Fergus O'Ferrall Visioning a New Civic Republic
The set of profound crises that the Irish state and society are undergoing have led many to search
for a new public philosophy. Many are critical of the public thinking which led to the deep economic recession in Ireland and which has, indeed, endangered the very viability and independence of the Irish State. As a people we face into a decade when attempts must be made to address, or to adjust to, the harsh implications of a unique set of political, economic, social and cultural crises.
However, if we continue on our present development pathway in Ireland this may become a ‘lost decade’ of emigration, economic under-performance, and erosion of confidence in the efficacy of the political system. To avoid this fate we require a new vision. We need to develop clear and effective steps to build a genuinely republican society and state. We, the people, are confronted with an historic opportunity to reconstitute, restructure and to rethink our failed political and economic systems.2The challenge is to place Irish society on an entirely new path of development.