AI Con returns to examine application of Artificial Intelligence across society

Picture at the launch of AI Con 2022 are; Tom Gray, Kainos, William Reeves, Managing Director of Digital Catapult NI, Ruth McGuiness, Kainos, and Michaela Black, Ulster University.

AI Con, the leading Artificial Intelligence conference hosted by Kainos, returns next month to examine the application of the technology in society and its role in securing a healthier, safer, and more sustainable future.

Taking place in person at Titanic Belfast on Thursday 01 December, AI Con will also be broadcast live for over 300 attendees including those involved in AI application, policy, and regulation across Europe, the UK, and the US.

The conference will explore the continued evolution of AI as it heads towards mainstream adoption, and ways to responsibly and sustainably harness it’s potential to support progress across all areas of business and public life.

Robert Smith, Director of AI and Data Science at Digital Catapult UK, will deliver the keynote address to over 300 attendees. A widely respected leader in the field of AI, Robert authored Rage Inside the Machine which was shortlisted for the 2020 Business Book Awards, and has worked for over 30 years to improve the effects of AI on society.

At Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology, Robert works with high-growth potential start-ups and sits on the AI Ethics Committee, working to ensure responsible and ethical development of AI-enabled products and services.

Speakers at the full-day conference, which is sponsored by Ulster University, Digital Catapult, Matrix NI, Allstate NI and Innovate UK, include Jacob Turner, a leading barrister and internationally recognised expert on the governance of AI and author of Robot Rules: Regulating Artificial Intelligence.

A UNESCO and UN Human Rights Council speaker, Jacob advises on some of the leading Artificial Intelligence cases and consults with governments, including advising the Chinese government and military on the implications of AI on national security.

AI Con Hosted by Kainos will convene those involved in policy, regulation, application, and every senior technology role in between to get to the heart of AI’s relationship with data usage and privacy when it takes place in Belfast next month.

The virtual conference will also be streamed live around the world. For further information or registration details please visit: https://ai-con.ai/

Speaking at the launch of AI Con Hosted by Kainos, Ruth McGuinness, Data & AI practice Lead at Kainos said:

“AI Con has been a significant resource for those in the field for many years and I am thrilled to have played a part in curating the conference this year. Artificial Intelligence has expanded across all sectors to become a clearly recognised asset in many areas, from business and education to health. This year, we will investigate this acceptance and consider what’s needed to further public trust and integrate the technology responsibly and sustainably to improve and enhance more areas of life.”

“We are thrilled, given this new approach, to welcome Robert Smith from Digital Catapult UK as our keynote speaker. We look forward to his expert insight that will no doubt provide the perfect platform to bring debate, discussion, and ideas to a large audience on how best we can ensure ethical development and deployment of AI products and services.”

Robert Smith, Director of AI and Data Science at Digital Catapult UK added:

“It is a privilege to deliver a keynote address at AI Con Hosted by Kainos. The effects of Artificial Technology are obvious right across society, which in many ways permeates all our lives irrespective of location or lifestyle. We as a sector therefore have a responsibility to act ethically and sustainably as we develop it. Collaboration is the best way to do this and coming together with senior professionals in all areas of AI will be particularly beneficial following the pandemic. I look forward to not only delivering my keynote address but engaging with the wider AI Con community when we unite in Belfast next month.”

Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead – Ireland: Wednesday 9 November

  Forward Look

  • The Government has announced it will nominate current Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe TD for a second term as Eurozone President. If re-elected, he will continue to carry out this role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

  • A planned register of short-term leases and holiday homes as a part of the Government’s housing plans has been delayed by a further five months.

  • Irish inflation figures for October will be published tomorrow. Whilst it has dropped over the last two months in Ireland, prices continue to rise in other major Eurozone countries, signalling the ECB’s policy might diverge from Irish conditions.

  • Concerns are growing regarding Ireland’s tax revenue following a series of mass lay-offs at tech firms including Twitter and Facebook that have been responsible for high overall employment and wage increases in high salary jobs in the Irish economy.

  • An Irish delegation is attending COP27 in Egypt this week including Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ministers Eamonn Ryan TD, Simon Coveney TD, Colm Brophy TD.

