This month, Dublin Chamber met with the newly appointed Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan TD, to discuss the issue of public safety in Dublin City. We emphasised the critical importance of implementing the recommendations set out by the Dublin City Taskforce, including increasing the number of Gardaí in Dublin and ensuring cleaner, brighter and more attractive streets. These are vital steps to ensuring that Dublin remains an attractive place to live, work, do business and invest in.
On the 5th March, Dublin Chamber brought a delegation of business leaders to the Iveagh House at the Department of Foreign Affairs for a networking evening with Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, as well as a number of Ambassadors. Discussions focused on ensuring that Dublin and Ireland remain competitive, open and agile during times of increasing global uncertainty. Dublin Chamber was delighted to once again engage with Minister Richmond and looks forward to continued engagement under his new remit.
Following on from our roundtable discussion on hybrid and remote working this month, Dublin Chamber met with Minister Peter Burke on the 19th March to share member feedback. During the meeting, Dublin Chamber cautioned that while these working practices offer clear benefits to both the employer and employee, they do not solve wider labour market issues such as the lack of affordable and available housing or indeed childcare in Dublin. Dublin Chamber also enjoyed similar conversations this week with Emer Currie TD, highlighting key workforce trends from our Business Outlook Survey series and calling for increased support for smaller businesses trying to integrate hybrid and remote working practices into their operations.
In addition to the above, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive Mary Rose met with Dublin Lord Mayor Emma Blain last week at the Mansion House to discuss key issues affecting Dublin City and explore areas for collaboration. The Office of the Lord Mayor has been a member of Dublin Chamber since the organisation was established in 1783, and we are pleased to keep that strong relationship going with Councillor Blain.
To round off a busy month, Dublin Chamber’s new Policy Council was joined by Minister Peter Burke at its Plenary session to discuss key challenges facing Dublin’s business community. Central to the conversation were concerns around competitiveness and the administrative burdens arising from increased labour legislation and overly complex support and funding systems. Members also raised the ongoing issue of housing affordability and availability, which continues to impact workforce attraction and retention. Discussions were constructive and we look forward to continuing our engagement with the Minister, offering practical recommendations to support his department on delivering on our shared priorities.