Coillte during its transformation from a civil service organisation into a successful commercial state company, was giving his inaugural presidential address at the Engineers Ireland AGM.

He said that while Ireland still has many strengths and assets, the country cannot afford another period of shock from the failure of regulation.  “Ireland's future hinges on the country moving to a platform where high standards and robust regulation are the bywords.  A return to competitiveness, long-term job creation and the realisation of the Smart Economy vision is only possible if Ireland now commits itself to world class quality and standards across all aspects of Irish industry.  It is the only way for a small open economy like ours, particularly in light of the ongoing international scrutiny that we will inevitably now be subject to as a result of our current fiscal problems.” 

Mr Lowery continued: “I am very conscious that I take office at a very difficult time for the economy and for many engineers, particularly those associated with construction and civil engineering.  But while many engineers are victims of current circumstances it is also engineers who will provide the way out of the current difficulties.  It is mainly engineers who led the development of a high tech sector in Ireland.  Engineers provided the infrastructure on which industrial development was built and engineers have had leadership roles in the high tech multinational sector in Ireland since the seventies.” 

Mr Lowery pinpointed Ireland’s strong management skills, developing research competencies and improving infrastructure as reasons for optimism. “We have some very real strengths on which to build recovery.  It is very different from when I joined the IDA as a young engineer in 1971.  The challenge now is to utilise these assets to develop an internationally competitive indigenous industrial and services sector. Inward investment will continue to play an important role but it will not be nearly enough. We badly need an exporting indigenous sector to take the place in wealth and job creation that building and construction played in the past ten years.”

“During my year as President I hope to enhance the role which engineers might play in economic recovery and wealth creation. This will include the role of all engineers whether in the public or the private sector, or whether in high tech or in traditional sectors.  We must be innovative in employing the knowledge, skills and creativity of people to efficiently provide high quality products and services.” 

Mr Lowery also thanked outgoing President Chris Horn for his significant contribution over the previous 12 months and stated that he looked forward to working with Engineers Ireland Director-General John Power over the coming year in what was a time of great challenge across the engineering sector.