Ibec Podcasts

Our past few episodes of Ibec Voices placed a focus on a critical component of the Irish economy, the small business community.  We visited the Small Firms Association Strategic Management Masterclass in Athlone to sit down with SFA National Small Business Awards Finalists and hear their stories. This two-day programme is offered as part of the prize package for Finalists. We were joined by a sele...

Our next few episodes of Ibec Voices will place a focus on a critical component of the Irish economy, the small business community.  We visited the Small Firms Association Strategic Management Masterclass in Athlone to sit down with SFA National Small Business Awards Finalists and hear their stories. This two day programme is offered as part of the prize package for Finalists.  We were joined by a...

In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Aisling McDevitt and Kevin Feighery discuss the transposition of the EU Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working conditions into Irish law as it relates to probationary periods, and the role of fair procedures in the context of the Industrial Relations Acts.  The discussion will include the current position on the following legislation:  The comm...

Our next few episodes of Ibec Voices will place a focus on a critical component of the Irish economy, the small business community.  We visited the Small Firms Association Strategic Management Masterclass in Athlone to sit down with SFA National Small Business Awards Finalists and hear their stories. This two day programme is offered as part of the prize package for Finalists. We were joined by a...

Ibec is marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement with a new campaign, For Peace + Prosperity. The campaign illustrates the pivotal role that business has played in perpetuating peace and prosperity on the island. In this episode of Ibec Responds,  Ibec CEO Danny McCoy is joined by two important architects and advocates of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement ,...

The Experience Economy is a diverse and substantial part of Irish life and plays an important role in Ireland’s international reputation as a place to live, work and visit. In this episode we will discuss the scale of Ireland's Experience Economy, Ibec’s ambitions for its growth, and recommendations to Government for further support. We are joined by Sharon Higgins, Ibec Executive Director of...

With global pandemics, climate change and military aggression against Ukraine, we see unprecedented generational challenges to our economy and well-being. A core element in responding to these challenges involves technological change, how we interact with that change and with each other.   In this episode of Ibec Voices we are joined by Jackie King, Executive Director of Ibec Global, and Ciaran Ma...

An inadequate supply of affordable housing is the greatest impediment to attracting and retaining talented workers, without whom business investment and expansions are not possible. In this episode of Ibec Responds we are joined by Ibec Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence Fergal O'Brien and Ibec Chief Economist and Head of National Policy Gerard Brady. They share their insights into...

This year has seen a vast array of proposed new employment legislation, along with the requirement to transpose EU Directives into local legislation, with many employers waiting for clarity on dates of commencement of these Acts.   In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Aoife McFadden and Linda Reid appraise employers of these pieces of legislation and outline what timeframes we can expect fo...

Ireland has made some real progress on gender equality over the last number of decades. We’ve seen significant changes in both the personal and professional lives of women.  However, since the #MeToo movement, and throughout the pandemic, a real spotlight has been shone on how fragile some of that hard won progress is.    In this Ibec Voices episode we will be exploring a transformative approach t...

In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Stephen Driver and Fiona Higgins discuss the pay and HR trends emerging from the recently published HR Update report. Addressing issues relating to pay forecasting for 2023 and HR priorities, the report expresses the views of 329 Senior HR leaders employing over 143,000 of the Irish workforce.    Read the report here . Thank you for listening. To explore...

Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of progressive societies. While female representation in the general population of financial services firms tends to be equally balanced, significant differences emerge in the progression to more senior levels.  Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter is an industry-led, Government-supported measure to encourage gender diversity in the financia...

In the final episode of our Ibec Responds mini-series on COP27, Fergal O’Brien, Ibec Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence, sits down with Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport. They reflect on COP27, and discuss what it means in terms of our progress in relation to climate, and for Irish citizens and the economy.  Thank you...

We were delighted to have David Collings, Professor of Human Resource Management at DCU, as a guest speaker at Ibec's HR Leadership Summit in October. The impactful research he and his colleagues have conducted into the lessons from the HR response to Covid-19 spotlights many lessons that will continue to resonate as we manage through the current economic challenges facing business. In this e...

In this episode of our Ibec Responds mini-series on COP27,  Dr Neil Walker, Ibec Head of Infrastructure, speaks with Stephen Prendiville, Head of Sustainability at EY Ireland, who is currently attending COP27.  They discuss financial liability for loss and damage, proving to be a highly  controversial issue in this year’s negotiations. They also highlight recent ground-breaking agricultural resear...

Observers say that within a matter of years, 100 per cent of investments will consider ESG risks and opportunities.  Business leaders around the globe are tackling how to integrate meaningful economic, social and governance frameworks into their organisations' strategy.  As further attention is placed on this expanded set of criteria, no business can afford to ignore it. In this episode Jacki...

In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Sophie Crosbie and James Cleary discuss the issue of penalisation under various pieces of employment legislation including the Protected Disclosures Acts and the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The rule against penalisation arise in a wide variety of employment legislation in in addition to specific protection for whistle-blowers and persons...

Our COP27 mini-series continues. For this episode we are joined by Neil Willoughby, Ibec European Affairs Senior Executive, and Seán Kelly, Member of the European Parliament. They sit down in the European Parliament before the MEP departs for Sharm-el-Sheikh as the only Irish MEP in the European Parliament delegation attending COP27.  They discuss the European Parliament’s role and priorities at C...

Welcome back to our Ibec Responds mini-series on COP27, where we provide timely updates and analysis on  the 27th annual Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.   In this episode we are joined by Aidan Sweeney, Ibec Head of Enterprise and Regulatory Affairs, and Councillor Allison Gilliland, Dublin City Councillor and COP27 Delegate with the European...

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing an Ibec Responds mini-series of episodes focusing on the proceedings at COP27. World leaders and policy makers have descended upon Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt to attend the 27th annual Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (or COP27).  In this episode we are joined by Dr Neil Walker, Ibec Head of Infr...

In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Declan Thomas and Terry Mac Namara discuss the obligations on a Claimant to mitigate their losses when taking a complaint for unfair dismissal to the WRC. The common law rule of mitigation of damages applies to compensation for unfair dismissal. This places a requirement on a Claimant to demonstrate an effort to mitigate their financial loss by way of at...

In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Mairead Crosby and Muireann McEnery discuss the recent Supreme Court decision in the case of Maurice Power V HSE.   The case deals with the topic of acting up and fixed term contracts and whether a permanent employee who moves to a different role on a fixed term contract basis is precluded from relying on the provisions around CIDs contained in the Fixed...

The global economy is experiencing a period of reset to normalised monetary policy and higher energy costs. The key question facing businesses planning for the year ahead is no longer whether that reset will be challenging, but rather how long those challenges will last. In this episode of Ibec Responds we are joined by Ibec Chief Economist and Head of National Policy, Gerard Brady, and Ibec Econo...

William Rowan Hamilton is universally recognised as the greatest mathematician, and arguably the greatest scientist, that Ireland has produced to date. On Monday 17th October official Hamilton Day celebrations will take place, promoting the lasting legacy of an Irish man who made a seminal contribution to the world around us today.  On this episode of Ibec Voices, we are joined by Ibec CEO Danny M...

Following Government's Budget 2023 announcement, Ibec Chief Economist and Head of National Policy, Gerard Brady, and Ibec Economist, Hazel Ahern-Flynn, provide timely analysis and an immediate business reaction to the key wins and areas that fall short. To explore Ibec's Budget 2023 campaign, visit ibec.ie/Budget2023 Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering...