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A major new conference on the Irish economy is to take place in September, the Irish Government announced Tuesday.

Called “Global Irish Economic Forum”, the conference will bring together leading international figures with Irish links or with a strong connection to Ireland.  

The purpose of the forum, said Micheál Martin, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, will be to examine how the Irish can generate ideas that will contribute to an economic recovery. 

“It will also play a critical role in shaping the future direction of the relationship between Ireland and its Diaspora, particularly in the economic area,” the Minister said. 

He added that the conference was part of a wider strategy of deeper Government engagement with the Diaspora which complements the Ireland-United States Strategic Review, which was launched by the Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, in New York in March. 

The Minister pointed out that the Irish Diaspora had played an important role in building the Northern Ireland peace process. 

He described the global Irish community as “one of the most powerful and far-reaching resources at our disposal. They will bring with them an invaluable global perspective.” 

“The forum will provide us with the opportunity to take Ireland’s relationship with the global Irish community in a new direction, to examine innovative ways of working together and to generate ideas for Ireland’s economic recovery,” the Minister continued. 

“Now is the time to shape a more strategic relationship which will bring benefits both to Ireland and to our global community and which has a more developed economic focus.” 

The majority of those in attendance, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said, will be drawn from countries with a significant Irish community and from countries where Irish people have been successful in business. 

The conference will take place from September 18-20, and will be held in Farmleigh House, Dublin.