ESB has been announced as the Overall Winner for this year’s Chartered Accountants Leinster Society Published Accounts Awards, in addition to winning the ‘Statutory or Unlisted Entity (IFRS)’ Award category.  The Leinster Society have been proudly hosting the Published Accounts Awards for 48 years. These awards honour outstanding achievement in corporate reporting; celebrating companies across the island of Ireland that demonstrate excellence, transparency, and innovation in financial communication. Companies simply submit their annual report, which then goes through a round of technical reviewing, before a team of external judges make their final decision. A lot of hard work goes into producing the annual reports, and the Leinster Society are proud to showcase that hard work. The awards, sponsored by Euronext and Arachas, took place in the Shelbourne Hotel on Thursday 6 November, with host Mario Rosenstock who had us all laughing from the moment he stepped into the room in a questionable wig. From beginning to end there was a buzz of excitement and energy in the room. A total of 27 public and private companies, and 9 not-for-profit organisations competed as finalists across thirteen distinct awards categories. A huge congratulations to all of our winners, see full list below. Check out the photos of the night here. Award 2025 Winner Euronext Dublin (Large Cap > €1bn) Glanbia Euronext Dublin (SME < €1bn) Dalata Company Listed on a Foreign Market Grafton Group Euronext Growth Award Uniphar Statutory or Unlisted Entity (IFRS) ESB Statutory or Unlisted Entity (Non-IFRS) daa Arachas Large Not-for-Profit Concern Worldwide Arachas Small / Medium Not-for-Profit Dogs Trust Sustainability & ESG Reporting Award (UnlistedEntity) Northern Ireland Water Diversity & Inclusion Award (Listed orUnlistedEntity) Bank of Ireland Diversity & Inclusion Award (Not-for-Profit) The Wheel Branding, Communication & Digital Award Dogs Trust Overall Winner ESB   'ESB’s Finance team works closely with colleagues across the organisation to produce an Annual Report which provides our stakeholders with the financial and non-financial information they need to understand ESB’s performance, business model, net zero strategy and contribution to Irish society. This award is testimony to the hard work of our people over many years to continuously raise the standards of our Annual Report year-on-year. The theme of our Annual Report this year was “Empowering the Sustainable Energy Transition”, and we put a particular focus on our disclosures around “Planet, Place and People” in advance of the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which ESB will be voluntarily applying. ' Stephen Walsh, Group Financial Performance Manager, ESB "Dogs Trust Ireland is honoured to receive two Published Accounts Awards. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team and their commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellence. Sharing the impact of our work openly with our supporters and stakeholders is central to who we are, and it’s deeply rewarding to see that commitment acknowledged in this way." Karla Dunne, Interim Executive Director, Dogs Trust “Sustainability reporting extends beyond mere disclosure; it represents a commitment to accountability, transparency, and alignment with the Paris Agreement targets. By realigning strategies with science-based goals and conducting a double materiality assessment, businesses can integrate emission reduction, water and biodiversity conservation, robust social and governance practices, and sustainable finance considerations into their strategic planning. To achieve meaningful progress, organisations should also embed circular economy principles, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and enhance climate resilience. Companies that adopt this holistic approach are better positioned to drive responsible growth, create long-term value, and contribute to a sustainable global economy.” Anthony Raivellur, Judge, Former EY and Deloitte Sustainability Professional "The judging panel were incredibly impressed by the high quality of each report shortlisted, and the responsible teams should be immensely proud of their talent and dedication.  he ultimate winner in each category stood out by exemplifying the high standards of quality that we were looking for and have set a standard that other plcs, unlisted companies and charities can aspire to "  Maeve O'Connor, Judge and Group Financial Controller , Hostelworld “The standard of accounts continues to improve year on year with a noticeable effort for accounts to refer to risk factors and strategy achievements.  The leading accounts all have unique and helpful aspects such as informative  graphs and 5 year comparison tables” Gavin O’Flaherty, Judge and corporate partner, William Fry  “It was encouraging to see sustainability approached more holistically this year. The best reports moved beyond environmental checklists and spoke about people, community, and purpose. When brands align sustainability with authentic human connection, that’s when it becomes a meaningful part of their identity.” The full judging panel for the Branding, Communication and Digital Award: Larry Byrne of Larry Byrne Design  Andrea Kavanagh of Resonate Design Barbara Monahan of CUBE Design    

