In December, Dublin Chamber submitted its response to the Government’s public consultation on the operation of the Right to Request Remote Work legislation. While businesses continue to recognise the value of remote and flexible working in supporting work–life balance and aiding recruitment and retention, they also emphasise that it is a complex area to regulate. Dublin Chamber has therefore called on Government to preserve employer discretion in any review of the legislation, ensuring that it reflects the operational realities of different sectors, roles and business models. The submission also calls for clearer, practical examples of reasonable grounds for refusal, to support consistent, fair and transparent decision-making by employers, amongst others. You can read the submission in full here.

This month, we wrote to Darragh O’Brien T.D., Minister for Transport, to raise serious concerns about the deferral of planning-approved, shovel-ready public transport projects in the NDP Sectoral Plan for Transport. We highlighted the postponement of the DART+ South West and LUAS Finglas to a 2030 start date, despite both projects being ready to proceed, and stressed their importance for alleviating congestion, housing delivery and sustainable growth. Read our letter here. 

Dublin Chamber also welcomed the settlement reached by Uisce Éireann and the parties involved in the judicial review of the Greater Dublin Drainage Project (GDD), avoiding a full court hearing. The Chamber noted that the agreement allows Uisce Éireann to proceed with this critical infrastructure project, which is essential to supporting housing delivery, economic growth and sustainable development across the Dublin region. Read our press release in full here. 

In our media engagement this month, we also called on Government to introduce emergency, fast-track legislation to prevent further delays to MetroLink, following renewed judicial review challenges at the end of November. After more than 20 years of planning and consultation, the Chamber has warned that continued obstruction of this critical project is undermining confidence in Ireland’s ability to deliver major infrastructure, worsening congestion, increasing costs and weakening Dublin’s international competitiveness. We have urged all political parties to act decisively and ensure that projects of national importance are not indefinitely stalled by procedural challenges. Read our press release here.

During December, Dublin Chamber was again represented on the Government’s Cost of Doing Business Forum, where discussions focused on water infrastructure as a key barrier to competitiveness. Dublin Chamber made a submission on behalf of members, highlighting the impact of water capacity constraints on business growth, investment and housing delivery, and stressing the urgent need for timely delivery of critical water infrastructure to support Dublin’s economic development. We also raised our concerns at the rising cost of water and wastewater and the proposal to increase water prices by over 50% in the next five years.