Written answers

Wednesday, 25 January 2023

Department of An Taoiseach

World Economic Forum

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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39. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the World Economic Forum; if he will provide a list all those who attended; the role of each; the full cost to the taxpayer for the Irish delegation that attended Davos; the breakdown of all costs of his visit; and if he will report on all of his engagements during his visit. [3541/23]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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At last week’s Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, I had a wide range of engagements including:

- A reception hosted by the IDA for enterprises with a presence of Ireland and those with a potential interest in investing in the country;

- bilateral meetings with a number of international business and political leaders including representatives of Intel, Amazon Web Services and Meta; the President of Moldova; the leader of the opposition of Belarus; the Administrator of USAID, Samantha Power; leader of the UK Labour Party, Keir Starmer;

- a foreign policy-focused event hosted by the Washington Post attended by a group of business and political leaders;

- a panel discussion on Widening Europe’s Horizons, with fellow panellists Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, and European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola; and

- a dinner hosted by World Economic Forum President, Børge Brende.

I also had a number of media engagements.

Full costs are not yet available. However, my Department routinely publishes details of such expenditure on its website, and the costs of my attendance at the World Economic Forum will be published once the invoices are received and processed.

On this visit, I was accompanied by a delegation that included my Chief of Staff, an Assistant Secretary General from my Department, the Government Press Secretary, my Private Secretary, and a security officer.

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