Chartered Accountants Ireland has named Donegal native and University of Galway lecturer Sophie Sweeney ACA as its 2025 Chartered Star. Awarded annually, the accolade is given to one of the Institute’s shortlisted members who demonstrates outstanding commitment to any of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The competition – running since 2016 – gives the winner the opportunity to participate in the One Young World summit as the Institute’s representative. This year’s summit will take place in Munich, Germany, in November. In her application submission, Sophie described herself as a “storyteller at heart.” She is a lecturer in accountancy, finance and tax at the University of Galway and actively positions the SDGs within her teaching. Sophie believes in intertwining the SDGs into accountancy education to embed trust and sustainability as core values for future finance leaders. As well as this, Sophie is a PhD candidate examining how people experience tax across life stages. She advocates against inequality in social and taxation systems for the benefit of future generations and believes that education is essential to this. Commenting on her win, Sophie Sweeney said: “I am very excited and honoured to have been selected as Chartered Star 2025. I am passionate about learning and education as a means to promote equity and progress. I am really looking forward to hearing from all the contributors at the Summit, and to workshopping with the other delegates. We can learn a lot from each other.” Acknowledging the central role Chartered Accountants play in addressing the global challenges that the UN SDGs aim to address, competition entrants were shortlisted based on written and video testimonial submissions outlining how they live the values of the SDGs through their work and other pursuits. The summit will bring together the Chartered Star and 2,000 other young future leaders from over 190 countries for workshops and addresses from global leaders. Plenary topics featuring on the 2025 programme include the circular economy, responsible tech, anti-hate, education and peace and security. Commenting, Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Advocacy Manager Susan Rossney said:  “Chartered Accountants are playing an ever-increasing role in addressing the UN SDGs through their work. Sophie’s work and her research interests espouse cover several of these including education, reducing inequalities, and promoting economic growth. Not only this but she actively raises awareness of the goals through her teaching, ensuring the next generation of finance professionals understand their role in meeting the goals”. Director of Members and Advocacy, Cróna Clohisey said:  “The Chartered Star competition is a very important initiative for the Institute. It highlights the power and potential of the Chartered Accountant to contribute meaningfully to societal change. Trusted business leadership is the Institute’s guiding principle and Sophie exemplifies this. She emerged as the worthy winner from a highly impressive shortlist and will gain a lot from the Summit, bringing these learnings back to her students. I wish her the best for the Summit in November.”

The Institute’s UK Tax Manager, Leontia Doran, delivered evidence on Monday in the Palace of Westminster to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee. As set out in the Institute’s Pre-Budget submission, Leontia told the Committee’s inquiry into draft Finance Bill 2025/26 that the number of farms affected in Northern Ireland will be much higher than the Government says. The Institute is also concerned about the impact on family-owned businesses in Northern Ireland. You can watch the evidence session here. Leontia highlighted the cost and administrative burden of the changes and the lack of consultation by the Government on these policy changes, which thus far have failed to consider the human impact and the wider economic ripple effect. In the lead in period to the changes taking effect from 6 April 2026, tax agents are already managing a very challenging workload including preparations for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and mandatory tax adviser registration. Leontia discussed the potential for transitional measures to reduce the impact on older taxpayers who may be unable to make lifetime gifts and survive the seven years necessary to avoid an Inheritance Tax liability. Overall, the Institute is urging the Government to rethink the draft legislation and to introduce a range of mitigations to protect smaller farms and family-owned businesses. If this is not possible, Northern Ireland should be exempted from the changes given its unique circumstances. Further detail on the Institute’s recommendations is set out in our pre-budget submission. Earlier this year the Institute wrote to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury to highlight the disproportionate impact of these changes on Northern Ireland.