IIEA Talks

'The Israel-Iran Conflict: Implications and Outcomes' The forthcoming edition of IIEA insights will focus on the Middle-East's latest conflict and its consequences for the region, Europe, Ireland, and the global economy. Rory Montgomery, a former ambassador and Political Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, will look at the implications for Ireland and Europe; Laurence Norman, who has followed Iran’s nuclear programme over years for the Wall Street Journal, will set out the possible diplomatic and military outcomes; Michael O’Sullivan, Author and Adviser on Intersection of Investment and Geopolitics, will assess the economic and energy impacts of the conflict and any potential escalation thereof; while Paola Rivetti of Dublin City University will discuss Iran’s domestic politics and society. Rory Montgomery was a senior Irish diplomat for almost four decades, serving as Political Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative to the EU. He is currently Chairperson of the Press Council of Ireland. Laurence Norman is a Reporter at The Wall Street Journal based in Berlin and Brussels, covering the EU, European foreign policy, and nuclear issues. Over the last 20 years, he has reported for the paper from London, New York, and Buenos Aires. Michael O’Sullivan is an author, economist, and investor. He has twenty years’ experience in global financial markets, most recently as Chief Investment Officer at Credit Suisse Wealth. He is a Senior Adviser at WestExec, a Forbes contributor and author of ‘The Levelling’, which outlines what’s next in politics, economics, finance and geopolitics in the post globalisation era. Paola Rivetti is Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University.

Is Ireland ready for the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)? This event will explore both the opportunities and risks of AI for people and firms in Ireland. This expert panel discusses how Ireland can ensure that AI is harnessed in a safe manner that is aligned with fundamental rights and European values. The panel will also discuss emerging policy issues, including the implementation and supervision of the AI Act, the speed of technological change and how Ireland can ensure trustworthy AI innovation. This event is organised in collaboration with the Economic Regulators Network (ERN), a cross-sectoral group of economic regulators in Ireland. The ERN is composed of the Central Bank of Ireland, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), Coimisiún na Meán, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), the National Transport Authority (NTA), and the Commission for Aviation Regulation. This event begins with a keynote speech by Minister Niamh Smyth, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation The panel for this event include: Jean Carberry, Assistant Secretary, Digital, EU and Climate Programmes, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE); Dr Harshvardhan Pandit, Assistant Professor, Dublin City University; Trevor Fitzpatrick, Head Of Risk Analysis, Data Analytics & Reporting (RADAR) Division, Central Bank of Ireland; Noelle Doody, Managing Director for Data and AI, Accenture

For the past 80 years, the US dollar has held the status of the world’s primary reserve currency. However, following President Trump and his administration’s policies, this status currently looks at risk. In his address to the IIEA, Professor Kenneth Rogoff discusses his new book Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider’s View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead. Professor Rogoff illustrates how the US Dollar reached its current status as the world’s primary reserve currency. He also discusses the challenges it faces from the likes of crypto and the Chinese yuan. Professor Rogoff also considers how the current US Administration’s policies will impact the dollar’s role in the world economy. About the Speaker: Kenneth Rogoff is Maurits C. Boas Professor at Harvard University and former chief economist at the IMF. His influential 2009 book with Carmen Reinhart, This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, shows the remarkable quantitative similarities across time and countries in the roots and aftermath of debt and financial crises. Professor Rogoff is also known for his pioneering work on central bank independence and exchange rates. His monthly syndicated column on global economic issues is published in over 50 countries. His 2025 book, Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider’s View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance explores the post-war rise of the dollar, the challenges ahead from crypto and the Chinese yuan, and argues that the period of reliably low interest rates, inflation, and exchange rate volatility has likely come to an end.

