Celebrating the European Year of Citizens
Tuesday the 19th of November, 2013, 11.30am
at the Printworks, Dublin Castle

Seven Europe Direct Centres around the country have hosted energetic discussions on the topic that Citizens are at the Heart of the EU, providing all comers with the chance to have their say on Europe.

The soapboxes have produced talented speakers as winners of the regional finals held in Waterford, Letterkenny, Dundalk, Blanchardstown, Mallow, Mountmellick and Tubbercurry. They were suitably rewarded with iPads and overall winners in the region were the proud recipients of an exciting trip to Brussels, the political heart of Europe.

Sixteen finalists now have the opportunity to compete in the Grand Final in Dublin Castle for the overall prize of €1,000 and the title of National Soapbox winner 2013. 

Each contestant will have three minutes to present their arguments, convince the judges and persuade the audience. Echoing its Hyde Park origins, the soapbox is the perfect vehicle to showcase our proud tradition of public speaking and this annual competition is the ideal forum for the country’s budding and practiced orators alike.

Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Fergus O’Dowd, T.D. will be the guest of honour for the event. The Soapbox Final will opened and chaired by Mr. Tim Hayes, Head of Information / Communication, European Commission Representation in Ireland. The panel of judges is chaired by Mr. Paul McSweeney, Chief Executive Officer, Local Government Management Agency and is comprised of An tUas. Aodán MacSuibhne, Marino Institute, Príomhléachtóir, Comhordaitheoir na Gaeilge; Ms. Malgorzata Fiedot-Davies, National Coordinator,  Eurodesk Ireland; Mr. Harry O’Connor, Public Relations Officer, European Parliament Information Office in Ireland; Ms. Mairead Owens, County Librarian, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Library Service; and Mr. Christopher O’Byrne, Engineers Toastmasters.

The Europe Direct Information Centre network is a European wide network of information points for EU citizens. Their principal objective is to be the link between the European Commission and its citizens.  They provide information and advice about the EU's policies; disseminate local and regional information from EU institutions; actively promote local and regional debate about the EU; and give the public the opportunity and the means to send feedback to the EU institutions.

The network in Ireland is funded by the European Commission with co-funding from local authorities who deliver this service regionally through the network of our public libraries. There are eight Europe Direct Information Centres across the country with coverage stretching from Letterkenny to Mallow, Dundalk to Waterford with two dual centres providing Irish language services in Donegal (Letterkenny and Gaoth Dobhair) and Galway (Ballinasloe and Carraroe). The Europe Direct Information Centre network in Ireland is managed by Libraries Development, Local Government Management Agency. The website www.europedirect.ie provides further details.

For further information please contact Annette Kelly, Head, Libraries Development, Local Government Management Agency, akelly@lgma.ie, telephone number 01 633 2200.