Chartered Accountants Ireland was pleased to see the publication of the Programme for Government by the incoming administration this week. The Programme contains a number of commitments on key priorities for our members, that we hope will come to fruition, including:
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On SMEs: the programme’s commitment to address the regulatory and cost burdens facing SMEs is welcome, in particular its pledge to establish a dedicated Small Business Unit in the Department of Enterprise and commitment to rigorously apply the’ SME test’ to all new legislation that risks further increasing business costs, prior to enactment.
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On childcare: commitments to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child are positive. Moreover, pledges to provide capital investment to build state-owned childcare facilities to create additional capacity will be welcomed by parents who are struggling to find a place for their child in local childcare facilities. If successfully implemented, these measures could leave working parents better off and free up vital working capacity in the economy.
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On climate: the continued commitment to accelerating Ireland’s progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is welcome. It is encouraging to see, in particular, a focus on the further development of the sustainable finance sector, renewable energy, upskilling and training, and the provision of supports for industry – including supports for small businesses – to decarbonise and embrace a circular economy.
The Institute looks forward to working with the new Government to ensure these important commitments are delivered over the course of the 34th Dáil term and to continue to amplify the voice of our members on the policy issues of importance to them.
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