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The Edmund Burke Institute held its inaugural meeting in November 1987. Since then it has undertaken a variety of activities all of which have been designed to redress the balance in the Irish debate about matters of current interest. The Institute has sought to challenge intellectually the idea that economic activity should be directly promoted by the state by pointing out that this is not only impractical, but that in the long run it has troubling implications for human freedom.
In particular we have held meetings usually, but not always in Dublin. These have been addressed by distinguished scholars and experts including The Chairman of The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. We have hosted Sir Donald Tsang Chief Financial officer of Hong Kong when he visited Dublin in November 1999.
Other meetings of The Institute have been addressed by Patrick Minford then of Liverpool University, about unemployment, by Catherine Blight of The David Hume Institute in Edinburgh about the quasi market forces which give rise to the demand for regulation, and by the transport economist John Hibbs. Other speakers have dealt with third world issues, European integration, and events in Eastern Europe.
We have also published two well received issues of the magazine Reflections, which were comparable the best of those produced similar Institutes elsewhere. Articles dealt with such matters as The Great Famine, the extent of the so called Black Economy, or informal sector, and an introduction to the Austrian school of economics.
We continue to publish an informal series of newletters in which we have brought the attention of our subscribers and others some of the best writing from other like minded institutes around the world. In these have tried to redress the balance between those who have favoured the state and their opponents, by providing a reasoned case in favour of economic freedom.
We have also been keen to build contacts with institutes in the developing world and our news notes have helped us to do this.
The institute has built up for itself a solid reputation for providing authoritative market based commentary on economic issues. At various times its directors have had access to some of the most influential media outlets in Ireland. No wonder that "The Irish Independent" has said that we have influenced all the major political parties in Ireland. This was probably an exaggeration, but it does indicate that while our views may not yet be quite mainstream many opinion formers in Ireland have welcomed our approach and our efforts to provide another voice in Ireland.
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