Ibec Podcasts

In this episode, Ger Brady, Chief Economist at Ibec, discusses key findings from our 2024 Q1 Economic Outlook report with Ibec Economists, Hazel Ahern-Flynn and Mourad Mejdi.The Irish economy is still performing robustly, despite rising inflation and higher interest rates. This can be best seen in the fact that the economy added 90,000 jobs in the past twelve months. The global economy is entering a period of major change, however. The coming years will see more State subsidised competition for investment in new technology, falling levels of trade openness and rising geopolitical risk in global supply chains, energy and commodity markets.Our 'Q1 2024 Quarterly Economic Outlook' report is available to download here.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

In recent years, Ireland has emerged as a dynamic hub for technology, characterized by rapid innovation, robust infrastructure, and a vibrant ecosystem of startups and multinational corporations. With a rich history steeped in technological advancement, Ireland has continually embraced cutting-edge technologies, driving forward its economic growth and societal progress.Looking ahead, Ireland is poised to continue its trajectory as a frontrunner in technology adoption and innovation. In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by two colleagues from EY Ireland to discuss the importance of attracting and retaining FDI in Ireland and the role of technology adoption by business in this effort.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

Entitlements to Public Holidays are governed by The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and the method for calculating payment for Public Holidays is covered by Statutory Instrument No 475 of 1997.In this podcast, Linda Reid, Senior Employer Relations Executive and Lorraine Parkes Senior Employer Relations Team Lead, discuss entitlements when a public holiday falls at the weekend.For further guidance, Ibec members can take a look at our FAQ's in advance of the upcoming public holiday and our Ibec 2023 Shift Work Report.The annual Ibec Employment Law Conference takes place on Thursday, 18 April in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The central theme of this year's conference, The Employment Paradox aims to delve into the changing policies surrounding the employer-employee relationship.Tickets are available here.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

There is a need for a fundamental change in how we value care and caregivers. For too long, care work has been invisible work and as such often undervalued. There is no centralised source of data on the breadth of actors in the care sector and more information is required to better plan for Ireland’s future healthcare needs.In this episode of Ibec Responds, Nikki Gallagher, Head of Public Affairs at Ibec speaks to her colleague Kara McGann, Head of Skills and Social Policy, regarding our recent 'Better Care, Better Business' report.Our 'Better Care, Better Business' report is available to download at our website.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law in April of 2023 and introduced various new entitlements, however two elements of this legislation required the drafting of a Code of Practice before the legislation could commence. This Code of Practice has now been published.In this episode, Linda Reid, Senior Employer Relations Executive and Pauline O’Hare, Senior Employment Law Manager, will discuss the Code of Practice on the right to request remote and right to request flexible working which is designed to be practical guidance to the steps that may be taken to comply with the provision of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 2023The annual Ibec Employment Law Conference takes place on Thursday, 18 April in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The central theme of this year's conference, The Employment Paradox aims to delve into the changing policies surrounding the employer-employee relationship.Tickets are available here.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

Ireland’s State airports play a vital role in underpinning economic prosperity and regional development. However, they recognise the need to reduce their carbon footprints substantially over the coming decade, while helping their client airlines to do likewise. As major employers with extensive land holdings, they also have environmental responsibilities relating to the circular economy transition, maintaining air and water quality, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring public transport access.  This podcast features Andrea Carroll, Head of Sustainability at daa and Sinéad Murphy, her counterpart at The Shannon Airport Group, in conversation with Dr Neil Walker, formerly Ibec’s Head of Infrastructure, Energy and Environment, about their experiences of implementing airport sustainability strategies.  Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Jackie King, Executive Director of Ibec Global, highlights the significance of the new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) with Artie McConnell, Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of the National Security and Cybercrime Section at the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.They discuss the credentials required for hosting such a crucial authority and how reform of transatlantic cooperation is needed when it comes to combating international crimes.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

With recent aggressive events taking place in Dublin city, Michael Gillen and Bernie McMeel from Ibec discuss how employers can deal with their responsibilities regarding the health and safety of their employees in these circumstances.In this episode Michael and Bernie will be Looking at the legal requirements pertaining to health and safety of employees exposed to aggression, and discussing controls that can be put in place to minimise risks to employees, and giving some practical solutions around what employers can do to increase security and safety in the physical landscape.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

For this episode of Ibec Responds, we are joined by Ibec's own Fergal O'Brien, Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence, and Gerard Brady, Chief Economist.They discuss the key findings from our 2023 Q4 Economic Outlook. With the economy now entering a period of slowdown and consolidation, Government decisions on labour costs are now a major concern for business.You can read the full Economic Outlook report on our website here. Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

