Debate Series: European Perspectives on Irish Issues, 13 February – 27 March 2025
We are excited to announce the launch of our new debate series, exploring how European models can help solve some of Ireland's most pressing issues.
How many times do we hear citizens say, in relation to issues like our housing crisis, hospital waiting lists or child poverty: “Why can’t this be fixed?”, or “Why is this taking so long?” We belong to a union of states with a huge variety of administrative and policy solutions to these and other issues. Can we learn from them, instead of trying to re-invent the wheel?
The European Parliament Office in Ireland is hosting a series of talks in Spring 2025 on a number of issues which deserve scrutiny: health policy and implementation; social housing; and children’s rights. For each talk, there will be an Irish and a European expert and a moderator, so audiences will learn what the Irish situation is, and then hear possible alleviating ideas from Europe. What harm can it do to explore alternative solutions to problems which sometimes seem intractable?
The talks series is curated by Catriona Crowe, Curator of First Thought Talks at the Galway Arts Festival.
Where: All events take place at Europe House, 5 Balfe Street, Dublin 2.
Series Launch: 13 February 2025, 18:00-20:00
The first talk will launch the series with a conversation between Fintan O’Toole and Catriona Crowe, looking at the overall idea of European models useful for Irish imitation or adaptation, particularly for the areas under discussion in the programme. Fintan O’Toole is one of Ireland’s best-known journalists, and an author of international renown. His book We Don’t Know Ourselves is a brilliant, complex and enlightening history of the second half of the twentieth century in Ireland, seen through the lens of his own life. His column in the Irish Times has covered all of the important issues affecting this country over many decades.
Register here for Series Launch
Health Policy and Implementation: 13 March 2025, 18:00-20:00
- Sara Burke, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin
- Dimitra Pantelli, Programme Manager, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
- Moderator: Alex White, Director General of the Institute of International & European Affairs, former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Register here for Health Policy debate
Children’s Rights: 20 March 2025, 18:00-20:00
- Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, Ireland
- Bruce Adamson, former Chair of the European Network 0f Ombudspersons for Children and Scottish Children and Young Peoples Commissioner.
- Moderator: Noeleen Blackwell, Children’s Rights Alliance
Register here for Children's Rights debate
Social Housing: 27 March 2025, 18:00-20:00
- Michaela Kauer, Director at the Brussels Office of the City of Vienna
- Lorcan Sirr, Senior Lecturer, TU Dublin; Visiting Professor of Housing, University of Galway
- Moderator: Dáithí Downey, Head of European Programme Office and International Relations, Dublin City Council
Register here for Social Housing debate