The big issues - In pro - watch this space
My Govt. Track Record
At Shell, which is managed almost as a global government entity uniquely with not one but a committee of managing directors, I worked 5 years in Regulatory Affairs and Strategy and was single point accountable for the Industry negotiations with the UK Government on offshore oil and gas taxation. I was also stand-in CEO for Shell Ireland during the Corrib project which included many evenings spent in Government Buildings in Merrion St. (where I had also spent the final 4 years of UCD Engineering's existence in the self-same building). In many countries the Government is a party to oil licence agreements and hence I believe, a career in Shell is one of the best training grounds for government roles.
Energy & Health
Ireland, following the Corrib project (original budget $1bn, final spend $6bn - really not at all a good advertisement for foreign direct investment) moved towards an energy future with a greener more sustainable feel about it. This is important. But in the past year, governments have acknowledged that getting to net zero will be far easier with the oil companies onboard rather than them actively competing against reduced emissions. Oil & gas is extraordinarily complex and as a result oil personnel are in my view absolutely crucial for investment analysis and screening and ranking of all energy sourcing projects in the evaluation funnel. I commit to halving the cost of Irelands energy mix within 5 years which will make a material saving to every household.
Young, elderly, sport & immigration vs taxes/labour needs
In my view our young have never been kinder, more considerate, respectful and more tolerant and inclusive than ever before. I see them every day in college, thousands in libraries from morning till midnight. Our elderly are from a different generation where values were about kindness, respect, generousity and basically making do with very little. I am absolutely adamant we get on top of how we manage what we do for these two groups. We must tackle (and not just talk and talk) and deliver world best in class programs to manage the mental health of the young and isolation, loneliness and disconnectedness with respect to our beautiful young and elderly teams.