Senator David Norris addresses staff at diversity lecture

Over the last four years ESB has held a series of lunchtime lectures which featured guest speakers from different cultural backgrounds who addressed our staff and helped us to celebrate and raise our awareness around diversity.

Our guest speakers have included; a member of the Traveller Community, a Theologian from the Muslim Community and a poet from the Nigerian community and the Chief Executive from the Equality Authority, amongst others. On Tuesday 6th of June, ESB was delighted to welcome Senator David Norris who featured as the guest speaker.

John Campion, Executive Director, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, opened the talk by welcoming David Norris to ESB. John said that it as important for ESB to continue to raise our awareness around diversity and also to send out a strong message that it recognises and celebrates the fact that all ESB staff, customers, suppliers and contractors come from many diverse backgrounds. He said that all will be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, race, age, religion, disability, marital status, family status or membership of the Traveller Community.

Senator David Norris spoke for almost an hour bringing the listener on a rip roaring and often emotional journey through the Belgian Congo, Laois, Trinity College, Ireland in the seventies, Cypress, Iraq, the Vatican, American foreign policy, East Timor, North Great Georges Street, Georgian and Joycean Dublin. The conference room was filled to capacity. But behind all the humour and emotion was the simple message that we are all decent people and that it is ok to be different.