CEO Update: Ireland’s General Election Results - Key Takeaways

Dear Member,

At the time of writing, there are still a number of seats to be decided in Ireland’s General Election 2024. However, there are some important takeaways that we now know for sure:

Ireland has defied international trends.

Ireland has resisted the trend observed over the last twelve months, particularly in Western democracies, of punishing incumbent governments and embracing populism. The results of Friday’s election were not as fragmented as some feared and clearly reflect Ireland’s strong economic position and the importance of security and stability to the Irish electorate.

The parties are familiar; the individuals are not.

Though the three main parties elected are familiar, there has been a significant turnover among candidates, with approximately 60 newly elected TDs representing constituencies across the country—a 34% change of the total 174 seats in the Dáil.

The coming weeks are critical.

Ibec ran a high-profile and successful General Election campaign, and we were encouraged to see many of our policy proposals reflected in party manifestos (an overview is available here). Negotiations will now commence to form the next Government and draft the all-important Programme for Government, which will act as Ireland’s policy roadmap for the next five years.

Ibec will continue to deliver for our members.

We will lobby hard during these negotiations, building on our existing relationships to ensure our members’ interests are at the heart of the Programme for Government. We have also begun an extensive stakeholder engagement exercise with newly elected TDs. This will educate them about the important contributions that Ibec’s members make and how Ibec can support the critical work needed to make Ireland a great place to live and work.

As always, if you have any feedback, please do get in touch.

Best regards,
Danny