Peter Thiel pictured at the Republican National Convention in 2016. Alamy Stock Photo
Dialog
Labour TD Duncan Smith said that the public ‘has a right to know’ whether government ministers have been invited to the conference.
A PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL gathering linked to billionaire investor, Palantir co-founder and Donald Trump ally Peter Thiel is reportedly due to take place in Co Wicklow next month, bringing together hundreds of senior figures from politics, technology, defence and finance.
The invitation-only conference, known as Dialog, is scheduled to run from 12 to 16 August.
According to reporting by US technology outlet WIRED , the event is due to be held at a venue near Dublin, while other reports have identified the venue as the Powerscourt Hotel in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
Dialog was co-founded by Thiel in 2006 and has long maintained a low public profile.
The organisation hosts off-the-record discussions between political leaders, technology executives, investors, academics and military figures, and has often been compared to the Bilderberg Group.
Not much is known about the conference, though has attracted fresh attention this week after WIRED reported that internal records linked to Dialog were left exposed online, revealing details of attendees and discussion topics for the 2026 event.
The publication said it independently verified the leaked material, which included registration records for 222 expected attendees.
According to WIRED, those listed include senior political, military and business figures such as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Senator Ted Cruz and Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich. It also features notable public figures such as actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Sophia Bush.
The leaked programme reportedly includes sessions titled ‘Money (Does?) Buy Happiness’, ‘Bring Back Nuclear’, ‘Navigating WWIII’, and ‘How’s Your Sex Life?’.
The event is backed by Thiel, a German-born billionaire investor and co-founder of Palantir Technologies, which supplies data analytics tools to US defence and intelligence agencies.
He is a polarising political figure, known for backing Donald Trump and for libertarian views that have sparked debate, including previous remarks questioning the compatibility of democracy with capitalist systems.
Palantir’s AI systems have also been used by the Israel Defence Forces to select individual human targets for bombing in Gaza.
Labour TD Duncan Smith said the government should clarify whether any ministers have been invited to attend the event and whether taxpayers will bear any associated security costs.
“Reports suggest this conference will bring together some of the world’s wealthiest and most influential political and business figures behind closed doors,” Smith said.
The public has a right to know whether ministers have been invited, whether State agencies are involved in facilitating the conference, and what costs, if any, will fall on the taxpayer.
“Government must also clarify whether taxpayers will bear any security or other costs associated with the event. Reports indicate that senior US political figures, including the US Treasury Secretary and members of Congress, may be in attendance,” Smith added.
Separately, RTÉ reported that at least six Irish people, including Independent Senator Lynn Ruane, had been invited to the gathering.
Ruane told the broadcaster she had initially planned to attend but had since withdrawn after learning more about the organisation.
Dialog and Powerscourt Hotel have not publicly commented on the reports.
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