Despite some signs of softening, the Irish economy has proven resilient in the face of the uncertainty of the past year.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Ibec’s Chief Economist Gerard Brady, and Economist Mourad Mejdi, discuss the major economic events of 2025 including the areas of international trade and the labour market… and look forward to 2026, analysing how developments in geopolitics and AI that could shape the economic outlook.

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Accessibility and inclusive leadership practises are reshaping how organisations attract, develop, and retain talent. With one in five working-age individuals living with a disability, and many others experiencing differences that may not always be visible, proactive and strategic approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential for removing barriers and creating equitable opportunities.

In this episode of WorkTalks, Vicky O’Neill, Ibec’s HR Strategy Specialist, is joined by Matt Elliott, Chief People Officer at Bank of Ireland. Together, they explore how Bank of Ireland is embedding DEI across its culture and leadership, including their pioneering NeuroInclusion strategy, and examine what the future holds for DEI in Irish organisations.

Ibec’s Accessibility Toolkit and Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion Assessment Tool are now live for both Ibec members and non-members.

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At the mid-point of the EU’s ‘Digital Decade’, the Irish Presidency provides a crucial opportunity to engage with business to deliver shared digitalisation ambitions.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Erik O’Donovon, Head of Digital Economy Policy, is joined by Áine Clarke, Digital and AI Affairs Executive.

Together, they examine Ibec's latest paper “Digital and AI: Simplification, Innovation and Adoption”, discussing how the EU can maintain a competitive edge and navigate external pressures as part of our campaign on Ireland’s EU Presidency: “Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality”.

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Security and defence are central to Europe’s capacity to prosper. The geopolitical shocks of recent years have confirmed that competitiveness cannot be separated from security.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Jackie King, Executive Director of Ibec Global, is joined by Ibec CEO Danny McCoy, together they examine how security sits within a broader framework of resilience, serving as the essential foundation for long-term competitiveness.

Over the coming weeks, and in advance of the Government’s public consultation on its EU Presidency priorities, Ibec will activate the campaign Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality: The Business Ambition for Ireland’s EU Presidency, setting out the business priorities for Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency.

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Europe stands at a crossroads where social ambition must align with economic reality. Following a tidal wave of new directives, businesses are now facing "legislative saturation," prompting a call to shift focus from creating new laws to ensuring competitiveness and practical implementation.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Dr. Kara McGann, Head of Skills and Social Policy, is joined by Tom Hayes, Executive Director of BEERG. Together, they examine Ibec's latest paper on the Labour Market and Social Policy, discussing the need for pragmatism in Brussels and the future of social dialogue, as part of our campaign on Ireland’s EU Presidency: “Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality”.

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With pension auto-enrolment due to commence from 1 January 2026, businesses are taking steps to make sure they are ready for how this might impact them. In this episode, Neil O’Brien, Senior Employer Relations and Communications Executive, and Aoife McFadden, Legal Director, discuss the basic details of the scheme and what employers need to know to prepare.

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The Pay Transparency Directive came into force in June 2023 and Ireland will have to transpose the Directive by June 2026. The Directive contains a range of new obligations for employers including the obligation to categorise employees according to who is performing work of the same work or work of equal value based on objective gender neutral criteria. This will require a complex job evaluation exercise, comparing roles across one organisation.

In this of KC Connect, Sinead Wallace, Associate Legal Director, is joined by Mary O'Brien, Ibec Academy Consultant, together they examine the job evaluation aspect of the Pay Transparency Directive .

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Renewed political momentum around the EU Single Market comes amidst increasing geopolitical uncertainty, positioning it as key to enhancing competitiveness and resilience, and withstanding trade and economic turbulence.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Róisín de Bhaldraithe, EU Policy Executive, and Martynas Barysas, Director for Internal Market at BusinessEurope, examine the European Commission’s report on the Single Market Strategy, its impact on Irish and European business, and communicate key business recommendations on Single Market policy, as part of our campaign on Ireland’s EU Presidency: “Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality”.

As part of the campaign, we also launched our new paper “Single Market and Simplification: Turning Ambition Into Action.” The Single Market is one of the EU’s most valuable assets. Evidence-based, impact-assessed and future-proof legislation is the cornerstone of a properly functioning Single Market.

Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.