  • IBEC’s latest Quarterly Economic Outlook has projected the economy’s growth rate will fall to 2% in 2023 and warns of instability in the financial markets.

  • Annual Tax Revenue is set to hit a record high of €80bn, according to the Fiscal Monitoring Report by the Department of Finance.

  • Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe TD announced his intention to dispose of approximately 8% of the Irish States shareholding in AIB Group plc.

  • Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys TD is likely to propose changes to the current welfare system before Christmas, including a move to link jobseekers benefit to previous earnings.

  • Today, the Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment will meet with representatives of Enterprise Ireland to discuss issues facing trade in Ireland and supports available to businesses.

  • Today, Committee on European Union Affairs will discuss the state of play regarding UK-EU relations and the implementation of the Northern Irish Protocol with relevant academics.

  • Today, the Dáil will debate the Finance Bill 2022 and the Credit Guarantee bill will reach its second stage.

  • On Thursday, Oral Questions for the Minister for Transport and Minister for Finance will take place.

 

Other Stories this week

  • Permanent TSB has completed its acquisition of €6.2 billion of Ulster Bank’s loans.

  • Ryanair posted its largest ever after-tax profit for the first half of its financial year this week. It recorded a profit of €1.37bn from March to September this year.

  • Governor of the Central Bank Gabriel Makhlouf has called for tighter regulation of “hidden leverage” in the fund sector to mitigate risks to the global system.

  • The Business Post has found the number of new homes being built in Ireland has fallen by 14% from last year.

  • Sinn Féin’s Ard Fheis took place on Saturday. The theme of the Ard Fheis was ‘Time for Change’.

 

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 11 November, Small Firms Association Annual Lunch.

  • 16 November, Ibec Financial Services Ireland Dinner.

  • 16 November, LVA and VFI Irish Pub Awards.

  • 7-8 December, Dublin Chamber London Trade Mission.

  • 15 December, Leo Varadkar TD becomes Taoiseach.

Consultations

                              

Major fraud prevention conference announced for Belfast

Bill McCluggage, Chair of NI Fraud Forum, and Matthew Howse, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland

The first ever Northern Ireland Fraud Forum Annual Conference will take place in Belfast on 15 November.

Held at the Hilton Hotel Belfast, the conference will bring together private, public, and third sector organisations from across Northern Ireland. Taking place during International Fraud Awareness Week, the conference follows a successful launch of the body back in April this year and a number of masterclasses on fraud and financial crime for members throughout the year.

The Northern Ireland Fraud Forum was established earlier this year and is an innovative private-public-third sector partnership which aims to spread awareness of the dangers of fraud and white-collar crime in Northern Ireland.

The body is comprised of private sector industry professionals like Eversheds Sutherland, Grant Thornton, and FPM-AAB, as well as representatives from public organisations like HMRC and the PSNI.

The inaugural NI Fraud Forum Conference will feature a keynote speech from Emma Luxton, Head of Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance at the Serious Fraud Office, who will outline the current fraud landscape across the UK, the government’s and the SFO’s priorities, and examples of positive outcomes with the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland.

Other speakers include:

  • Mike Hayley, CEO, Cifas, the UK’s largest cross-sector fraud sharing organisation (Discussing Cifas’s latest fraud data)

  • Robert Brooker, Chair, London Fraud Forum (Discussing the establishment of a UK-wide Fraud Forum)

  • Art Mitchell-Urwin, Operations Manager, Cabinet Office PSFA (Discussing the role of the recently formed Public Sector Fraud Authority)

  • Matthew Howse, Dispute Resolution and Litigation Partner, Eversheds Sutherland Belfast; and Laura Dunseath, Barrister and Legal Director, Eversheds Sutherland London (Discussing recent legal developments in the anti-fraud landscape)

  • Chris Wynne, Head of Financial Crime Prevention, Danske Bank (Discussing tackling financial crime and raising awareness)

  • Kevin Newe, Assistant Director, Illicit Finance Strategy Lead, HMRC (Discussing the Economic Crime Plan 2.0)

  • Ronan Convery, Senior Empowerment Officer, Consumer Council (Discussing their research on fraud across NI)

  • Wayne Denner, Author and Online Safety Trainer (Discussing online fraud awareness amongst young people)

  • Aidan Larkin, CEO, Asset Reality (Discussing cryptos and NFTs)

Bill McCluggage, Chair of the NI Fraud Forum, said:

“The Northern Ireland Fraud Forum are thrilled to be hosting our first ever Annual Conference later this month at the Hilton Hotel in Belfast. This comes at a significant period for businesses, organisations of all kinds, and citizens. Firms are trading in particularly volatile and challenging times with rising costs, spiralling inflation, hikes in interest rates, and a looming recession. Threats like fraud and white-collar crime can present often fatal challenges to small and independent businesses which, in turn, threaten livelihoods and workers.

