Competitiveness Summit 2025
- Foilsithe:
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 7 Iúil 2025
Taoiseach Micheál Martin today (7 July) hosted the second annual Competitiveness Summit, in conjunction with Tánaiste Simon Harris , Minister Jack Chambers, and Minister Peter Burke, to discuss the competitiveness challenges facing the Irish economy.
The objective was to focus on what Ireland can control at a time of heightened international uncertainty, and in advance of finalising the NDP Review and Budget 2026.
The summit was briefed by Professor Frances Ruane, Chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) on their analysis and the recommendations in the council’s forthcoming Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge report.
The summit was also briefed by the chief executives of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland on how Ireland can best respond to the needs of their client companies in the years ahead.
The Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Ministers then discussed the draft Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, which is a commitment in the Programme for Government and which is being led by Minister Peter Burke and his officials.
The action plan focuses on matters within Ireland’s domestic sphere of control that can make the Irish economy more competitive and ‘shock-resistant’ to future adverse economic events.
It was agreed that the action plan will be finalised over the next few weeks alongside – and will be consistent with – the Review of the National Development Plan.
Commenting on the Competitiveness Summit, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“Today’s summit was an opportunity to engage on the key areas impacting our competitiveness. National competitiveness and ‘controlling the controllables’ must be a central focus as we strive to inject certainty into the economy.
“The plan will set out ways to reduce the cost and regulatory burden on businesses, support research and development and innovation, improve planning and regulation, and invest in infrastructure and energy reform. These steps are necessary to ensure Ireland remains an attractive place in which to grow, innovate and invest, and for maintaining our competitiveness and future-proofing our economy.”
Speaking after the Competitiveness Summit, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, said:
“Ireland has a very successful economic model which has grown strongly in recent years despite events such as Brexit, a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine and more recently, turbulent international trading conditions.
“Our focus throughout this period has been working constructively to protect Irish jobs and investment and shield Irish businesses and consumers from any negative impacts. The purpose of the Competitiveness and Productivity Action Plan is to help insulate from some of the international uncertainties currently affecting business.”
The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation, Jack Chambers said:
“The Competitiveness summit provided a vital platform to address the key challenges and opportunities shaping Ireland’s competitiveness.
"As we navigate an increasingly uncertain global landscape, maintaining a sharp focus on national competitiveness — and controlling the factors within our reach — has never been more important.
"The forthcoming review of the National Development Plan which will focus on key economic infrastructure including water, electricity, transport and housing will provide the overarching policy framework for the Action Plan.
"It is essential to ensure Ireland remains a stable, dynamic, forward-looking economy — one that attracts investment, removes unnecessary costs for business, and fosters innovation to support our long-term economic development.”
The Minister for Enterprise Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, who presented the draft Action Plan at the Summit said:
“Ireland’s ambition must be to compete at the leading edge and not settle for the average in terms of global economic competitiveness. This is the overarching aim of the Action Plan on Competitiveness which my department is preparing and which I will bring to Government for approval in the coming weeks."
Minister Burke went on to say that as part of the discussions on the Action Plan at the Competitiveness Summit:
“I have secured agreement to bring forward a range of new competitiveness reforms as part of the Action Plan. Together with the work on the National Development Plan, Government is committed to taking a holistic approach to boosting our competitiveness. To support enterprise and jobs, we are focusing on prioritising strategic infrastructure investment, creating the best environment for entrepreneurs to start and scale, fostering growth in critical technology sectors, and unlocking capacity through regulatory simplification."
These measures will include:
- improving Ireland’s performance in innovation and R&D, with a range of areas where we can leverage existing industry strengths
- new State investment in key enabling infrastructure, improved infrastructure delivery, and a new focus on regulatory reform
- new powers for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)
- establishment of three pilot national clusters that will enable collaboration between businesses, research centres and third level institutions in particular high potential and high growth sectors
- a critical skills review to be completed by end-of-year to inform how to prioritise skills-based migration for those sectors facing significant shortages
- new measures to boost the tourism sector, including that the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs will carry out an assessment of the skills needs of the tourism sector
- a new Government Trade and Investment Strategy in line with Global Ireland 2040’s regional and country strategies
Full details of these, and all the other measures, will be set out in the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, which will be published in the coming weeks.