Chartered Accountants Ireland was pleased to see the publication of the Programme for Government by the incoming administration this week. The Programme contains a number of commitments on key priorities for our members, that we hope will come to fruition, including:   On SMEs: the programme’s commitment to address the regulatory and cost burdens facing SMEs is welcome, in particular its pledge to establish a dedicated Small Business Unit in the Department of Enterprise and commitment to rigorously apply the’ SME test’ to all new legislation that risks further increasing business costs, prior to enactment.   On childcare: commitments to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child are positive. Moreover, pledges to provide capital investment to build state-owned childcare facilities to create additional capacity will be welcomed by parents who are struggling to find a place for their child in local childcare facilities. If successfully implemented, these measures could leave working parents better off and free up vital working capacity in the economy.  On climate: the continued commitment to accelerating Ireland’s progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is welcome. It is encouraging to see, in particular, a focus on the  further development of the sustainable finance sector, renewable energy, upskilling and training, and the provision of supports for industry – including supports for small businesses – to decarbonise and embrace a circular economy.     The Institute looks forward to working with the new Government to ensure these important commitments are delivered over the course of the 34th Dáil term and to continue to amplify the voice of our members on the policy issues of importance to them.      

  In this week’s Sustainability/ESG Bulletin read about sustainability in the new Programme for Government, planned Government climate and environmental spending 2025, and Responsible Business resources issued by DETE. Also covered is a survey showing a growth in confidence in sustainability governance, a ‘ticking clock’ for investors to invest in resilience, and the publication of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025, as well as the usual articles and upcoming events.   Ireland news Sustainability in the Programme for Government The Institute welcomes the continued commitment in Ireland’s published draft Programme for Government to accelerate Ireland’s progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While much needs to be done, the focus on further development of the sustainable finance sector, renewable energy, upskilling and training, and the provision of supports for industry – including supports for small businesses – to decarbonise and embrace a circular economy, are welcome, as is the commitment to the continued use of carbon tax revenues to fund social welfare measures, among others.   Planned Government climate and environmental spending for 2025 A report published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform (DPENDR) on planned climate and environmental spending in 2025 has found that nearly €7 billion of expenditure allocated will have a “probable favourable impact” on climate and environmental criteria. This includes funding for activities targeting emissions-reductions (e.g. retrofitting, investment in public transport, implementing flood-risk-management programmes, biodiversity/ecosystem-protection programmes and more). The report found, however, that just over €2 billion of planned expenditure will have a “probable unfavourable impact” reportedly representing an increase of 40%  in 2025 on 2024 figures. This includes funding on measures such as fossil fuel subsidies or other potentially harmful supports, as well as emissions-intensive activities in transport, agriculture and industry.   CSO – Ireland 2024: The Year in Numbers Almost half (46%) of all new private cars licensed up to November 2024 were electric, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid, according to figures from the CSO’s Ireland 2024: The Year in Numbers. The figures also reveal that more than 4,000 Business Energy Rating (BER) audits were published in the first nine months of 2024 for non-domestic or commercial buildings, of which the most energy-efficient building types were found to be in schools and colleges. Separately, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)’s end of year review shows a record year of progress for SEAI in 2024, with almost €616 million invested in projects across homes, communities, businesses, and public sector organisations. This 13% increase on 2023 activity included over 3,500 businesses being approved for more than €62 million in grant support, as well as the launch of a new, rapid approval Business Energy Upgrade Scheme.    DETE resources on Responsible Business initiatives: Environment Presentations from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) on responsible business and the environment held on 6 November 2024 are now available on the Department’s website. These include: Creating a Nature Positive Economy for Ireland – Lucy Gaffney, Executive Director, Business for Biodiversity Ireland Emissions Trading and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism by Dr Maria Martin Climate Change Programme, EPA Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Aisling McCarthy, Climate Programmes Unit, DETE OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct   Northern Ireland/UK news Confidence grows in sustainability governance An annual survey of directors and executives from around the world conducted by INSEAD Business School (the non-profit business school with locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America) has found that confidence in sustainability governance had grown significantly year-on-year. In an article published last week, ICAEW Insights examined whether a sustainability committee might be a useful addition to the board.   “The clock is ticking” for investors, says CISL The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) has published a guide for investors to build climate resilience within their portfolios and invest in systemic resilience through engagement with the broader ecosystem. Commenting on the publication, titled Investing in Tomorrow: A Guide to Building Climate-Resilient Investment Portfolios, Director at the Centre for Sustainable Finance, Dr Nina Seega said “The clock is ticking — investors face a critical choice: act now to safeguard portfolios and invest in resilience, or risk the future of both their assets and the global ecosystem. As climate risks intensify, this guide offers a clear path to build resilience and drive systemic change for a sustainable, adaptive future.”   World news Global Risks Report 2025 publishes The World Economic Forum has published its Global Risks Report 2025, listing ‘State-based armed conflict’ as the top risk likely to present a material crisis on a global scale in 2025. ‘Extreme weather events’, ‘Geoeconomic confrontation’, ‘Misinformation and disinformation’ and ‘Societal polarization’ remain top short-term risks, with ‘Economic downturn’ climbing up from tenth place in 2024 to sixth place this year.   Over the longer-term (10 years) the top four risks identified are: Extreme Weather Events, Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, Critical change to Earth systems, and Natural resource shortages.   The report, which presents the findings of the Global Risks Perception Survey 2024- 2025 (GRPS), captures insights from over 900 experts worldwide and provides six in-depth analyses of selected risk themes. Did you know… …you can now ‘bulk return’ bottles and cans in Ireland through the Deposit-Return Scheme? Newcastle Services Station in Dublin has Ireland’s first Bulk Feed Recycling Machine which lets users recycle hundreds of containers in seconds - no more feeding them one by one. (TikTok) Articles IOB appoint Diarmuid Murphy as Director of Sustainability and International Markets (Business Plus) Insuring against climate change: An interview with Brian O’Neill, Head of Communications, Sponsorship, Sustainability at Aviva Ireland (Business & Finance) High Court rules An Bord Pleanála must prioritise climate law in wind farm case likely to affect all public bodies (Irish Independent) A4S unveils guide on making business case for nature (ICAEW) Greenwashing and sustainability assurance: a review and call for future research (Journal of Accounting Literature Events TEKenable Ltd and the EU Commission, CSRD Data Readiness Training This training session, organised in collaboration with TEKenable Ltd and the EU Commission offers insights on best practices, tools to improve your sustainability efforts, CSRD compliance, and more. Virtual, 24 January 2025, 13:00 - 14:30 CET Business in the Community Northern Ireland From Awareness to Action: Building Disability Inclusive Workplaces First of a new series of monthly online sessions aiming to support businesses in creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces Tuesday 28 January, 10:00 – 10:45am. Chartered Accountants Worldwide, Difference Makers Discuss: Resilience in the Chartered Accountant Accountancy profession Virtual, 30 January, 18.00 GMT Jobs Trinity College Dublin seeks a researcher/project manager for Ecosystem Accounting project (Job details)   Sustainability Centre You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.  

  In this week's, Sustainability/ESG Bulletin read about tax measures for electrical vehicles now in effect from Budget 2025, detailed climate projections and new funding for adult financial literacy projects in Ireland. Also covered is the entering into application of new EU rules to improve gender balance in corporate boards, a new OECD paper on how public budgeting can support climate goals, the departure of US firms from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, as well as technical updates, articles, podcasts and upcoming events.   Ireland news EV tax measures from Budget 2025 now in effect   The following tax measures pertaining to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) announced in Budget 2025 took effect from Wednesday 1 January 2025: BIK Exemption for Installation of BEV home charger: From 1 January 2025, a benefit-in-kind (BIK) exemption will apply to the installation of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) home charger by an employer at a director’s or an employee’s private residence. This means that a director or employee will not pay BIK on the installation of a home charger, which is required for work purposes and aims to support the rollout of BEVs in the commercial fleet. VRT Rate Change for Commercial Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs): Finance Act 2024 amended the weight ratio requirement from 130% to 125% for commercial electric vehicles in order to qualify for the €200 category C VRT rate. This amendment comes into effect from 1 January 2025.   Climate Projections for Ireland: Key Findings and Implications Scientists based at the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) in the University of Galway have warned that Ireland’s future weather will be even warmer and wetter than previously predicted. Commenting, the report’s lead author, Paul Nolan, said that it is imperative that planners and policymakers are adequately informed about future climate change so they can implement appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures: “This research will inform national policy and further our understanding of the impacts of climate change at a local scale”.   New funding for adult financial literacy projects in Ireland The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is to contribute €250,000 towards adult financial literacy projects in 2025 supporting adults with the skills needed to build financial literacy and access financial services. Latest figures from the Programme for International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC) published by the OECD show that one in four adults in Ireland struggle with everyday maths. The funding announcement by the CCPC follows the publication in April 2024 by the Department of Finance of a mapping report into the development of a Financial Literacy Strategy.   