"According to the National Crime Agency, fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in the UK. Fraud offences reported to the National Fraud Investigation Bureau rose by 17% between March 2021 and March 2022, and the number of annual reported fraud cases has now reached a staggering 936,276 offences.  The experience of businesses, organisations, and citizens in Northern Ireland is no exception and surely it is now time to collectively do more to challenge this crime epidemic.

“Trade body UK Finance estimates around £7bn is lost to economic crime in the UK every year. The latest statistics from the Republic of Ireland from September also show that fraud crime there has soared by 43% in the last year, driven primarily by banking and online fraud. Fraudsters and criminals are becoming savvier and craftier in their defrauding attempts, with people increasingly bombarded daily by fraudulent texts and phone calls seeking to defraud people and businesses out of their hard-earned money. It’s therefore crucial that businesses, organisations, and households are equipped with the tools and techniques to spot fraud and mitigate against it.

“The NI Fraud Forum Annual Conference will bring together private, public and third sector organisations to outline the current fraud environment, share tips and best practice, and help organisations prevent costly and potentially permanent damages to their operations.”

The inaugural NI Fraud Forum Annual Conference will take place at the Hilton Hotel, 4 Lanyon Place, Belfast on 15 November between 8.30am and 3pm. To sign up and for a full list of speakers and relevant information, please visit https://www.nifraudforum.co.uk/7-2/events/

World Premiere of Ballywalter opens the 22nd Belfast Film Festival

(L-R) Writer of Ballywalter, Stacey Gregg; Star of Ballywalter, Patrick Kielty and Director of Ballywalter, Prasanna Puwanarajah.

Belfast Film Festival returns with a jam-packed festival showcasing a wealth of local talent, whilst also shining a spotlight on the best international films of the year, with particular focus on emerging filmmakers, the stars of the future.  There are 116 films screening over the next 10 days, from 32 countries around the world, making the festival both a celebration of Northern Ireland and a window out onto the world for their eternally curious and adventurous audience. 

The festival kicked off last night with a star-studded premiere event at Cineworld Belfast, featuring the homegrown drama Ballywalter, staring Patrick Kielty in his debut acting role.  A host of local talent from both behind and in front of the camera were on the red carpet.

Ballywalter is directed by Prasanna Puwanajarah, actor/director soon to star as Martin Bashir in the new series of The Crown.  The film was written by East Belfast writer Stacey Gregg.

Kielty plays a man attending a weekly stand-up comedy course who develops a touching friendship with a down-on-her-luck taxi driver (Seána Kerslake). The gala event will be hosted by Tara Lynne O’Neill, star of Derry Girls. 

The festival is packed with premieres including local actor-turned-director, Tony Devlin’s first feature, The Quarry; She Said, the facts-based story of New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who wrote the article which ignited the #MeToo movement; No Bears the Venice prize winner from imprisoned Iranian director Jafar Panahi; and the UK/Ireland premieres of delightful bittersweet Ukrainian comedy Luxembourg Luxembourg, and Mark Cousins’ acutely timely documentary on the rise of Italian fascism, The March on Rome. 

The line-up includes several special locally-focussed events such as:

  • ‘Vox Populi’, an installation of UTV archive film at the iconic former Bank of Ireland building.

  • ‘The Secret Life of a Film Critic’: A celebration of Brian Henry Martin’s 30-year career.

  • ‘The Weird and the Eerie’: An audio-visual, hauntological experiment which delves into the Northern Irish televisual archive of the last century and brings back the stranger and more macabre elements of life in the six counties. Belfast’s own Vendetta Suite will provide musical accompaniment.

