The first-ever global Irish forum ended in Dublin Saturday with a firm promise from the Irish gvernment to implement the recommendations made by the 180 business leaders from around the globe.

The packed final session heard from Foreign Minster Michael Martin that he intended to implement an internet strategy for the Diaspora as soon as possible and that new resources would be made available for the creation of a new outreach for the Irish abroad.

He said they would review several of the strong recommendations that Ireland look to increase its overall budget for research and development from 1.5 per cent of GDP to 3 per cent, work harder to teach science and mathematics skills in schools and modernize the school curriculums to reflect the changing world.
Earlier Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen praised  the work of the forum as an extremely valuable contribution to aiding Ireland at a time of deep recession.

The three-day conference was considered an outstanding success and leading Irish businessman Denis O'Brien urged the government to make the gathering a yearly event.

It is not clear whether the government will continue with an annual or biennial format.

Among the topics discussed on the final day was a new outreach to the Irish overseas.

Many Irish delegates traveled from Asia  and urged a new focus on that area of the world saying there were important business deals to be done there. 

The star turn of the conference was a brief but hard-hitting statement from former Intel Chairman Craig Barret who took the government to task for not putting enough  resources into research and development among other criticisms.

He is also said to have told Irish businessmen privately that there were 14 reasons why Intel invested in Ireland when they arrived first and that 13 had vanished. The only one remaining is the tax savings.