President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins addresses our Social Policy Conference

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Social Justice Ireland were honoured to have President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins deliver the key note address at our 30th Annual Social Policy Conference.

This year's conference featured an excellent and diverse line-up of speakers from Spain, Italy, Germany, the USA, and Ireland. However, there was no doubt that the highlight was President Higgins's address, entitled On The Discourse That We Need.

Ireland has changed considerably in the past 30 years. We are now in the middle of a global shift of ideas, values and politics. With a generational transition in politics clearly taking place in Ireland, what values will emerge from this country over the coming years?

Click here to read the text of President Higgins's address, or watch the video below. The speech at our conference was the first in a series on related topics, and we are delighted to provide the text of subsequent speeches in that series.

The speech given by President Higgins at Social Justice Ireland's Social Policy Conference 2017 was the first in a series aiming to outline the President's worldview as he entered the final twelve months of his term.

Click here to read the President's speech at the Centre for Public Ethics at University College Dublin on February 5th, 2018.

Click here to read the President's speech on Ireland's Role in the Global Challenge of Desertification on March 26th, 2018.

Click here to read the President's speech at the State of the Union Conference on Solidarity in Europe at the European University Institute in Florance on May 10th, 2018.

Click here to read the President's speech at the International Labour Organisation Conference in Geneva on June 7th, 2018.

Below: Social Justice Ireland Directors Brigid Reynolds (far left) and Dr. Seán Healy (far right) with President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin on Monday, March 26th 2018, prior to President Higgins's speech of Ireland's role in the global challenge of desertification.