In his address to the IIEA, Fintan Slye discusses NESO’s new organisation and how it is supporting the UK Government’s ambitions to achieve clean power by 2030. Fintan Slye also touches upon UK-Ireland and UK-EU energy cooperation, and NESO’s recent work on reforming the process for connecting to the electricity transmission system. About the Speaker: Fintan Slye is the Chief Executive Officer of National Energy System Operator (NESO). NESO is an independent organisation responsible for planning Great Britain’s entire energy system, operating the electricity network, and offering expert advice to the sector’s decision makers. The organisation brings electricity and gas network planning under one roof, plotting the country’s course for clean power and paving the way for lower energy bills. Prior to this, Fintan led Great Britain’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) as its Executive Director. He was also CEO of the EirGrid Group and worked for McKinsey & Co, supporting clients across Ireland, the UK and Europe, as well as holding various management roles in ESB in Ireland and the United States. Fintan is a Non-Executive Director at AEMO Services Limited, which is based in Sydney, which is responsible for planning the level of investment in generation and storage over time in New South Wales, including designing and running the competitive tenders to deliver this. He holds an Engineering Degree, a Master’s in Engineering Science, and an MBA from UCD and is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Ireland. He also has a keen interest in law, holding diplomas in Legal Studies and European Law.

'The Economic Outlook at Mid-Year' Despite intense uncertainty in the international trading system and heightened geopolitical tensions, both the Irish and global economies proved resilient in the first half of 2025. As we move into the second half of the year, Dan O’Brien, the IIEA’s Chief Economist, will present his economic outlook during the next event in the Institute’s Insights series. He will examine issues such as growth-positive technological changes and Europe’s under-discussed strengths. Dan O'Brien is Chief Economist of the Institute of International and European Affairs. He is also Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at University College Dublin’s Geary Institute and a Columnist with The Currency. He has previously worked for Economist Intelligence Unit, the Irish Times, the European Commission and as a consultant for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Forfas.

Europe faces an acute and growing threat. The EU Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 outlines how Europe will need to do more to ensure to protect European citizens. This IIEA panel discusses how Europe can develop its capabilities. Moreover, it explores how European Member States can collaborate effectively to replenish diminished stocks of equipment to not only provide for their own security, but also to meaningfully support partners such as Ukraine in their defence against Russia’s war of aggression. This event has been organised in association with the European Commission Representation in Ireland. Speakers include: Minister Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Guillaume de la Brosse, Head of Unit for Defence Policy and Innovation at DG DEFIS Brigadier General (Retired) Tony Cudmore, Former Brigadier General in the Irish Defence Forces and Adjunct Lecturer at Maynooth University Dr Alice Ekman, Research Director at the EU Institute for Strategic Studies (EUISS) Professor Brigid Laffan, Emeritus Professor at the European University Institute. This event was moderated by Catherine Day, Former Secretary-General of the European Commission and IIEA Board member

'The Value of the Revised Draft Declaration on International Solidarity as a Corrective to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum' The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum sets forth a solidarity mechanism that seeks to ameliorate inequalities in responsibility for processing asylum claims. NGOs are concerned that States are pursuing externalisation agreements and strengthening border security arrangements to promote deterrence in bad faith. The Revised Draft Declaration on International Solidarity provides a framework to correct the misunderstanding of solidarity with the EU Pact. In her address to the IIEA, Professor Bailliet presents the elements of an international solidarity human-focused asylum mechanism that ensures non-discrimination, provides access to justice, calls for a reversal of externalisation and keeps the best interests of the child at its core. About the Speaker: Professor Dr. jur. Cecilia M. Bailliet is the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and International Solidarity and Director of the Masters Programme in International Law at the University of Oslo. She supported the creation of an International Solidarity Map: Solidarity Actions Around the World. She is Co-Chair of the Latin America Interest Group of the American Society of International Law. Prof Bailliet holds a combined J.D./M.A. (honours) degree from The George Washington University Law School & Elliott School of International Affairs. She received her Doctorate in law from the University of Oslo in Norway. Prof Bailliet has published extensively on transnational and cross-disciplinary issues within international law including general public international law, human rights, refugee law, constitutional law, counter-terrorism, gender/women's rights, solidarity, and peace. Prof Bailliet's books include:  Research Handbook on International Solidarity and the Law (2024), The Construction of the Customary Law of Peace: Latin America and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (2021), and The Research Handbook on International Law and Peace (2019). She has also contributed lectures to the UN AudioVisual Library of International Law.

