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: Why the EU Presidency Matters for business and update on collective bargaining
Thursday, 06 November
The latest CEO Update to Ibec membership from Danny McCoy
Dear member,
The Government yesterday launched an action plan to promote collective bargaining as required by the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive. As you know, as a social partner, Ibec worked closely with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and the Department in developing and shaping this plan.
In presenting an employer perspective, our position was that the Action Plan must protect Ireland’s voluntarist industrial relations system- a framework that has served Ireland well both in times of strong economic growth and challenging economic circumstances. Ibec has always been acutely aware of the absence of concrete data on collective bargaining, and we therefore strongly welcome the commitments to conduct robust research in collaboration with stakeholders. This evidence-based approach is essential for informing future policy decisions across the industrial relations landscape. We will continue to engage with ICTU, the Department, the WRC, and other relevant stakeholders in continuing work under this action plan and protecting our stable and effective industrial relations framework.
Meanwhile, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris TD, launched a public consultation yesterday to help inform the development of Ireland’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the EU priorities and policy programme.
Over recent weeks, Ibec consulted with members as part of forming our key priorities for business. Yesterday, at an event with An Tánaiste, we launched our EU Presidency campaign: Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality: The Business Ambition for Ireland’s EU Presidency.
The campaign calls for a pragmatic Europe that places resilience and competitiveness at the heart of delivering stability and opportunity for both business and citizens. Across six papers published in the coming weeks, the campaign will focus on:
- Single Market
- Trade & Investment
- EU competitiveness
- Labour market and social policy
- Evolving skills needs (particularly in digital and AI)
- Security and defence for business.
Ibec believes that Ireland has a significant opportunity to influence the EU agenda and strengthen its role within the Union by leading key legislative discussions, chairing Council meetings at ministerial and official levels, and representing the Council in negotiations with other EU institutions. Our role will be to ensure that business's voice is clearly heard as we formulate our priorities at a national level. Ibec will be actively leading and shaping this crucial EU policy agenda on your behalf into 2026 and beyond and we will keep you updated on our extensive campaign activity.
Best regards,
Danny McCoy,
Ibec CEO
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.