Export phase of Small-scale Renewal Electricity Support Scheme The terms and conditions of the export phase of the Small-scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) have been published. They have been designed with the aim of providing a simpler route to market for community and small-scale projects, and to align more closely to the experience and capacity of this sector. Commenting, Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications described the approval of the SRESS terms and conditions as “an important milestone for communities, SMEs [Small and Medium Sized Enterprises], farmers and others to maximise their participation in the energy transition.” The scheme is due to open for applications on 27 January 2025.   Northern Ireland news Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITCI), in partnership with Diversity Mark, has announced a new series of monthly online sessions aiming to support businesses in creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The first session, ‘From Awareness to Action: Building Disability Inclusive Workplaces’ will take place on Tuesday 28 January, 10:00 – 10:45am.   Europe news New EU rules to improve Gender Balance in corporate boards enter into application New EU rules to improve Gender Balance in corporate boards have entered into application. The Gender Balance on Corporate Boards Directive, which entered into application at the end of 2024, aims for a more balanced gender representation on the boards of listed companies across all EU Member States. The Directive sets a target for EU large listed companies of 40% of the underrepresented sex among their non-executive directors and 33% among all directors. The deadline for the transposition by Member States was 28 December 2024, and companies must meet the targets by 30 June 2026.   World news OECD publishes paper on how public budgeting can support climate goals The OECD has published a paper on how public budgeting can support climate goals. The paper, Beyond green tagging, discusses new instruments to better link budgets and results, the challenges involved in linking budget and emissions, and the steps needed to overcome them.   Net-Zero Banking Alliance loses firms Several major Wall Street banks, including Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo have left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance – a group dedicated to helping lenders reduce their carbon footprints. More US banks are expected to follow their lead, in a development reportedly reflecting growing anti-ESG sentiment in the US.   LA fires damage and economic loss potential A preliminary estimate of the financial impact of the damage and economic loss caused by the Los Angeles wildfires of $52 billion is likely to make it one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.  Burned homes and losses in tourism are among the major long-lasting costs resulting from the fires, which are thought to be the result of high winds, lack of rain and climate change. Technical Updates (From our colleagues in Professional Accounting) EFRAG has added further non-authoritative technical explanations to its compilation of explanations that are intended to assist stakeholders in the implementation of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRSs).  EFRAG has also published an addendum to EFRAG IG 3 ‘ESRS Datapoints’, which is part of EFRAG's non-authoritative implementation guidance on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRSs)   EFRAG has announced that it has delivered its technical advice on the Voluntary SME (“VSME”) standard to the European Commission. EFRAG has also released some educational videos on the VSME standard.   The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) recently launched a webcast series to discuss how IFRS Accounting Standards and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards complement each other.     The FRC, in its role as the Secretariat to the UK Sustainability Disclosure Technical Advisory Committee, has published the Committee’s final recommendations to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, recommending endorsement of the first two IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards for use in the UK.   Chartered Accountants Ireland has issued Technical Alert 04/2024 Sample CSRD Limited Assurance Report. This is in addition to Technical Alert 02/2024 – Sample Engagement Letter Terms in respect to the provision of Limited Assurance under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, issued in June 2024.   The Institute has revised the CPD Regulations with effect from 1 January 2025. CPD Regulation 4.6 now specifically mentions 'sustainability assurance' as a subject area in which a member who is working in practice should undertake CPD if that member is involved in work of this nature.  Read more here   Accountancy Europe has published a new webpage of FAQs: fundamentals to assurance on sustainability reporting  The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC), together with the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), have published a report titled ‘Building Trust in Sustainability Reporting and Preparing for Assurance: Governance and Controls for Sustainability Information’.   Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) is preparing a series focused on nature to assist accountants and finance professionals in shaping a nature-positive economy that supports long-term value creation. The first guide in the series, The Business Case for Nature, explains why nature is vital to business and offers clear steps and practical tips for developing the business case for your organization. Articles Irish listed firms must ‘take action’ to meet new EU gender targets (Business Post) The antidote to doom is doing (FT-SustainableViews)   Podcasts Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi talks to science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the seminal 2020 novel Ministry for the Future which is set in the year 2025 (Bloomberg) Events SEAI, Introduction to Energy Management Training The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is running a free online workshop on the basics of implementing energy management within your business. Virtual, Thursday, 16 January, 2-4pm Jobs Trinity College Dublin seeks a researcher/project manager for Ecosystem Accounting project (Job details)   Sustainability Centre You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.  