This year‘s festival also sees the launch of a new international competition of eight first or second features from around the world, judged by a jury comprising BAFTA and Academy-Award-winning director Andrea Arnold, renowned actor Stephen Rea and producer/consultant Catherine Bray.

(L-R) Writer of Ballywalter, Stacey Gregg; Star of Ballywalter, Patrick Kielty; Director of Ballywalter, Prasanna Puwanarajah and Director of Belfast Film Festival, Michele Devlin.

Director or Belfast Film Festival, Michele Devlin said: 

“This year’s festival contains an impressive line-up of guests including Oscar-winning director Andrea Arnold and multi-award winning actor Stephen Rea. Alongside a spotlight on Ukraine and a wonderful array of international premieres, from major Cannes festival prize winners to exciting off-the-beaten-track discoveries, we have a programme that celebrates indigenous talents from short to feature, and from archive to XR. 

“We celebrate the past with our Vox Populi archive installation, the first ever event to be held in the historic Bank of Ireland, Royal Avenue, site of the planned new “Belfast Stories” centre; and we embrace the future with our focus on immersive and virtual reality film making in the city’s inaugural XR festival.”

Campaign launched to encourage greater diversity in public life ahead of 2023 local council elections

NILGA Chief Executive Alison Allen

A new campaign has been launched today to encourage greater diversity in public life ahead of next year’s local government elections.

Led by the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), the ‘Be A Councillor – Make A Difference’ campaign is encouraging people from underrepresented communities to get involved in public life and frontline politics to make Northern Ireland a more inclusive and representative place to live for all communities.

These include people of colour, those with caring responsibilities, women, young people, people from the LGBTQI+ community, and people with a disability.

NILGA is the voice of local government in Northern Ireland, with membership from elected representatives from all 11 councils and all political parties.  This campaign has the full cross-party support of elected representatives in NILGA.

A series of seven videos have been developed with a wide-ranging and diverse group of current councillors from across Northern Ireland and across the main political parties. NILGA will also be writing to all political parties in Northern Ireland to encourage them to do all they can to ensure greater diversity ahead of candidate selections for next May’s local government elections.

‘Be A Councillor, Make A Difference’

Speaking as the campaign launched, NILGA Chief Executive Alison Allen said:

“The people of Northern Ireland will go to the polls next May to elect 462 councillors across 11 different council areas. However, while people from incredibly diverse backgrounds and all different types of communities will elect their local representatives, our councillors have not always been fully reflective of our communities. The latest census figures published recently show that Northern Ireland is more diverse than ever before, whether that’s different ethnicities, ages, abilities, political opinions, sexualities and gender identities, or religious beliefs.

“Councils are our closest and most accessible form of elected representation. Our councillors are community activists and leaders who are on the ground, delivering for their constituents day in, day out. Therefore, it’s only right that our councillors are fully representative of the people they speak up for and give a voice to.

“NILGA’s exciting ‘Be A Councillor – Make A Difference’ campaign is a significant and timely campaign which aims to encourage people from all walks of life to get involved in public life. A more diverse and inclusive society brings benefits for all of us. More diverse politics brings better policies, better legislation, and greater inclusivity with wider perspectives on how to improve our communities for everyone in them.

“Ahead of parties making their selections for next year’s election, NILGA has written to all political parties to encourage them to ensure they are doing all they can to facilitate and foster proper diversity and inclusion among their candidates. Our political parties have an important role to play to make sure our elected representatives are as reflective of the people they serve as possible. NILGA will work closely with all parties ahead of May 2023 to make this a reality.

“This campaign is vital to encourage people from all underrepresented communities that there is a place for them in politics in Northern Ireland. A more inclusive and diverse cohort of elected councillors will bring untold benefits and make everyone in our communities believe that politics works for them.”

Restored Primark Bank Buildings reopens to the public with the creation of 300 new jobs

Four-year £100 million restoration project of the 237-year-old listed building is finally complete

  • Almost 300 new jobs created by Primark, providing a major boost to the local economy of Belfast

  • Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Tina Black officially opens the new 88,200 sq ft. five floor flagship store in the heart of Belfast City Centre

The long-awaited reopening of Primark at The Bank Buildings in Belfast took place yesterday, officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tina Black. The newly refurbished flagship store represents an investment of £100 million to renovate and restore this iconic building in the centre of Belfast city and bring it back to its full glory, as part of Primark’s ongoing commitment to Northern Ireland. 

