William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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44. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagement he has had with Government colleagues in relation to reducing the overall cost of business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50479/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Government recognises that the cost of doing business has been an issue for firms in recent years, arising from wider inflationary trends. It is important to note that costs for firms, as measured through the CSO’s Wholesale Price Index, are declining, and are down 3% in the 12 months to August 2025.

Most recently the Government has taken action to address business costs through the publication of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, and the convening of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum, which are both commitments in the Programme for Government.

The focus of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity is on actions that can be taken to strengthen Ireland’s competitiveness and productivity which in turn will lead to improvements in our economic performance. The development of the Action Plan was informed by extensive consultation across Government and with external stakeholders. My Department held a series of bilateral engagements with other Departments including in the areas of infrastructure, housing, research and innovation. A core theme of the plan is ‘Regulating for Growth and Controlling Costs’, with 18 actions – including 5 priority actions – focused on addressing this issue. Key actions areas include Better Regulation – which will decrease regulatory burden for business, addressing Ireland’s high legal costs, and improving competition in our markets.

Complementary to the Action Plan, the Cost of Business Advisory Forum delivers on the commitment to support Small Business, Enterprise and Industries across a number of sectors. The Forums’ key objective is to examine and identify the concerns of enterprise around the impact of the rising cost of doing business in Ireland by creating a structured space where business owners and representative bodies can speak directly to decision-makers about the real-world impact of regulations, fees, and operational challenges.

The Forum has already met to examine the topic of Energy Costs and Security of Supply, and Insurance costs. This Forum will also focus on other cost driver topics with each meeting including relevant regulators and agencies to ensure actionable outcomes. The findings will inform a report and set of recommendations to Government to address immediate to short term issues that merit a changed approach, and those steps that can be taken to mitigate these issues to ensure businesses navigating today’s economic landscape remain competitive and resilient.