Technology Ireland Budget Submission 2023

Technology Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the technology industry, today released its submission for Budget 2023 calling on Government to use Budget 2023 to focus on maintaining Ireland’s leading edge over competitors.

As crises from inflation to energy continue to bite, the sector now faces into an incremental hiring slowdown. The technology sector, central to Ireland’s recovery and resilience over the last few years, needs Government to focus on attractors such as talent and skills, tax and enhanced infrastructure and becoming Europe’s global regulatory hub.

Una Fitzpatrick, Director of Technology Ireland said: “Ireland remains the heart of the technology industry in Europe, but we cannot be complacent and must continue to focus on increasing our attractiveness, especially at a time where companies are reviewing and in some cases slowing down hiring.

“Throughout 2022 the sector has been facing high rates of attrition and companies have faced competition in attracting and retaining talent, at home and abroad. Now, at a time when inflation and infrastructure pressures are weighing on the economy, there are signs of an increasing hiring slowdown. Budget 2023 must address issues of inflation and infrastructure gaps with the potential to further dent growth. This budget must fortify our ability to thrive in the future, by investing in skills, focusing on research and innovation and enhancing our regulatory capacities.

“As regulatory decisions defining the future of digital in Europe are being designed, Ireland must ensure it is central in shaping the rules. Consistent implementation and coherent oversight of the sector is a competitiveness factor as it provides certainty to FDI companies. Ireland needs to ensure regulation of the technology industry at home does not fall out of step with Europe to create a true Digital Single Market that builds our governance capacities towards becoming a world-leading regulatory hub.”

Government can ensure the technology sector in Ireland continues to thrive by:

1. Supporting the technology sector in the competition for talent both globally and within Ireland
2. Resourcing our talent pipeline by investing in skills and education, encouraging diversity and enabling greater gender-balance, so Ireland remains an attractive technology hub in the future
3. Developing Ireland’s FDI growth model to attract and retain multinational technology companies
4. Developing a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation.
5. Empowering Ireland to lead on digital policy at EU level by developing strong, coherent regulatory capacities at home