Taoiseach calls for Ireland's prosperity to benefit all sections of society
Monday, 1 January 2001 14:04The Taoiseach has said that the challenge facing Ireland this year is to ensure that all sections of society benefit from the country's prosperity. In his New Year's Day message, Bertie Ahern said that because more people are working and have busier lives, there were fewer people available for volunteer work. He said that the year 2001 was "International Year of the Volunteer" and he urged people to consider joining a voluntary organisation.
The Taoiseach added that living standards in Ireland had begun to surpass the EU average during the past year. Mr Ahern said that this economic milestone had happened a decade earlier than predicted. He said that the challenge now was to ensure that this prosperity was translated into a better quality of life for every single person in the country. Mr Ahern said that every person living here now had the real possibility of employment and a decent quality of life in a society which had long been held back by unemployment, emigration and poverty.
The Taoiseach also pointed out that Ireland takes up its position on the United Nations Security Council today and he pledged that Ireland would adopt a reforming approach at the UN. He said that commitment to nuclear disarmament, international peacekeeping, development aid and human rights would be at the heart of Ireland's UN work.
