Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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241. To ask the Minister for Finance if he or officials from his Department have engaged in any form of communication with the World Economic Forum or representatives of the World Economic Forum including by phone call, webinar, email or any event organised by the World Economic Forum from 1 January 2019 to date; if so, the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14159/22]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum (WEF) normally take place in Davos, Switzerland in January of each year. An invitation to the Minister for Finance is usually received annually and officials in my Department liaise with the organisers regarding ministerial attendance and participation in panel discussions. I last attended the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in January of 2019 when I participated in a panel entitled “Rethinking Taxes: Creating a Fair and Balanced System”. I also attended an IDA reception, and held a number of bilateral meetings with key international partners in the financial and political sphere.  

I did not attend the Annual Meeting in 2020 as the General Election was called around that time. Covid restrictions over the intervening period have meant that the Annual Meetings have not taken place since 2020. There has however been communication between the organisers and officials in my Department at various stages during that period when the WEF was intending to progress with an Annual Meeting, though this did not proceed due to the on-going Covid situation globally. In November 2021, I had a short courtesy phone call with the recently appointed Deputy Head of Europe and Eurasia, Andrew Caruana Galizia, to discuss my possible participation at future meetings, if my diary commitments permit.

The Annual Meeting for 2022, scheduled for January this year, was postponed again to 22-26 May 2022 in Davos. Officials from my Department will continue to liaise with the organisers regarding my potential participation at this year's Meeting.