Keynote - Liffey A

Lesley Griffiths was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in May 2007. She sat on the Communities and Culture, Sustainability and Audit Committees, and Legislation Committee No. 5.

In December 2009 she was appointed Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills. Lesley also set up and chaired the Cross-Party Hospice Group.

Following her re-election in May 2011, she was appointed Minister for Health and Social Services. In March 2013, she was appointed Minister for Local Government and Government Business and, in September 2014, was appointed Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty.

After her re-election in May 2016, Lesley was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs.

Following a 19 year career as an economic development consultant to public and private sector clients, Paul Wheelhouse was elected to serve as an MSP representing the South of Scotland in 2011, at which time Paul joined the Parliament’s Finance Committee and Standards procedures and Public Appointments Committee. A regular contributor to debates in his first year, where he was one of the most frequent speakers in debate, Paul served on a number of cross party groups and was deputy convener of the Cross Party Group on Sport.

Paul was promoted to Ministerial Office in September 2012, initially as Minister for Environment & Climate Change, where Paul was able to build his knowledge of agricultural policy, and, from November 2014, as Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs. Paul was awarded ‘Politician of the Year’ in the 2015 Nature of Scotland Awards in recognition of his contribution to conservation of Scotland’s wildlife and natural environment.

Minister Bruton is an experienced politician, representing his Dublin constituency for over 30 years. In that time, he has served as a government minister several times, with portfolios including education, enterprise and employment.

Achieving a leadership position in renewable energy for Ireland is one of Minister Bruton’s priorities for his time in office. Ireland’s ocean energy sector will be a valuable asset as the country moves to decarbonise, especially given the scale of its natural resources.