The retailer has created almost 300 new jobs at the bigger and better Primark store, including permanent and temporary seasonal positions, which will provide a significant boost to the local economy. This brings the total number of employees at Primark Bank Buildings to 500, making it one of the biggest retail employers in the city.

Shoppers queued from early hours to be first through the doors of the newly refurbished five-storey beautiful retail space in the heart of Belfast city centre, which opened its doors to excited customers at 10am.

The reopening is a poignant moment for Primark, and the city of Belfast, following the August 2018 fire that gutted the interior of the 237-year-old heritage listed building and left the feature façade badly damaged. Over the past four years, major building renovation works were undertaken by Primark with the support of hundreds of crafts and tradespeople, including over 40 expert stone masons from across the UK and Ireland, who were tasked with carving new stone works and repairing existing stone as part of the restoration.  All the stone and marble on the building’s new façade was sourced from quarries in Finland, Scotland and Portugal, the same quarries from where the materials for the original structure were sourced in the 18th century.

Commenting at the reopening of Bank Buildings, Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Tina Black said: “It’s really wonderful to be here today to see the reopening of this iconic Belfast building. As a former Primark employee myself, I have many happy memories of working here during my university years, and now a new chapter begins for the staff. When the fire devastated Bank Buildings back in 2018, it was hard to imagine ever reaching this point; but over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the painstaking work that has gone in to restoring this beautiful heritage building and like everyone, I’m thrilled to see it reopen its doors today, with the added boost of creating new jobs.

“While the fire was undoubtedly a devastating event for our city and businesses, it also marked something of a watershed moment because it brought together elected members and city partners to work together to find solutions. Over the last number of years, we have been able to trial new ideas and initiatives to support recovery and regeneration, and I know that partnership working will continue in the weeks and months ahead.”

Primark Northern Ireland Area Manager Jacqui Byers added: “Today is a great celebration, not only for Primark, but for all of Belfast following years of hard work to recover and rebuild Bank Buildings. It is fantastic to have reached this day and return to our home in Belfast, bringing our colleagues back together under one roof with a store that is bigger and better than ever before.

“As we finally reopen, we wish to thank our colleagues, customers, the business community, and the wider city of Belfast once again for their continued support over the past four years. Restoring Bank Buildings has been a passion project for Primark, completed in partnership with the wider city of Belfast and our amazing team of crafts and tradespeople - it has been a true team effort. This is a proud moment for us, and it is a testament to every individual involved that we welcome shoppers back today.”

Returning to its original site in Belfast City Centre, Primark Bank Buildings has now merged with the existing Castle Street store to create a new flagship store, which is 76% bigger in size compared to the original site. The store features 88,200 sq. ft. of fantastic retail space, including a brand-new immersive Disney experience, the first of its kind in a Primark store setting, where customers will find a Primark Café with Disney, Disney photo moments, and a dedicated Disney department for adults, kids and homeware, all located on the second floor of the store.

The store will also feature a new nail and beauty studio for customers, operated by Nails™, and a new fifth floor space which is home to a brand-new Home department offering Primark’s full homeware range of accessories, bedding and small furniture to customers in Belfast for the first time. 

Customers can also shop the full range of Autumn Winter trends, partywear, Christmas gifting ideas and its great value essentials across women’s, men’s, kids’ and homeware, beauty, and accessories all in one place at Primark Bank Buildings.

Committed to investing further in Northern Ireland, Primark also recently confirmed details of the opening of its brand-new store in Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon, which will open its doors on Friday 16th December to customers and will be the retailer’s 9th store in Northern Ireland.

Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead – Ireland: Wednesday 2 November

Forward Look                                

  • Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD is expected to become Taoiseach several days after 15 December to allow Micheál Martin TD to attend the final European Council summit of the year, according to media reports.

  • At today’s cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Helen McEntee TD updated colleagues on the creation of a new division of the High Court to deal with planning issues.

  • On Saturday 5 November, Sinn Féin’s Ard Fheis will take place at the RDS, Dublin.

  • The latest Irish Times/Ipsos poll sees Sinn Féin’s lead drop slightly to 35% (-1) followed by Fine Gael on 22% (+4) and Fianna Fáil (+1).

