With just weeks remaining until Budget Day on the 1st of October, Dublin Chamber welcomed Minister Jack Chambers T.D. to address members this month as part of our Dinner in Camera series. During the event, Dublin Chamber raised growing concerns around safety in Dublin City and put forward suggestions on how Budget 2025 can address this issue, namely through increasing Gardaí numbers and improving street cleanliness and lighting. Dublin Chamber also raised the issue of housing, which remains a top concern for members in 2024. As well advocating for higher housing supply targets for the GDA, Dublin Chamber called for the provision of grant funding to support more accommodation in ‘Living over the Shop’ schemes. Discussions were highly productive, with the Minister eager to understand members key concerns and priorities.
Throughout September Dublin Chamber continued its lobby ahead of Budget 2025. In a meeting with Minister Dara Calleary T.D., we discussed our Pre-Budget submission, focusing on key asks around enterprise policy. Dublin Chamber stressed that small, homegrown businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to secure finance and called for the question of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to be revisited. Advocating for a cut in CGT from 33% to 20% for investment in unquoted indigenous firms, Dublin Chamber emphasised that this would provide a much-needed funding stream for small Irish businesses.
In addition to the above, Dublin Chamber issued a press release this month on Dublin Airport’s Passenger Cap, which was covered in the Sunday Business Post, the Journal, Today FM and Newstalk. As part of our lobby efforts to enhance Dublin’s connectivity, Dublin Chamber called for the 32 million passenger cap to be lifted as a matter of urgency, warning that its retention will lead to a loss of key routes to important investment, trade and tourism markets and a reduced service to other important destinations. Dublin Chamber CEO, Mary Rose Burke highlighted “These routes will be lost to the country overall and cause considerable damage to Ireland’s ability to attract and retain foreign direct investment. Ireland needs an airport that provides vital connectivity to key markets and even the possibility of an arbitrary cap on numbers is threatening future growth.” As Ireland’s gateway to the world, Dublin airport must be given the tools to sustain and support the country’s interconnected global economy, not stripped of them. The press release can be read in full here.
Next week, Dublin Chamber will meet with Secretary General Declan Hughes, from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to discuss the findings of our Q2 Business Outlook Survey. Dublin Chamber will present headline findings relating to working trends, particularly the increasing desire among employers for more frequent in-office presence, as well as concerns regarding the financial burden of remote working legislation. Dublin Chamber will also address the ongoing challenges that businesses face in their efforts to decarbonise and outline measures to best support firms in achieving their sustainability goals.
To conclude a busy month of lobby, Dublin Chamber will hold its Oireachtas Reception at Leinster House next week. Engaging directly with Members of the Oireachtas, we will present our Business Priorities for the remaining year, which were informed by members and reaffirmed by the Chamber’s Policy Council. We look forward to engaging with the officials to ensure that Dublin’s business voice is heard and understood at the highest levels of political decision-making.