The UN’s 28th annual global climate talks (COP28) are firmly underway in Dubai and expectations are running high that a significant breakthrough could be delivered in the coming days. The national statements and ceremonial events with global leaders have largely concluded and the focus now sharply turns to the negotiations themselves. While there is optimism, the need to reach a complete consensus is extremely demanding, and this year’s event has already been troubled by controversy. In this episode of Ibec responds, Associate Professor at DCU’s School Law and Government and Ibec’s Conor Minogue, offer their reflections on the first few days, recent controversies, the big items up for discussion, the markers for success, and the future of COP. Topics covered include fossil fuel phase out, sustainable finance, loss and damage management, and Ireland’s priorities. If interested in more information that can aid you in your climate action journey and practical guidance on how to develop an enduring climate action strategy, take a look at our 'Climate Action: A toolkit for business'  launched earlier this year in collaboration with Accenture. Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law in April of this year and introduces various new entitlements for employees, one of which includes domestic violence leave, which will commence on 27 November.In this podcast, Pauline O’Hare, Senior Employment Law Manager and Aoife McFadden, Senior Employment Law Solicitor, discuss the upcoming entitlement to domestic violence leaveThank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

In this episode of KC Connect, Ibec experts Muireann McEnery and Ciar Murtagh discuss two recent Labour Court decisions dealing with claims of discrimination on the grounds of age by individuals who wished to remain in employment past their normal retirement age. In both of these cases, the Employers were successful and they provide interesting take-aways for employers.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

In this podcast, Fiona Higgins and Stephen Driver discuss the findings of this year’s HR update survey including key insights into pay and resourcing as well as trends relating to HR priorities and investments, learning and development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), Hybrid and flexible working, ESG and Wellbeing.The findings of the survey guide policy making and establish best practice in the development of HR related initiatives for employers.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Ibec economists, Ger Brady and Hazel Ahern-Flynn sit down to discuss their reaction to this year's budget which showed ambition in terms of investment and establishment of schemes for SME's and startups.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

In this episode of Ibec Responds, Ibec Chief Economist, Ger Brady and Executive Director of Employer Relations, Maeve McElwee sit down to discuss upcoming budget and the far-reaching impact of increasing labour costs for businesses.By 2026 Government plans to replace the national minimum wage with a new, higher living wage.  This will be set at 60% of the hourly medial wages.  Here, Maeve and Ger discuss the lack of urgency in mitigating the potential unintended consequences of what will be an enormous increase in operating costs for many businesses.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

The autumn season is often a busy time of year from an employee relations and employment law perspective, and we expect 2023 to be no different. In this podcast, Linda Reid, Senior Employer Relations Executive and Briana Duffy, Employer Relations Executive, provide listeners with an update on any legislative developments we expect to see over the Autumn period along with other HR updates or watchpoints for employers to be aware of. Learn more about upcoming Ibec webinars mentioned in this episode of KC Connect here.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

The European single market represents a vital component of Ireland's economy. Over the past thirty years Ireland has been able to take advantage of the free flow of goods, services, capital, and people, which has led to significant growth in the country's trade and investment. The single market has provided Irish businesses with access to a market of over 500 million consumers, allowing them to expand their customer base and increase revenue. For this episode of Ibec Responds join Pat Ivory from Ibec’s EU & International Affairs team and Deirdre Clune, Member of the European Parliament, for an overview of this powerful economic force and learn what the next 30 years of the EU Single Market will look like.  Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

Ireland has a long and tradition of storytelling, from captivating mythology to heartfelt recounting of daily life to tales that impart lessons or foster a sense of community or historical understanding. These fascinating stories pique interest, broaden horizons, and encourage us to learn about and experience the world outside our own. They told in poems and homes, through ballads or fairy and folk tales.   We explore how the tradition of storytelling can serve as a tool for understanding and empathy, allowing us to better accept cultural differences, comprehend life experiences, and exchange knowledge. The origin of this tradition is oral storytelling, which is dependent on active listening, a skill that must be maintained in order to preserve the tradition. Learning from this, we consider how the skills from this tradition can support diversity in our communities and workplaces. Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law in April of this year and introduces various new entitlements for employees.In this podcast, Linda Reid, Senior Employer Relations Executive and Nichola Harkin, Head of Employment Law Services, provide listeners with a practical view of the new rules relating to breastfeeding breaks and leave for medical care purposes. They also update listeners on when we might expect to see the remaining entitlements including the right to request remote and flexible working and domestic violence leave coming into force.Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.

For businesses, climate action is no longer simply a question of environmental compliance and corporate responsibility. Today it is a matter of business value and competitiveness. Businesses that do not address their climate impacts will increasingly get left behind by consumers, investors, and talent. Most businesses recognise these imperatives but simply do not know where to start. The task is complicated by an overabundance of target setting frameworks, climate pledges, policies, and commercial offerings. In this episode of Ibec Responds we hear from Conor Minogue, Ibec Senior Executive for Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Policy, about the new 'Climate Action: A toolkit for business', developed by Ibec in collaboration with Accenture, and how it can help businesses develop a best-practice climate action strategy and avoid common pitfalls like greenwashing. We also talk to Nicholas Reynolds, Sustainability Manager with O’Brien Fine Foods and Caoimhe Donnelly, Chief Sustainability Officer with CIE, who share their experience developing climate action strategies, and setting emission reduction targets. The Toolkit can be accessed here. Thank you for listening. To explore all of Ibec's podcast offering, visit here. Make sure to follow Ibec Podcasts to stay up to date with new episodes.