Proposals to establish Ireland as a "global media hub" and a "data island" have been announced as the two winning ideas in Your Country Your Call competition.
The competition was initiated by Dr Martin McAleese, husband of President Mary McAleese, in February to find two ideas that would create prosperity and jobs for Ireland.
The proposers of the two winning ideas - Neil Leyden and father and son duo Cianán Clancy and Colm MacFhlannachadha - received their commemorative trophy and €100,000 each at an awards presentation in Dublin tonight attended by President Mary McAleese.
These two proposals will now go into a development phase and each will be supported by an advisory group and a development fund of €500,000 each.
Screen writer and digital media consultant Neil Leyden made the global media hub proposal.
He said it would involve creating an Irish Content Industry Association and a media park to attract global content industries. The proposal envisages the creation of in the region of 5,000 jobs directly with thousands more indirectly.
The data island strategy proposed by Cianán Clancy and Colm MacFhlannachadha involves developing green “mega data centres” and an international innovation area. Employment in the region of 4,000 jobs is envisaged by the proposal.
Dr Martin McAleese said it was very satisfying to get to the point where the two selected proposals could now go into the implementation stage. "We look forward to realising the ambition of Your Country Your Call which was prosperity and jobs for Ireland".
Your Country Your Call was run by An Smaoineamh Mór Ltd, which was set up to run the contest.
Last August, An Smaoineamh Mór sought a contribution of €300,000 from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. A spokesman for the competition told The Irish Times no funds had yet been paid to An Smaoineamh Mór by the department but a "mechanism" had been put in place for payment.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation said earlier this month "formal arrangements" were being put in place to allow a payment to be made. In response to questions on whether a payment had been made or sanctioned by the Department, a spokeswoman told The Irish Times today that no payment had been made.
She could not provide further information on the proposed payment or on when it would be paid.