World Economic Forum
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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James Geoghegan (FG), Dublin Bay South

It is really important that we demonstrate ambition and hold up our hand. Our holding of the EU Presidency this year could well be a very good dress rehearsal that enables us to present Ireland in the light in which many of the millions of people working every day of the week in this country see it and who are so proud of what Ireland is, what it represents and of our culture and values. For perhaps the first time in a very long time, the World Economic Forum reminded us yesterday that there is a bit of hope for the world in which most of us, collectively in this Chamber, believe. Mark Carney set out that the old order is over but that the new one we are trying to create does not mean we get rid of all the foundations that made a world that was the kind of one we wanted it to be and created wealth in ways that were deemed unimaginable decades ago, largely built upon an open, free trade model that has been so successful for this country.
Who better to promote that market economy than a country like Ireland that has benefited so well from it? As the Minister of State said, it speaks to what we have achieved in this country that we would even be talked about in this vein and that Dublin could host one of the most significant global summits. It speaks volumes that this was suggested by the co-convenor of the forum, who is co-founder of a company, BlackRock, that has many employees based in Ireland. I am very glad that the Government will seize this opportunity, should it arise, and that it is ready to take on that ambition.

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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