A lot happens at Ibec. From the events and VIP briefings we host with political and business leaders to our political engagements and campaigns we run on your behalf. Here we show some recent updates from our CEO, Danny McCoy.
CEO Update: Ireland’s economic position and navigating geo-political headwinds
Thursday, 23 January
The latest CEO Update to Ibec membership from Danny McCoy
Dear member,
This week Ibec launched our quarterly Ibec Economic Outlook, forecasting GDP growth of 1.7% in 2025 and 2.1% in 2026. The report highlights that the Irish economy is experiencing a moderation in growth after five years of remarkable expansion.
Economic Outlook notes that this is not unexpected, particularly given the turbulence faced by some of Ireland’s largest trading partners and our recent economic success.
The report has received widespread media coverage and will be shared extensively with political and Government stakeholders in the newly formed 34th Dáil. You can read the full report here.
Ministerial appointments have also been made today and Ibec has already begun its outreach programme. Of note, is the expansion of An Tánaiste Simon Harris’s portfolio to Foreign Affairs and Trade - further exemplifying the symbiotic relationship between Ireland’s economic performance and the geopolitical landscape.
This correlation was front of mind last week when Ibec hosted an insightful discussion featuring MEPs Nina Carberry and Barry Cowen, alongside representatives from the UK CBI (Confederation of British Industry) to mark the launch of BusinessEurope's new business outlook paper on EU-UK relations in Brussels.
The EU-UK trade and investment relationship remains vital for businesses on both sides of the channel. While the Trade and Cooperation Agreement has helped avoid abrupt disruptions, unnecessary barriers to trade and investment persist. With new governments in place, there is an important opportunity to strengthen this relationship, driving growth for businesses and citizens alike.
To provide broader international insights to our members, we recently published our latest Global Compass titled 'Cracking the Code: Unlocking Competitiveness in a Complex Geopolitical Matrix'. The latest edition is available here.
Lastly, following the recent issuance of a severe weather warning, we have made the decision to move our upcoming "Programme for Government, US Relations & Economic Outlook" event online.
The event will take place this Friday, 24 January 2025, from 11:00 - 12:00, and you will be able to join using this link. Please feel free to share this invitation and link with any colleagues that you think may benefit from the session.
We look forward to your participation in this important discussion.
As always please do let me know if you have any feedback.
Regards,
Danny McCoy
CEO
Ibec
Walk the Walk / with Reputation Inc
“Walk the Talk”, a new series from Reputation Inc featuring conversations with leaders in business and broader society, delving into the intersection between business and reputation.
The episode, featuring Ibec CEO Danny McCoy, is presented in in four bite-sized video clips, exploring a range of topics including strategy, reputation, leadership, sustainability, and culture.
