Forward Look
On Saturday, Leo Varadkar TD once again became Taoiseach. Members of the Coalition voted along party lines with 87-62 votes.
Following a cabinet reshuffle, Micheál Martin has become Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister. Simon Coveney has been appointed Enterprise Minister.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he intends to “make an early visit” to Northern Ireland to meet the political parties and meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Former US Congressman Joe Kennedy III has been appointed the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development annual economic survey of Ireland has found that the current Irish fiscal situation is favourable but faces significant challenges to sustain growth and ensure fiscal responsibility in the long term.
A report from the Economic and Social Research Institute has warned that the recent shocks to the tech sector could wipe €34 billion off the value of the Irish economy.
The Government has published its updated Climate Action Plan. It includes proposals to curb car parking where public transport options exist and reduce the distance driven by motorists by a fifth. Measures are also being considered to improve the national infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.
The future of An Bord Pleanála is in a “critical state” with its operations in “crisis” and its staff demoralised, according to two independent experts commissioned to produce a report on the organisation. The backlog of planning cases now stands at 2,300, the number it usually gets through in a year.
Tusla Chief Executive Bernard Gloster will become Chief Executive of the HSE in the spring.
The Irish Times Business Awards will take place on 2 February at the Round Room at the Mansion House.
Other Stories this week
New Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has banned mobile phones from Cabinet meetings, citing security and spying concerns. Controversies over leaking of Cabinet meetings is also believed to be a factor.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has criticised the Department of Finance and the Central Bank over an unauthorised release of €750m in exchequer funds to the department.
The IDA Ireland Labour Market Pulse has shown that Ireland’s hiring rate has begun to decline from the highs hit in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
54% of business leaders in Ireland believe the financial performance of their main organisation will improve next year, according to a survey by the IoD Ireland.
RTÉ has appointed Deirdre McCarthy as its Managing Director for News and Current Affairs, the first woman to hold the position.
Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer has been elected Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, replacing Fianna Fáil’s Mark Daly.
Upcoming key political and business events
18 January, Dáil returns Christmas recess.
20 January, Chartered Accountants Ireland Annual Dinner, Convention Centre Dublin.
25 January, BioPharma and Lifesciences Connected, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork.
Consultations
Stakeholder Consultation on the Review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme. Deadline 6 January.
Bioeconomy Action Plan Consultation. Deadline 27 January.
Consultation on developing an Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland. Deadline 27 January.