Ibec Podcasts

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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. 

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.

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 . 

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.

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.

Ireland's eighth Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026 arrives at a pivotal time for our country and for Europe, offering a unique opportunity to influence the EU's policy direction.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Fergal O’Brien, Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence, is joined by Pat Ivory, Director of EU and International Affairs, to provide overview of our new campaign: “Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality”, outlining our key ambitions and priorities for Ireland’s EU Presidency. 

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.

Following the release of our 2025 HR Update Report, Fiona Higgins, Head of Knowledge Centre and Stephen Driver, Head of Advocacy, provide an overview of the key findings in relation to HR priorities going into 2026. 

Our 2025 HR Update Report can be downloaded here.

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.

Budget 2026 puts focus driving innovation, protecting, and creating jobs, and increasing investment in critical infrastructure.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Ger Brady, Chief Economist, and Mourad Mejdi, Economist, give their reaction and analysis to Budget 2026, detail key measures, and discuss the impact of Budget 2026 on Irish business.

Find out more: https://www.ibec.ie/budget2026

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.

The Irish economy has again proven resilient in the face of challenge over the first three quarters of 2025. Investment and consumer demand in particular have held up despite enormous uncertainty about the global trading environment. Ireland’s economy is still benefitting from the remarkable momentum it had built over the last number of years. However there are challenges ahead, driven by a slowing global economic environment and more geopolitical and market volatility.

In this episode, Ger Brady, Chief Economist at Ibec, discusses key findings from our latest Economic Outlook report with Ibec Economists, Hazel Ahern-Flynn and Mourad Mejdi.

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.