CEO Update: Budget Day 2025 priorities for the next EU institutional cycle and new Irish pay trends research

Dear member,

Next Tuesday the 1st of October, Minister Chambers and Minister Donohoe will announce Budget 2025.

Since the launch of our Budget 2025 Campaign – Sharpening Our Edge back in June, Ibec has engaged extensively with political and policy stakeholders making the argument that as global economic uncertainty intensifies, Budget 2025 should look beyond short-term election priorities to ensure that Ireland can navigate these challenges. To do this, it is vital that the Government invests in critical skills and infrastructure to drive our economy forward.

On the day, Ibec’s economic team will share real time, in-depth insights and analysis on Budget 2025 and what it means for business on our exclusive member webinar. You can register your attendance here.

Without question, the EU will play a central role in Ireland’s ability to negotiate this period of global uncertainty. As the new EU institutional cycle commences, Ibec has launched ‘Competitive Business, Competitive Europe - Irish Business EU Policy Priorities for 2024-2029’.

This campaign sets out the vision and key policy priorities of Irish business for the next four years, including Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026. Our vision is for an EU that is focused on competitiveness, that unlocks the potential of the Single Market, that concentrates on EU added value, and that renews its commitment to openness. We want a more competitive EU that is a global leader in digital and AI transformation, supports innovation, leads in clean energy and is sustainable into the future.

At the launch of the campaign at Ibec’s Brussels office on Wednesday, we were delighted to be joined by Commissioner-designate Michael McGrath, Ambassador Aingeal O’Donoghue, Ambassador Cáit Moran and several newly elected MEPs.

The importance of fostering our competitiveness is central both to our international and domestic policy positions. Last week, we published the first part of our annual HR Workplace and Trends report focusing on pay and resourcing. Our analysis of the findings is that despite easing inflation, wages are expected to continue rising. The full HR Update 2024 – Pay Trends Research report is available here.

As always if you have any queries or feedback, please do let me know.

Kind regards,

Danny McCoy,

Ibec CEO