The Government has now published the highly anticipated Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, a whole-of-government strategy aimed at strengthening Ireland’s economic resilience, boosting productivity, and ensuring sustainable growth in an increasingly volatile global environment. The publication of this Plan fulfils a key commitment in the Programme for Government and outlines 85 actions, of which 26 are designated as priorities, across six thematic areas:

1. Embracing Research, Innovation and Skills;
2. Boosting FDI and Exports & influencing at EU Level;
3. Creating and Scaling More SMEs;
4. Regulating for Growth & Controlling Costs;
5. Increasing the State’s Capacity to Deliver Infrastructure;
6. Growing Sustainable Irish Businesses & Boosting Regional Development

We were very encouraged to see many of the issues Dublin Chamber has long advocated for reflected in the new Action Plan. In particular, the Government’s strong commitments to reducing regulatory and administrative burdens, especially for SMEs, are very welcome. The introduction of a “Red Tape Challenge” to cut regulation across all sectors, together with the proposal to apply an SME-test to every government measure, marks a very important and positive step forward. We are also pleased to see actions aimed at accelerating infrastructure delivery through tackling delays in planning and consenting processes, as well as measures to speed up the employment permit and visa processes for businesses.

Each action in the plan has been assigned to a lead department or agency with defined timeframes and oversight by a senior officials group chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. Importantly, the plan is closely aligned with the revised National Development Plan, particularly in relation to infrastructure delivery, which Dublin Chamber is especially pleased to see.

Overall, we welcome the Government’s Action Plan as an important, ambitious roadmap at a time when Ireland must navigate global uncertainties, rising costs, infrastructure constraints, and increasing competitive pressures. Many elements in the plan align with issues that the Chamber has long advocated for, but, as always, our emphasis is on delivery, clarity, and timelines.

Read Dublin Chamber’s response in full here.