97% of AmCham Members Say Ireland is Competitive for Business, Latest Survey Shows

AmCham has published its latest Quarterly FDI Insights Survey which highlights members’ current views on Ireland as a destination for growth and further investment. 

The vast majority of members were optimistic about Ireland’s economic potential with 97% responding that Ireland is competitive when compared to other advanced global economies. Some 52% said the main reason for this was a highly educated and skilled talent pool.

Some 9 in 10 respondents said their corporate headquarters has a positive view of Ireland as an investment or growth location; however, 40% said housing is the most important challenge for Ireland to overcome for their company to invest and expand here. This was down from 49% in AmCham’s March survey. Some 19% said cost competitiveness was the most important challenge, while 12% said skills shortage was the number one challenge. These figures increased from 10% and 8% respectively since March of this year.

In relation to recruitment, the majority of members (56%) said they expect the number of employees in Irish operations of their organisation to increase in the next 12 months. This figure is consistent with AmCham’s March survey results.  Further, 41% said they expect to maintain current employment numbers, up from 35% in March.   The areas of infrastructure development that required the most urgent investment from Government, according to respondents are housing (59%), transport (14%) and energy (14%).

When asked what the priorities for Ireland should be regarding climate, 59% of respondents said investing in renewable energy solutions. Further over a third (36%) said tax incentives for businesses to implement more sustainable practices should be a priority.

Speaking about the survey findings, American Chamber CEO Paul Sweetman said, ‘Ireland has continued to cement its position as a destination for investment within the global business environment. This is evident in the findings of our current survey of AmCham members.

‘It is also clear that challenges remain within infrastructure, transport, access to talent, and cost competitiveness. Smart policy and investment decisions can sustain Ireland’s reputation as a powerhouse in sustainability, research, talent and digital infrastructure in the years and decades ahead. Our pre-budget 2025 submission outlines how we believe Ireland can continue to attract business and people to its shores.’

You can view the full survey results here