Economy

Ireland risks ‘becoming a laggard’ due to lack of competitiveness

National Competitiveness and Productivity Council warns of need to improve infrastructure delivery, cuts costs of doing business, and make progress on the energy front

The study says the delivery of infrastructure has not kept pace with the demands driven by population growth or economic prosperity

Steps need to be taken to reduce the costs of doing business in Ireland, and to “significantly improve” the delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects, a new study has warned.

The latest report from the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, published on Thursday, also warns that failure to develop and implement appropriate policies now to address new developments, including decarbonisation and tipping points in digital technologies, “could leave Ireland in a laggard position in the years ...