This week, Dublin Chamber submitted its recommendations to the public consultation to inform Government’s new Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2026-2030. We called for practical measures to unlock employer participation and increase learner uptake, including expanding and actively promoting the administrative transfer option to allow SMEs to share training and curriculum requirements where internal capacity is limited, as well as providing supports for apprentices during off-the-job learning. We also emphasised the need for strengthened marketing and communications of apprenticeships to position them as a high-quality, first-choice pathway for learners. Read our submission here.

We also responded to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) on its consultation on transition arrangements and tariff application rules for trade effluent. We supported the CRU’s focus on targeting assistance to customers facing the largest cost impacts, the proposed €750 threshold for eligibility, and the move to cap annual increases based on the final bill to provide greater cost certainty and avoid sharp end‑period shocks. We also highlighted the importance of moderation in the early years of transition and clear interim tariff‑calculation guidance. Read our submission in full here.

This month, Dublin Chamber also attended the latest Cost of Doing Business Advisory Forum meeting, which explored the cumulative impact of enhanced reporting and compliance requirements on firms. We highlighted member feedback raised in our recent Business Outlook Survey which points to growing administrative burdens, duplicated information requests, system inefficiencies and delays in securing guidance - particularly in areas such as the OECD Pillar Two implementation, Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR) and corporation tax complexity. We will continue to press for a more proportionate, capacity‑led regulatory system supported by streamlined tax administration and improved digital tools.

In addition to the above, we reaffirmed our strong support for free and fair international trade and expressed confidence in Bord Bia Chair Larry Murrin amid recent debate on sourcing decisions. Dublin Chamber CEO, Mary Rose Burke, stressed the importance of EU trade agreements such as the EU–Mercosur Partnership in diversifying markets and strengthening resilience. Dublin Chamber noted that the lawful importation of Brazilian beef occurs under EU‑wide rules that also enable Irish exporters to compete globally, cautioning against rhetoric that undermines these principles. Read our press release in full here.

Dublin Chamber, together with Cork and Northern Ireland Chambers, met with the Department of the Taoiseach this month to discuss how the Tri‑Region Partnership can support the Shared Island Initiative. We welcomed progress on Derry–Dublin air connectivity and noted the ambition to improve Belfast–Cork rail journey times. The Chamber will continue working through the Partnership to advance shared regional priorities.