Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead – Ireland Wednesday 18 January

Forward Look                                  

  • Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD will join the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this week.

  • The Government is exploring the possibility to exempt major hospital projects from current planning rules to enable faster delivery of acute beds.

  • The Government is preparing to sign off on a scheme costing up to €2.5 billion to address defects in up to 100,000 apartments built during the Celtic Tiger.

  • The IDA is preparing for further layoffs in the tech sector as Microsoft prepares to make cuts to their workforce worldwide.

  • A briefing document provided to Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney TD has stated that the housing crisis, energy costs and security of supply are making Ireland less competitive in securing investment.

  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris MP has said there is still “a way to go” in terms of a deal between the EU and UK government over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

  • Plans to consult the public on the first overhaul of national guidelines for one-off rural housing in almost two decades have been delayed.

  • Neale Richmond TD has replaced Damien English TD as junior Minister for Employment Affairs and Retail Business following English’s resignation last week after failing to properly declare a property interest.  

  • The Government is considering financial incentives such as tax breaks to activate 70,000 idle planning permissions.

  • Dublin City Council is considering a levy against hotel rooms in Dublin following a report from the Commission on Taxation and Welfare.

  • The Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach has said legislation should be introduced to force retail banks to provide cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for certain regions.

  • Today, the Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuel Function Bill 2022 will go in front of the Dáil.

  • Tomorrow, the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 will have its second reading in the Chamber.

  • Today, the Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media will meet to discuss the future of business model plans and long-term vision for the media sector. The focus will be on the uncertainty over the future of the TV licence fee.

  • Tomorrow, the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will meet with Dr Martin Mansergh, Ambassador Eamonn McKee and Mr. Walter Kirwan.

 

Other Stories this week

  • A complaint was filed against Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe to SIPO regarding undeclared election expenses.

  • IBEC has published a report that spotlights the significant economic and social prosperity that the Good Friday Agreement created.

  • The HSE’s head of digital transformation has resigned citing difficulties in implementing his vision.

  • The Central Statistics Office has reported that Ireland is on track for record trade surplus with a 27% increase in 2022 compared to 2023.

  • The Chief Economist of the ECB has said that the ECB must raise interest rates to a level that starts to restrict growth.

 

 

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 20 January, Chartered Accountants Ireland Annual Dinner, Convention Centre Dublin.

  • 25 January, BioPharma and Lifesciences Connected, Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork.

  • 2 February, The Irish Times Business Awards, Round Room, Mansion House.

  • 2 February, CIPR Ireland Employment Law Seminar, Aviva Stadium.

 

Consultations