After almost two-decades of floundering negotiations, talks on an EU-India Free Trade Agreement have begun to gather momentum. Both sides seek alliances that cover not only trade relations but greater security cooperation and a shared technology agenda. In a signal of its strategic priorities, the College of Commissioners paid a first-of-its-kind visit to India in February 2025, where Prime Minister Modi and European Commission President von der Leyen pledged to conclude a Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year. In this IIEA panel discussion, Dr Sonali Chowdhry and Dr Amitendu Palit address the prospects of a potential EU-India Free Trade Agreement and consider what an EU-India partnership should or should not prioritise. At a time when the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy has promised to create links, not dependencies, the panelists reflect on whether – in the words of President von der Leyen – EU-India ties have the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century. About the Speakers: Dr Sonali Chowdhry is a trade economist based at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Her work examines the structure of global supply chains and distributional effects of new trade policies. Dr Chowdhry has contributed to in-depth policy reports on mega-regional free trade agreements to the European Parliament. Previously, she was a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute and earned her PhD in Economics from LMU Munich as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow. Dr Chowdhry holds an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar from India. Dr Amitendu Palit is Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. He specialises in economic security, international trade and investment policies, FTAs, supply chains, regional connectivity, and the Indian economy. He is a Senior Associate Fellow with the ISPI Milan and an Adjunct Faculty with the Centre for WTO Studies, India. He has also been a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment. Dr Palit has edited and authored several books. He writes for various global publications and features as an expert on CNBC, CNA, BBC, NDTV and other prominent media channels.

Join the IIEA for the launch of its second Pathways Paper, where Matt O’Neill, Climate Project Lead, presents the key themes from Farm to Finance: The Processor–Farmer Nexus in Ireland’s Agricultural Climate Transition. The paper explores the relationship between farmers and food processors in relation to the climate transition within Agriculture. It draws on interviews with stakeholders and sectoral data to analyse the financial and regulatory considerations, and trust-based barriers to transition within the agriculture sector. It draws upon interviews with stakeholders and sectoral data to analyse the financial and regulatory considerations to transition within the wider supply chain. Following the short presentation, a panel offers their responses and reflections to the paper’s key themes. This panel includes: Ailbhe Gerrard, representing TalamhBeo and founder of Brookfield Farm Dale Crammond, Director of Meat Industry Ireland - Ibec Alan Matthews (Panel Chair), Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College Dublin Matthew O'Neill, IIEA Climate Project Lead Tadhg Buckley, Director of Policy/Chief Economist at Irish Farmers Association Frances McDonnell, Deputy News Editor with Agriland Speaker bios: Tadhg Buckley is currently Director of Policy/Chief Economist with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), Ireland’s largest farming organisation. Prior to joining the IFA, Tadhg worked in the finance industry as Head of Agriculture with AIB Bank. Dale Crammond in January 2023 after a 22-year career in Government he took up the role as Director of Meat Industry Ireland. Previously, he spent four years in the Embassy of Ireland in Washington, D.C. (2015-2019) where he worked to increase market access opportunities for Irish food and drink exports to the United States.  Alan Matthews is Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at the University of Dublin Trinity College, Ireland, and a former President of the European Association of Agricultural Economists. Matthew O'Neill is Climate Project Lead at the IIEA, in which role he leads the Pathways: Ireland’s Agricultural Future project. His research focuses on the intersection of climate policy and agricultural systems. Francess McDonnell is an award-winning journalist and producer. Currently Deputy News Editor with Agriland, she is also a former business editor and correspondent with the Sunday Times Ireland and the Irish Times and has previously worked with Sky News and BBC NI. Ailbhe Gerrard, founder of Brookfield Farm, is a farmer, beekeeper, researcher, and agricultural educator with deep interest in agriculture, creativity and regeneration.

This lecture touches on the changing global focus of development cooperation, the reform processes that have been put in place, and Ireland’s perspective on the future of development. The Minister of State speaks about Ireland’s role in key events this year, such as the upcoming Financing for Development Conference in Seville, the G20 Development Working Group and COP 30 to be held in Brazil in November, and highlights the Key Priorities for Ireland, focusing on gender and health, climate action, nutrition and education. About the Speaker: Neale Richmond is Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora. He previously served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, and as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, and the Department of Social Protection.