At Dublin Chamber’s AGM Dinner at the end of February, newly elected President David Kelly addressed Taoiseach Micheál Martin, calling for a decisive shift from ambition and planning to delivery on the ground. He stressed that Ireland’s competitiveness must be underpinned by accelerated progress in housing and critical infrastructure, particularly across the Greater Dublin Area. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening indigenous enterprise, including through meaningful reform of Capital Gains Tax to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and support domestic investment and capital recycling into Irish businesses. Looking ahead, he pointed to Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency as a key opportunity to demonstrate leadership in advancing Europe’s competitiveness agenda. See our press release here, along with coverage from RTE.ie and the Business Post.

Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke also addressed the Taoiseach on the night, emphasising the importance of strengthening Ireland’s global trade relationships amid rising geopolitical and economic uncertainty. She reiterated the Chamber’s support for the EU–Mercosur Trade Agreement as part of a broader strategy to diversify export markets and reduce overreliance on key trading partners and called on Government to ratify this agreement. She also reaffirmed Dublin Chamber’s role as a constructive partner to Government, focused on holding the State to account for delivering for Ireland and its capital city, while supporting businesses on the ground.

In March, Dublin Chamber submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport in support of the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026. We cautioned that the current 32 million passenger cap is outdated and misaligned with Ireland’s economic and connectivity needs. We emphasised Dublin Airport’s role as critical national infrastructure supporting trade, tourism, FDI and talent mobility and noted that capacity uncertainty poses significant risks for Ireland’s competitiveness. Dublin Chamber supports the Bill as a balanced and proportionate solution to address capacity constraints, while maintaining environmental safeguards, and we have urged the Committee and Government to progress it. Read our submission here.

We also recently submitted a response on behalf of members to the Grow College Green Pre‑Planning Consultation, emphasising the need to balance high‑quality public realm improvements with city centre accessibility. We stressed the importance of ensuring that reliable public transport alternatives are put in place as major traffic changes are introduced and called for clear delivery and servicing arrangements to support local businesses. We also emphasised the need for continued engagement with affected stakeholders and recommended a phased or pilot approach to minimise disruption. Dublin Chamber will continue to work closely with Dublin City Council as the project progresses. Read our submission here.