Ireland’s SMEs and car rental companies express alarm at potential impact of proposed European EV mandate
Representative bodies back Europe-wide movement to replace damaging legislation with incentive-led framework. ISME, Ireland’s representative body for small and medium enterprises, and the Car Rental Council of Ireland, have joined forces to endorse a European movement to oppose the imposition...
ISME submission says Budget 2027 must rebalance the economy in favour of indigenous enterprise
ISME has today published its Pre-Budget Submission 2027, setting out tax and expenditure reforms aimed at strengthening indigenous enterprise and reducing the State’s dangerous overreliance on a small number of multinational corporations. ISME say that decades of Government policy prioritising...
SMEunited discusses SME-friendly policy with President von der Leyen
"We provided President von der Leyen with a reality check by crafts and SMEs, stressing the importance of developing policy based on the majority of companies in our economy”, said SMEunited President Galli following a meeting between Commission President von...
ISME welcomes Mercosur commencement and urges focus on its benefits
ISME has welcomed the provisional commencement of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement on Friday 1st May, describing it as a landmark development that will create a trading bloc of over 700 million people. ISME has also called for a greater focus...
ISME calls for major policy shift to support indigenous business
: ISME, the Irish SME association, has called for a fundamental shift in Ireland’s economic strategy to better support indigenous businesses and reduce the State’s reliance on multinational corporations. In a new policy paper, ‘Indigenous Enterprise Policy’, ISME warns that...
ISME calls on Government to consider supports for SMEs amid ongoing fuel cost crisis
ISME, the Irish SME Association, has today called on the Government to consider alleviating the impact of fuel price increases as a result of the war in the Middle East and to develop contingency plans to support already stretched small...
Business and labour costs top of SME concerns
ISME has published the results of its latest member survey identifying the priority issues facing SMEs in 2026, with business costs and labour costs overwhelmingly dominating concerns. At 78% of respondents, business costs rank as the single biggest issue facing...
ISME warns delay to Mercosur trade deal risks real economic harm to Irish exporters
ISME has warned that delaying the EU-Mercosur trade agreement risks causing real harm to Ireland’s economy and undermining one of the most significant trade agreements ever negotiated by the EU. ISME expressed strong disappointment at the decision of the European...
ISME warns grid upgrade must not mean higher energy costs for business or consumers
Energy companies are trying to have their cake and eat it ISME has welcomed the announcement by EirGrid and ESB Networks of major investment to upgrade Ireland’s electricity grid, but has warned that the cost of this investment must not...
“Steady but Unambitious” – ISME reacts to Budget 2026
ISME broadly welcomes Budget 2025 as a stable and responsible package that broadly maintains fiscal discipline in uncertain times. Employment remains at a record high level, reflecting the resilience of Irish enterprises and workers. However, considerable uncertainty remains, with persistent...
