New IoD Ireland research highlights the perspectives of over 363 business leaders on the forthcoming Irish EU Presidency; sentiment going into 2026; and expected challenges for 2026.
When asked what the Government should prioritise in the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU, respondents showed a varied outlook but 33% said that simplifying regulation should be the number one priority, followed by 21% choosing global competitiveness and trade tariffs.
The survey also asked members of IoD Ireland how confident they feel about the financial performance of their organisation, looking at the year ahead, 43% responded saying that they are more optimistic, 19% more pessimistic and 38% said there would be no change.
Also looking to 2026, business leaders were asked about recruitment: 89% will increase or maintain staff numbers. When asked if they believed the expansion of AI use in their organisations would lead to a reduction in staff numbers – 19% said yes, 33% said no while 44% said it was too early to tell.
Digital innovation and AI remain a key driving factor in driving competitiveness and growth. In relation to making strategic decisions involving AI/Gen AI, two-thirds (66%) of respondents said that their board was confident in doing so. Furthermore, when asked if their Boards had utilised AI-powered tools to support the running of Board meetings, 26% said they had and 70% said no. Of boards who are using AI (to support board meetings), 36% are confident that appropriate guardrails (such as policies, cybersecurity measures, and compliance protocols) are in place to ensure responsible and secure use).
IoD Ireland CEO Caroline Spillane CDir remarked:
"Our end-of-year Snap Poll 2025 underscores the dynamic and multi-faceted challenges and opportunities facing Irish businesses. As we approach 2026, which includes Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, our members are generally optimistic about the year ahead, but they want our Government to prioritise simplification of regulations and global competitiveness.
Spillane added:
“Our members have told us that their top three greatest drivers for business growth and competitiveness in 2026 will be digital transformation and innovation (17%), enhancement of products or services (16%), and investment in the development of infrastructure (13%). We know from the recent ‘Accelerating Infrastructure – Report and Action Plan’ that this investment is also a focus for the Government going forward.
Spillane concluded:
“As part of this research, our members cited that the single biggest risk to their organisation in 2026 is geopolitical uncertainty followed by economic pressures and cyber security breaches”.
The survey also addressed the new proposed EU-proposed simplification of Digital rules. When asked if the new rules will reduce the compliance and administrative burden on businesses 66% of respondents could neither agree nor disagree with 24% agreeing. In addition, 56% of respondents noted that they did not know if the EU proposed simplification of data rules would allow their businesses to become more competitive.
The survey was conducted from 27th November – 12nd December 2025, with response from 363 directors and business leaders, all of whom are IoD Ireland members. The respondents represent a wide range of businesses as well as State or semi-State bodies, not-for-profit organisations, SMEs, and plc/multinationals.
IoD Ireland dedicated to developing and improving the effectiveness and performance of directors and boards throughout Ireland. IoD Ireland’s CPD framework for directors, c-suite and senior executives, and boards helps to drive higher standards in corporate governance in response to the ever-evolving policy, regulatory, macro-economic and governance environment in Ireland.
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