  • On Tuesday 8 November, the Dáil will return from Halloween recess.

  • Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar TD will publish the Government’s White Paper on Enterprise Policy later this month. Digital transition, skills, competitiveness and trade policy will be included.

  • Environment Minister Eamon Ryan TD has said he will bring recommendations for a new Energy Security Policy to cabinet in the next month.

  • Cabinet has given approval to Ireland’s first-ever hate speech legislation to be introduced to the Dáil in the coming weeks.

  • Today and tomorrow the Central Bank will host a Financial System Conference at the AVIVA, Dublin. For more information, click HERE.

  • Tomorrow, the deadline to apply to the Board of the Electoral Commission closes.

  • On Monday 7 November, the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council will take place.

  • On Thursday 10 November, Business in the Community’s Annual CEO Breakfast will take place at Mansion House, Dublin. For more information, click HERE.

  • On Thursday 10 November, the Central Statistics Office will publish the Consumer Price Index for October.

Other Stories this week

  • The Government has accepted 49 of the 50 recommendations made by the Future of Media Commission, except for scrapping the RTÉ TV license.

  • Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry has resigned over the party’s handling of bullying claims made against him.

  • The annual Procurement Reform Report has been published, detailing government contracts and the cost of implementing policy. To view, click HERE.

  • The Irish Planning Institute has said that capacity issues at An Bord Pleanála is causing significant delays to the approval of housing developments.

  • Eurozone inflation reached a record high of 10.7% for October.

  • Business confidence has fallen 27 points since this time last year, according to Bank of Ireland.

  • The temporary Eviction Ban Bill has been signed into law deferring evictions until April 2023.

  • The value of merchandise bought from the Sinn Féin website trebled last year to €300,000, according to the Irish Independent.

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 3 November, Invest in Ireland Awards.

  • 5 November, Sinn Féin Ard Fheis.

  • 11 November, Small Firms Association Annual Lunch.

  • 16 November, Ibec Financial Services Ireland Dinner.

  • 16 November, LVA and VFI Irish Pub Awards.

  • 7-8 December, Dublin Chamber London Trade Mission.

  • 15 December, Leo Varadkar TD becomes Taoiseach.

Consultations

28 October Deadline – where do we stand now?

4pm, Friday 28 October: Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris MP has confirmed that he intends to call an Assembly Election following the passing of the deadline to restore the Assembly and Executive. The SoS did not set a date but said he will be giving a further update next week.

8am, Friday 28 October: The deadline for the restoration of the Assembly and Executive passed at 00.01 this morning. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris MP is now obliged to call an election which must take place within 12 weeks.

This comes six months on from May’s Assembly Election. The Assembly and Executive has remained in cold storage since then due to the DUP’s position on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Several attempts to recall the Assembly and elect a Speaker and deputy Speaker have failed in that time, the most recent being yesterday, when bids to gain cross-community support for the election of a Speaker and nomination of a First and deputy First Minister failed.

Following the deadline, the remaining caretaker Ministers are no longer in position. Power has now shifted to the Secretary of State and civil servants, who will oversee the running of day-to-day matters.

What can we expect?

·        The earliest an election can happen is Thursday 8 December and latest Thursday 19 January. With the Northern Ireland Office keen to avoid a Christmas campaign, it looks likely to take place on 15 December.

·        The Electoral Office is making plans for this, and the cost will be £6.5 million.

·        If an election takes place on 15 December, the count will happen that weekend. The Assembly would be expected to meet shortly after that to appoint a new speaker and ministers.

·        In the event of another six-month period without the restoration of the Executive, the law stipulates that a further election must be called.

·        In the interim, the Secretary of State has indicated that he will pass a budget for Northern Ireland at Westminster “concurrently” with elections and give civil servants at Stormont powers to take decisions in the absence of ministers.

·        The idea of ‘Joint Authority’ between the Irish and British Governments in the governance of Northern Ireland without an Executive has also been mooted in recent days. All parties except the DUP, UUP and TUV welcomed it, however the Northern Ireland Office later ruled it out and said “joint authority is not being considered”.

What does it mean?

