Dear ,

In late July 2022, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced a consultation on the development of a White Paper on Enterprise. This White Paper will explore central policy questions under the lens of strategic direction for the enterprise sector, alongside enterprise objectives and challenges. Dublin Chamber has submitted a response to this consultation following a round table discussion with members, which can be viewed here.

Dublin Chamber also launched its pre-budget submission in July, which contains critical recommendations to Government on Budget 2023. After close consultation with members, the Chamber produced a budget submission covering issues ranging from carbon taxes to female labour participation. The pre-budget submission has been circulated amongst key Government officials and elected representatives and is available to read here.

Dublin Chamber recently met with Minster of State Damian English to discuss Dublin Chamber’s pre-budget submission, the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022, and the White Paper on Enterprise. Dublin Chamber has also engaged with the Minster for Finance and Minster for Justice on the topic of safety in Dublin city centre and its impact on businesses, following feedback from members in recent focus groups. Further discussions are set to take place in September, with updates forthcoming.

Later this month, Dublin Airport’s Northern Runway will begin operation. Dublin Chamber has long supported the delivery of this runway and welcomes it as a vital piece of infrastructure which will support the growth of Dublin airport and Ireland through increased international connectivity.

Dublin Chamber will launch its Q3 Business Outlook survey at the end of this month. We look forward to sharing this with you and gathering your views and insights, which will inform Dublin Chamber’s lobbying agenda.

In the meantime, Dublin Chamber will continue to advance its agenda, and as always, if you have observations or concerns about issues affecting your business, please email us at policy@dublinchamber.ie.  

Regards,

Aebhric Mc Gibney
Director of Public & International Affairs

COVID-19 has accelerated a range of global disruptions, which have affected key issues facing private businesses. These include digitalisation, workforce planning, cyber-security, environmental, social and governance (ESG), and the intergenerational transfer of wealth.

These issues will set the agenda for private businesses for the medium- to long-term. However, recent changes have also generated immediate challenges, which private business leaders must navigate while remaining focused on longer term issues.

To help private business leaders address these challenges while preserving and creating value, we’ve created a list of five key questions.

Dublin Chamber has submitted to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s consultation on the development of a White Paper on Enterprise, which can be viewed here.

Some of the key points outlined within Dublin Chamber’s submission include:

• Dublin Chamber urges Government to ensure that progress in tackling supply constraints is at the heart of any new Enterprise Strategy.
• Dublin Chamber members consistently refer to the administrative burden in accessing various tax reliefs, such as the R&D tax credit, EIIS, and KEEP, and have raised similar issues in accessing education supports and apprenticeship schemes. These processes must be simplified.
• Firms are working to make their businesses more sustainable. However, many SMEs find the transition daunting and prohibitively expensive. Lack of knowledge can be an issue, and finding the correct information on all that is provided can be difficult. A “one-stop shop” could address this. For its part, Dublin Chamber works to address this with its Sustainability Academy training.
• Unlocking people currently not in the job market will be essential for future productivity. Many want to get back into work, but the expense of childcare is prohibitive. There is a need to develop a Returning to Work credit for second earners taking up employment, coordinated with the Home Carer Credit, to encourage this.
• It is important to note the key role that Dublin Chamber plays in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs in providing export development services to SMEs through the Enterprise Europe Network, the EU’s primary export support service for SMEs.

Budget 2023 comes at a time of increased financial pressure and uncertainty for businesses and consumers. As businesses continue to recover from the impact of the pandemic, they are faced with soaring energy prices, rising input costs, supply chain uncertainty and an increase in the cost of capital.

After close consultation with our members, the Chamber has produced a budget submission that covers a range of issues from carbon taxes to female labour participation.

The Chamber’s four priority recommendations for Budget 2023 are:

1. Help more women back into the workforce through a Return to Work tax credit;
2. Provide investors in Irish SMEs a 20% Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rate;
3. Increase the tax of vacant land and properties; and
4. Ringfence planned increases in carbon tax for sustainability measures.

In the coming weeks, we will continue our engagement with Government on these priorities and the other issues affecting businesses in Dublin at this challenging time. You can help by contacting your local Government TD in support of the Dublin Chamber agenda.

In response to rising global energy costs, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has published a list of government supports and resources available to businesses to tackle these price hikes.

The list is separated into different sections so as to help businesses at varying stages of their cost mitigation efforts, such as “Starting your energy efficiency journey” and “Improving your business with funding”. Some of this funding includes:

• “The Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme - SBCI supports eligible SMEs to invest in the energy efficiency of their enterprises. Loan amounts from €10,000 to a maximum of €150,000 per borrower, over terms of 1 year up to 10 years.
• The Agile Innovation Fund - Enterprise Ireland provides grant support of up to 50% for developing new or improved products, services or processes in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation.
• The EXEED Grant Scheme - SEAI is designed for organisations planning an energy investment project. Grant support of up to €1,000,000 per project is available.
• The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat - SEAI is open to commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating, public sector, and non-domestic heat users. The scheme offers 30% of installation costs of selected renewable technologies and a multi-annual payment for up to 15 years.
• For businesses who want to reduce their tax bill and energy costs, the Accelerated Capital Allowance - SEAI is a tax incentive encouraging investment in energy-saving technology. Companies, sole traders and farmers that operate and pay corporation tax in Ireland can avail of the ACA scheme. View a list of the technologies and products on the Triple E Products Register - SEAI.
• Energy Contracting - SEAI is a 'pay for performance' approach to installing and operating energy technologies in your business. The option you choose influences the level of energy and cost savings guaranteed.  
• Energy Monitoring and Tracking Systems (EM & T) incentivises companies to put in place monitoring and targeting systems to begin accounting for the carbon footprint of their activities.”

To access this list of resources, please click here, or for further information, please email infobusinesssupport@enterprise.gov.ie. 

The European Commission is researching the evolution of retail SMEs in the face of increased urgency to transition to greener and digital business models, to better understand what helps or hinders this process.

The European Commission asks that any retail SMEs that have successfully transformed their business submit an account of their success. Some of these accounts will then be included in a collection of EU success stories that the European Commission will publish at the end of their project. Stories detailing hardships in achieving green and digital business transitions are also being sought to better inform the European Commission on how to shape its future policies and act together with national, regional, and local authorities to support small retailers in their green and digital endeavours.

Click here to take the survey and provide the story of your business.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has launched a Platform-to-Business (P2B) survey. This survey aims to create a fairer and more transparent P2B environment by granting certain rights to businesses who use digital platforms to conduct Business-to-Consumer transactions. These rights cover areas such as suspension of accounts, ranking of products and dispute resolution to protect business users of online platforms better.

Falling under the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes Action Plan, the European Commission has launched a business matchmaking platform, operated by the Enterprise Europe Network, that aims to facilitate logistics operations for exporting and importing goods to and from Ukraine. Registration is free and interested parties can use the platform to publish their profiles, share insight and search for relevant business partners and opportunities.