World Economic Forum
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Alan Dillon (FG), Mayo

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue and for outlining the position in terms of commentary regarding Ireland and Dublin in the press this week. The World Economic Forum is an independent international organisation that was founded back in 1971. The forum states that its mission is to improve the state of the world through public-private co-operation. As the Deputy outlined, the forum's annual meeting is one of a few global moments in which the most powerful government and company leaders and business executives convene in the same place with a shared focus on growth, innovation and long-term economic resilience and their impact on both global trade and investment opportunities.
The Taoiseach arrived in Davos yesterday and noted its importance as an opportunity to meet with international and business leaders to discuss how we can best work together to address geopolitical and economic challenges. As part of the Taoiseach's itinerary, he addressed the annual IDA Ireland dinner last night at the forum. Also in attendance at Davos is the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, who is engaging with many chief executives of multinational companies already operating in Ireland, CEOs of companies with potential to invest in Ireland in the future and international leaders.
As the Deputy noted, Ireland continues to be seen as a really attractive location for FDI. That is reflected in IDA Ireland's most recent results, which show it secured 323 investments in 2025. This was the highest ever number and a 38% increase on 2024. I agree with the Deputy that when we hear people like the co-chair of the World Economic Forum mentioning Dublin when talking about alternative locations for the forum's annual meeting, it reflects the position of both Ireland and Dublin and how we are seen by many leaders as a place where global decision-makers are very comfortable. It also positions Dublin as a credible destination that offers stability, a strong regulatory environment and a genuinely international outlook.
As well as the his work previously with Dublin City Council, as Lord Mayor of Dublin and speaking on behalf of the citizens of Dublin here in the Dáil, the Deputy is making a very pressing case for Dublin to host the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. However, it is important to state there has been no official contact by the forum with the Government. Were an approach to be made, it certainly would be considered by the Government. It would be important to reflect on such a proposal. There would be a number of factors to consider in staging such a large event, but Ireland has shown in the past that it is very much capable of managing major events. I have no doubt this would be the case again.
The idea of Ireland hosting the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is reflective of our economic ranking. A recent article in The Economist referred to Ireland's position as a highly connected global economy that attracts investment, talent and ideas from every corner of the world. Those qualities will underpin any discussions we might have. Hosting the annual meeting would be an opportunity to promote our economic success.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22