·        We are on course for another election, yet the restoration of the Executive after that is not a foregone conclusion. It is unknown whether this further poll will change things given that the NI Protocol Bill and negotiations with the EU are now directly linked to restoring power-sharing.

·        Alongside the potential for a second Assembly Election before we see out the year, campaigns will also reignite early next year for the Local Government Elections on 4 May 2023.

Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead – Ireland: Wednesday 26 October

Forward Look                                

  • Cabinet has approved a radical overhaul of pub and nightclub opening hours as part of the General Sale of Alcohol Bill, proposed by the Justice Minister Helen McEntee TD.

  • A total of €850 million in European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) has been secured by the Department for Public Expenditure to support regional economic competitiveness and innovation.

  • A forthcoming report into An Bord Pleanála will reveal widespread governance and decision-making issues, according to the Irish Examiner.

  • This week, the Dáil will scrutinise the Emergency Electricity Generation Bill and the Temporary Eviction Ban Bill.

  • This afternoon, officials from the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure will brief the Committee on Budgetary Oversight on Budget 2023 commitments.

  • Tomorrow, the Government will make a statement on Ireland’s Energy Security. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment will respond to Questions.

  • Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is set to commence construction on a new €1 billion Dublin facility next summer, according to the Business Post.

  • Tomorrow, the Central Statistics Office will publish credit and debit card transaction statistics for September.

  • Tomorrow, Financial Services Dublin will host its Financial Services Industry Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin. For more information, click HERE.

  • On Friday, AIB will publish it’s third-quarter trading results.

  • On Friday, the Irish Start-up Conference 2022 will take place at Trinity College, Dublin. For more information, click HERE. The Irish Law Awards will also take place at the AVIVA Stadium, Dublin. For more information, click HERE.

  • Deirdre Ní Choistín has been appointed Head of News and Current Affairs at TG4.

  • Mary Buckley has taken up post as interim CEO of IDA Ireland.

Other Stories this week

  • On Monday, the 62nd meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly took place in County Cavan.

  • Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD has said he will give consideration to establishing a taskforce to rejuvenate O’Connell Street in Dublin, working with Dublin City Council.

  • The value of goods handled in Irish ports during Q2 rose 1% year-on-year. Dublin Port accounted for 63% of all activity.

  • The Central Bank of Ireland has announced an easement of mortgage lending rules for first-time buyers, coming into effect 1 January 2023.

  • Yesterday, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan TD met with European counterparts in Luxembourg to further discussions on an agreed energy price cap.

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 28 October, Irish Start-up Conference.

  • 28 October, Irish Law Awards.

  • 2 November, Food and Drink Business Conference.

  • 3 November, Invest in Ireland Awards.

  • 5 November, Sinn Féin Ard Fheis.

  • 16 November, Ibec Financial Services Ireland Dinner.

  • 15 December, Leo Varadkar TD becomes Taoiseach.

Consultations

BelTech wants to hear from future leaders in the tech industry

BelTech will return on 9 and 10 March 2023

BelTech, the conference that unites technologists right across the tech sector, is looking for the industry’s future leaders as it officially opens its call for speakers ahead of the conference taking place in 2023.

Returning on 9 and 10 March 2023, BelTech will continue to lead the way in gathering, informing and inspiring Northern Ireland’s technology practitioners of today and of the future.

BelTech is aiming to give as many emerging technologists as possible the opportunity to bring their ideas to a domestic and influential global audience.

The themes and tracks of the next BelTech will focus on distributed enterprises, mesh architecture and artificial intelligence. Talks focusing on sustainable computing practices across these tracks are encouraged.

Curated by technologists, for technologists, BelTech 2023 is supported by Kainos, Allstate NI and Expleo.

Applications close on Wednesday 2 November.

Kyle Davidson, Lead Curator of BelTech 2023 said:

“The aim of BelTech is to celebrate our growing sector and give a platform to new, emerging voices to help spark ideas and collaboration within our sector by inspiring the next generation of tech professionals

“Next year’s BelTech is all about breaking down barriers and empowering people from all walks of life. The beauty of working in tech is that it nurtures diversity and that is what BelTech 2023 is all about.

“We would urge everyone in our sector to get involved, put their name forward or even encourage peers to apply to speak at the region’s leading tech conference.”