Earlier this month, I was privileged to visit three excellent local schools – Scoil an Cheathrair Álainn, Ladyswell; Scoil Choilm, Luttrellstown; and Luttrellstown Community College – and meet with pupils, teachers and parents.

What struck me most was the optimism of the pupils – the children saying what they wanted to do when they grew up, and the teenagers confident of what they planned to do after leaving school.

It gave me great confidence that, as Ireland exits the most difficult financial period in its history, our future is in very good hands.
The period since 2008 has been an incredibly difficult one for people and their families, and significant challenges still remain to be overcome.
But the economy is growing again, 58,000 people returned to work over the last year, and businesses are investing again, which in turn will create further employment.

At local level, the recent announcement by Liberty Mutual Insurance that it will create 150 additional IT jobs in Blanchardstown is a very tangible sign of that.
I am confident this progress will continue in 2014, that the recovery is picking up pace, and that people will begin to feel the effects of this slowly but surely in the months ahead.

In the meantime, I would like to wish everybody a very peaceful Christmas and happy new year.