Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead – Ireland Wednesday 25 January 2023

  • The Irish Independent has reported from a senior source in Fine Gael that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD will hold the next general election in Autumn 2024.

  • Support for Fine Gael has dropped by four percentage points according to the latest Sunday Times/Behaviour and Attitudes Opinion Poll.

  • Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue TD stated no land will be sold to UK-based investment fund Gresham House and that the firm’s role will be solely to manage development of forests.

  • Health Minister Stephen Donnelly TD sought permission from the Cabinet yesterday to draft legislation to abolish inpatient charges for those who are hospitalised.

  • Chief Economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers, Dermot O’Leary, has said growth in Ireland is set to outperform the rest of the Eurozone due to high household saving levels and Government surplus.

  • €50m of funds for local communities who have “stepped up to the plate” in supporting Ukrainian refugees was announced by Rural and Community Minister Heather Humphreys TD and State Minister Joe O’Brien TD yesterday.

  • Daniel McConnell has been appointed editor of the Business Post, leaving his post as political editor of The Examiner.

  • Ulster Bank will crease transactions for customers in the Republic of Ireland on 31 March.

  • The Irish Farmers Association president Tim Cullan said at the organisation’s AGM that Government climate policy must support the agricultural sector to reduce emissions.

  • A €25bn plan for new Luas lines in the greater Dublin area has been published by the National Transport Authority.

  • Council workers are threatening to withdraw their labour from the planned transformation of the country’s water services citing concerns of pay, and terms and conditions of those who do not move to Uisce Éireann.

  • Today, The Communications Regulation Bill will reach its final stages in the Dáil.

 

Other Stories this week

  • Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has admitted to a breach in electoral rules by receives a corporate donation that exceeded the legal limits.

  • Developers will be paid more than €1.4m by An Bord Pleanála as a result of significant delays in processing strategic housing development applications.

  • Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern gave evidence to the NI Affairs committee on Monday as part of an on-going inquiry into the effectiveness of the Good Friday Agreement. Ahern was the first former or serving Taoiseach to present evidence to the committee.

  • Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had their first call on Monday to discuss the on-going EU-UK negotiations.

  • Job vacancies fell on an annual and quarterly basis in 2022 but still remain higher than pre-Covid levels.

  • Venture capital investment in Irish business fell by 38% last year.

 

Upcoming key political and business events

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

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

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

  • 7 February, General Council Summit, The Marker Hotel, Dublin.

  • 9 February, The National Health Summit, Croke Park, Dublin.

  • 9 February, Northwest in the City Networking Event, The Westbury, Dublin.

Consultations