28th August 2026
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, has welcomed the publication of the Final Report of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum, which contains 63 recommendations aimed at reducing business costs, strengthening competitiveness and easing regulatory burdens.
The Forum brought together business representative bodies, social partners, regulators, State agencies and Government departments to examine key non-pay cost drivers affecting enterprise, including energy, insurance, legal services, water and wastewater services, infrastructure and planning, tax administration and regulatory compliance, and banking and financial services. The report identifies six key themes affecting businesses and sets out recommendations focused on price transparency, switching and access, regulatory reform and simplification, and targeted measures to address bottlenecks.
Minister Burke said:
"In recent decades, Ireland’s economy has performed remarkably well supported by Government policies which have played a significant role in strengthening enterprises, and the wider economy, through sustained investment and pro-business measures. My Department has introduced several measures to support enterprise including the establishment of the Small Business Unit. This Unit oversees the SME Test, the National Enterprise Hub and the Local Enterprise Offices, ensuring that these actions support Irish businesses, specifically small enterprises. Since launching in 2024, the Hub has handled over 14,500 enquiries. Monthly volumes have grown steadily, with 940 queries received in May alone, representing a 33% increase on the same period last year. The average response time has consistently remained under 24 hours. The Hub’s website has also attracted significant interest, with over 310,000 visits to date.
Building on the Government’s work to support businesses and reduce administrative burdens, and against a backdrop of global economic shocks that have increased energy, supply chain and operational costs, I established the Cost of Business Advisory Forum as a priority commitment in the Programme for Government. The Forum provides advice and recommendations to Government on practical ways to reduce the cost of doing business for firms.
The work of the Forum is already having an impact. For example, the Forum’s recommendations are directly informing the work of the National Energy Affordability Taskforce, under Minister O’Brien, which will specifically consider energy costs for businesses of different sizes. I am also engaging with the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance in advance of the Budget to identify a range of options in Budget 2027. The concerns and recommendations raised in the Final Report are a key consideration for me in this ongoing engagement.
In 2025, I updated the Government on my Department’s progress in reducing red tape and simplifying processes for small businesses. I continue to encourage all Government departments and agencies to follow suit and eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens that hinder enterprise growth. My Department is also working with the Department of the Taoiseach on a ‘Red Tape Challenge’ aimed at reducing regulatory burden for SMEs further. “
Minister of State for Small Businesses, Retail and Employment at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Alan Dillon added:
“I warmly welcome the publication of the Final Report of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum. From the outset, I was clear that this Forum should be output-oriented and not just a discussion group. The recommendations found in this report reflect this approach and provide a strong foundation for practical reforms to reduce the cost of doing business and regulatory burden. I am committed to advancing those recommendations within my remit that support competitiveness, sustainable job growth and the long-term success of our retail and SME sectors.”
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth said:
“I look forward to continued dialogue with the Forum members and other relevant stakeholders after today’s publication of Cost of Business Advisory Forum Final Report. This collaboration will ensure that Ireland’s economic landscape remains resilient, competitive, and supportive of enterprise. An agile enterprise sector is essential for maintaining competitiveness, enabling firms to adapt to changing market conditions, embrace new technologies, improve productivity, and meet evolving customer needs."
The Chair of the Forum, Kevin Foley, said:
“I would like to thank Vice-Chair, Ronan Byrne, and all Forum participants for their ongoing commitment throughout this process over the last year. The Final Report reflects the engagement of stakeholder voices through in-room discussions, evidence-based submissions and bilaterial consultations. These inputs have been crucial in identifying the key issues facing businesses and shaping practical, realistic, timely and proportionate recommendations. If effectively delivered, these actions will address the challenges set by the Minister at the outset. I hope this Final Report serves as a catalyst for meaningful action to reduce the cost and complexity of doing business in Ireland and foster a business environment where enterprises can invest, innovate, and sustainably grow.”
Over the course of these thematic discussions, the Forum identified six recurring themes (listed below) with one principle cross cutting through them all is a shift from a public sector culture that measures activity and process to one that measures outcomes.
- Energy is the Biggest Driver of Business Costs
- Better Price Transparency and Easier Switching Required
- Regulators Need to Engage More with Business
- A New Culture of Regulatory Reform is Needed
- There is an Urgent Need for Legal Reform
- Limited business banking competition is driving high borrowing costs
The Final Report contains 63 recommendations which can be grouped under price transparency, switching and access, regulatory reform and simplification, reform measures and targeted allocation of additional resources to reduce bottlenecks. These recommendations, deliverable over the short, medium and long term, aim to support a more competitive, resilient and enabling environment for businesses in Ireland.
Minister Burke added:
" I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Chair, Mr Kevin Foley and Vice-Chair Mr Ronan Byrne, and to all the business groups and Forum members for their work throughout the last year. This independent report represents an important contribution to our understanding of the challenges that face enterprises. The Government will give careful consideration to its recommendations and will issue a formal response in due course."
Read the report here: Cost of Business Advisory Forum
ENDS
Notes to editors
The members of the Forum are:
- Alliance for Insurance Reform
- American Chamber of Commerce
- Banking & Payments Federation Ireland
- Brokers Ireland
- Chambers Ireland
- Chartered Accountants Ireland
- Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association
- Institute of Advertising Practitioners
- Insurance Ireland
- Irish Business & Employers Confederation
- Irish Congress of Trade Unions
- Irish Exporters Association
- Irish Farmers Association
- Irish Petrol Retailers Association
- Irish Small & Medium Enterprises
- Irish Tax Institute
- Irish Tourism Industry Confederation
- Law Society of Ireland
- Restaurants Association Ireland
- Retail Excellence Ireland
- Retail Ireland
- Retailers Against Smuggling
- RGDATA
- Small Firms Association
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