IIEA Talks

Episode 3 - Ireland’s Place in Europe and the World: Ireland and the Eu at 50 Part 1 by IIEA

Since Ireland’s accession to the European Economic Communities (EEC) in 1972, Ireland’s place in Europe and the world has been profoundly transformed. Ahead of joining what was to become the EU, Ireland was relatively isolated on the global stage, and its priorities were oriented towards the critical focus of Anglo-Irish relations centred on Northern Ireland, followed by the US, with relations with the Vatican a distant third. Irish membership of the EEC was initially framed in the context of joining a common market which promised economic prosperity and development and has since evolved into a deeper political union. This prosperity, economic openness, and greater interconnection with Europe and the world served to change Irish society and percolated into Irish foreign policy over time. This discussion explores how European accession transformed and changed Irish foreign policy, and how it served to deepen Irish ties with our European neighbours, transformed Irish society and helped to encourage Ireland to play a greater role on the global stage. This interview, with Mary Whelan, Noel Fahey, and John Neary, reflects on the evolution of Irish foreign policy since Ireland’s accession to the EU in 1973.

IIEA Researcher, Leanne Digney, talks to Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, about her experiences and the unexpected challenges that arose during her time on the United Nations Security Council. Ireland’s term on the Security Council began in January 2021 and will continue until December 2022. This interview is part of the Global Europe podcast series which is sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

In the second episode of IIEA Insights Dan O'Brien, IIEA Chief Economist, interviews Sir Ivan Rogers, former Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union (2013-2017) and British civil servant. The discussion covers the Conservative leadership race and the fate of the Northern Ireland Protocol among other things.

Navigating the issue of consumer protection in the digital era requires that a balance be found between a prosperous digital economy and the need for consumers to be protected. The proliferation of algorithms and AI-driven applications, the increasing importance of data as an economic asset, and the disproportionate role played by a small number of large companies all present opportunities for society while also giving rise to important digital consumer vulnerabilities. This expert panel discusses how digital consumer vulnerability can be regulated while ensuring that technology-enabled innovation can thrive. This expert panel features: Keynote speakers: Dr Jennifer King,  Privacy and Data Policy Fellow at the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; former Director of Consumer Privacy at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law school, USA; Professor Bruno Liebhaberg, Director General of the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE), Brussels, Belgium;  Dr Stephen Unger, Chair of the UK Chapter, International Institute of Communications, previously Chief Technology Officer of Ofcom and Vice-Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications; and   Jeremy Godfrey, Chair of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in Ireland.  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 Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), Central Bank of Ireland, National Transport Authority (NTA), Commission for Aviation Regulation, and Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

In the first episode of IIEA Insights David O'Sullivan, IIEA DG, interviews Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council (2009-2014). The discussion covers the multiple and overlapping challenges Europe now faces, from the war in Ukraine, to rising energy costs, a changing security landscape and the fresh impetus for enlargement.

In this increasingly unpredictable, fragile and shock-prone international context, Governor Carlo Monticelli reflects on the role of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) in supporting its 42 member countries and in deepening social cohesion in Europe. On the eve of the Joint Annual Meeting of the CEB, which will be held in Dublin this year, Mr Monticelli reviews the bank’s primary features, responsibilities, and challenges, in conversation with IIEA Director General David O’Sullivan. About the Speaker: Carlo Monticelli was elected Governor of the CEB on 11 June 2021 after serving for six years as Vice-Governor for Financial Strategy. He began his five-year mandate on 18 December 2021. Before joining the CEB, Carlo Monticelli worked for more than a decade at the Italian Treasury, representing Italy in international fora and institutions, including at the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Carlo Monticelli served previously on the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank and the Italian Export Credit Insurance Agency (SACE). Before joining the Treasury, Carlo Monticelli was Head of European Economics at Deutsche Bank, London, and Deputy Director in the Research Department at the Bank of Italy. Carlo Monticelli, holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Ancona and a M.Sc. in economics from the University of York, and he has carried out postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford. He has been a visiting professor at the International Economics Department of the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a visiting scholar at MIT.

John Hume was a committed and dedicated European, seeing the institutions and ethos of the European Union as models for peace, partnership and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The John Hume 'European Spirit of Peace’ Lecture recognises those who have demonstrated a strong commitment to European principles and values. The IIEA is honoured to host the second edition of the ‘European Spirit of Peace’ Lecture, which was delivered by Prof. Brigid Laffan. David O’Sullivan, Director General of the IIEA, delivered the Inaugural 'European Spirit of Peace’ Lecture in May 2021, and chairs this year’s event. About the Speaker: Brigid Laffan is Emeritus Professor at the European University Institute in Florence and was Director at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies until her retirement in August 2021. Previously, Prof. Laffan was Professor of European Politics at the School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) University College Dublin (UCD), and was Vice-President of UCD and Principal of the College of Human Sciences from 2004 to 2011. Prof. Laffan was the founding director of the Dublin European Institute at UCD from 1999 and in March 2004 she was elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Professor Laffan is one of Ireland’s leading public intellectuals and a globally recognised expert on European politics.

In his address to the IIEA, Dr Adesina discusses the role of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in supporting stability, growth and sustainable development on the African continent. He explores some of the opportunities and challenges which the AfDB presently faces, including food security, debt sustainability, climate change, and the financing gap. Dr Adesina highlights that such challenges can be overcome through enhanced crisis preparedness, the development of quality healthcare systems and infrastructure projects to strengthen the continent’s resilience. About the Speaker: Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation. Dr Adesina was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015 and was unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term in 2020. A former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, in 2017, Dr Adesina was conferred with the World Food Prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”. With Dr Adesina at the helm, the African Development Bank Group achieved the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964 and responded boldly and swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ireland joined the African Development Fund and the African Development Bank in 2020.

2022 has seen a marked shift in the levels and severity of intra and interstate conflict. The security of many of the environments in which peacekeeping is deployed has deteriorated due to local and regional dynamics, and this has only been compounded by tensions within the permanent five of the Security Council. In his address to the IIEA, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix discusses the current state of UN Peacekeeping, the challenges it is facing and what more is needed to make the utmost of this unique multilateral tool. This Event is part of the Global Europe Project in association with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. About the Speaker: Jean-Pierre Lacroix was appointed as Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in February 2017 by United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. From 2014-2017 Mr. Lacroix served as Director for United Nations, International Organizations, Human Rights and Francophonie at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previous appointments include Ambassador of France to Sweden, Chief of Protocol of France, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York, Deputy Chief of Mission at the French Embassy in Prague and First Secretary then Second Counsellor at the French Embassy in Washington.