The Institute of Directors Ireland

Lobbying Organisation The Institute of Directors Ireland

Date published 19 May, 2026

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 Jan. 2026 to 30 Apr. 2026

Specific Details Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the EU

Intended results To share new IoD Ireland research, which addressed the perspectives of over 363 business leaders on the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union; as well as business sentiment going into 2026; and expected challenges for 2026. In this new research, we asked our 3,500 members, to prioritise what they feel the Government should prioritise in the upcoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The top priorities selected included: the simplification of regulation; the enhancement of global competitiveness and resolution of the negative impact of trade tariffs; and a deeper single market, notably for energy, finance, and telecommunications.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Caroline Spillane CDir, CEO, IoD Ireland

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (1)

A meeting was had with Minister Byrne, Caroline Kinsella, Board and Member Services Director, IoD Ireland, and Anne Mannion, Head of Marketing and Communications, Research, Policy and Advocacy Lead, on Wednesday 25 February 2026.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Thomas Byrne Minister of State (Department of the Taoiseach)