Ireland’s finanacial regulator will be this year’s speaker at the Paddy Ryan Memorial Lecture on May 6.
Matthew Elderfield, head of financial regulation at the Central Bank of Ireland, will deliver his lecture entitled ‘Assessing Risks - the New Model for Ireland’.
This year marks the fourth occasion the Galway Chamber of Commerce, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, and NUI Galway have hosted the event which honours the well-known former Galway mayor and businessman, the late Paddy Ryan.
This year’s lecture will be hosted by GMIT, and acting president Jim Fennell says Matthew Elderfield, who took up his appointment in January 2010, has done much to restore credibility to the office.
"GMIT is delighted to host the fourth Paddy Ryan Memorial Lecture, which honours Paddy Ryan who was a prominent public figure and entrepreneur. Matthew Elderfield has done much to restore Ireland’s reputation and we look forward to his lecture.”
British-born, Elderfield took over as financial regular following his predecessor Patrick Neary’s retirement over the handling of the regulator's investigation into the €87 million in secret directors' loans at Anglo Irish Bank. Elderfield’s appointment was seen as an integral step in restructuring financial services regulation in Ireland. He will be presented with a specially commissioned medallion designed by the artist and sculptor Padraic Reaney.
The President of NUI Galway, Dr James J Browne, says the topic of this year’s lecture is particularly relevant.
“NUIG is very proud to be associated with The Paddy Ryan Memorial Lecture, which honours Paddy Ryan’s lifetime of public service. In a time of upheaval in Irish society, the topic of this lecture is deeply relevant and meaningful for Irish public policy," he says.
The lecture has become one of the most important dates in the Galway Chamber of Commerce calendar, according to president Carmel Brennan.
“It is testament to the legacy of the late Paddy Ryan, to the ethos of Galway Chamber and to our third level institutions between which the event alternates. We are delighted to welcome Matthew Elderfield as our guest speaker and look forward to an informative event for Galway.”
Paddy Ryan, an honorary doctor of law from NUI Galway, was also chairman of Galway Race Committee, Oyster Festival, Rotary Club, Tidy Towns, and the Amicable Society.
The lecture takes place at at 7.30pm in Theatre 1000 at GMIT Galway. The event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception.
