date
EVENTS
2020
Ireland in a Europe Fraught with Uncertainty
Hotel Parc Belair, 111 Av. du Dix Septembre, 2551 Luxembourg
The situation in Europe is, to put it mildly, currently very complex. The humanitarian, social and economic impacts of the war in the Ukraine, inflation, the trajectory to a low-carbon economy and EU/global initiatives around tax and financial services have all significant implications for Ireland and Luxembourg. Overlay on this the ongoing fall-out from Brexit.
Irish Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D., will address the Ireland-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce on Monday 20 June, on the eve of the meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.
Minister Byrne will give a perspective on Ireland’s interests and concerns across a range of EU issues, and then be open to discussion with the audience.
Thomas Byrne was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2020, on the formation of the current Irish Government. He has, inter alia, been centrally involved in Ireland’s engagement in the Conference on the Future of Europe, and in 2021 launched the Irish Government’s strategy to increase the recruitment of Irish people to the European institutions.
Thomas was educated at St. Mary’s Diocesan School in Drogheda. He holds an LL.B. Law degree from Trinity College, Dublin. He qualified as a Solicitor in 2001. Thomas completed his apprenticeship with McCann FitzGerald Solicitors in Dublin. After qualifying, he worked in the EU and Competition Law Department in the firm. In 2003, Thomas returned to practice closer to home in Feran & Co. Solicitors until his election to Dáil Éireann in 2007. Thomas also admitted to the New York State Bar.
Join us on Monday June 20th, at Parc Hotel Belair for an insightful evening.
Programme
18.30 Registration
19.00 Welcome by Joe Huggard, ILCC Chairman
19.05 Dinner
20.00 Minister Byrne
20.45 Questions and answers
Registration by email to info@ilcc.lu
Cost: Members €55. Non-members €75.
event report
The Ireland Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce held a dinner on Monday 20th June at the Hotel Park Belair where the Guest Speaker, Irish Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D. addressed the ILCC members and guests.
Minister Byrne was visiting Luxembourg for an EU Council Meeting and accepted an advance invitation to talk to members of the ILCC during his visit.
The Minister addressed the Chamber on a number of issues including the strategy of the Irish government to recruit more Irish people to the European Institutes. He expressed a need for improved language skills among the Irish who wished to work within the European Institutes and praised the Luxembourgish model of fluency success in multiple languages.
Mr Byrne also spoke of the success of the covid vaccination campaign in Ireland where the preferred choice of vaccines were EMA approved.
He referred to Ireland’s contribution to the war in Ukraine by its intake of large numbers of refugees and supplying the war effort in Ukraine with non-lethal supplies.
Mr Byrne stressed how the Northern Ireland protocol must be upheld to continue Northern Ireland’s economic growth.
Questions and answers followed Mr Byrne’s address where members raised a number of questions.
The evening was concluded by Chairman Joe Huggard thanking Mr Byrne for a very informative address.
Photo courtesy Geoff Thompson; Chronicle.lu