Chartered Accountants Ireland has today circulated the Institute's Key Policy Priorities, based on member engagement, as discussions commence on the formation of the next Government. Focused on supporting small business and improving childcare provision for working parents, we will continue to amplify our members' voices as the negotiating process continues.

Chartered Accountants Ireland is warning that family-owned businesses in Northern Ireland, including those in the agricultural sector, will be the biggest losers from the recent tax changes announced in the Autumn Budget. Impacted family businesses are now facing a triple whammy of mounting employment costs, higher Capital Gains Tax on sale or succession, and an unexpected Inheritance Tax bill when passing businesses on to the next generation. Commenting, Janette Burns, Chair of the Institute’s Northern Ireland Tax Committee said: “Northern Ireland family-owned businesses are the heartbeat of our economy with around 80% of businesses here either family owned or managed. Many of these businesses, particularly those who employ minimum wage workers, will face a stark increase in their wage bill from April 2025 as a result of the changes to Employer’s National Insurance Contributions and the National Minimum Wage. For example, a business with 50 part-time staff aged 18-20 working around 15 hours per week will have to find an additional £65,000 from April 2025 just to pay wages. This will particularly impact businesses reliant on part time staff such as in the retail and care sectors but especially for already struggling hospitality businesses.” Reflecting further on what’s still to come for Northern Ireland family-owned businesses, Janette commented: “From 30 October 2024 the rates of Capital Gains Tax have already increased from 10% to 18% and 18% to 24% ahead of a stepped reduction in the benefit of a key Capital Gains Tax relief, Business Asset Disposal Relief, commencing from April 2025. Then, from April 2026 the benefit of two key Inheritance Tax reliefs is being reduced by 50% for businesses (including farms) worth more than £1 million. This means that further down the tracks the same family business owners are facing a significantly higher tax bill when the time comes for the next generation to take over. Those who are approaching retirement will now pay more Capital Gains Tax either when they sell the business or pass it on to their successors whilst still alive. On a death transfer, the Budget’s Inheritance Tax changes from April 2026 mean that whomever inherits the business will be hit with an extra 20% Inheritance Tax bill on any value over £1 million. Figures suggest that an estimated 33% of farmers in Northern Ireland will be affected. Many family-owned businesses and farms here started out small 20 or 30 years ago and through sheer hard work, sacrifice, and determination have grown in size. It would not be unusual for those businesses to now be worth several million pounds. For a business or farm worth £2million, these changes will add as much as £200,000 onto the family Inheritance Tax bill. The reality is that many will be forced to sell the business or farm to pay this new bill.”

After a frenetic three-week campaign, General Election 2024 has essentially left us where we began – with a likely Government led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael albeit this time without the Greens.  The precise makeup of the final coalition is as yet unclear. However, given that the outgoing coalition’s collective seat take will likely not leave them far off the 88 seats needed to command a Dáil majority, it is safe to say that whoever gets the nod to make up the numbers won’t have the same bargaining power to influence policy as some previous smaller coalition partners may have had.  Against this backdrop, it’s safe to assume that the next Programme for Government will largely, if not entirely, be dictated by the policy priorities set out by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in their general election manifestos. So, what might this mean for small businesses?  Addressing the cost of doing business  In their respective pre-election pledges, both parties were keen to highlight their awareness of the rising costs of doing business. In Fianna Fáil’s case, they pledged to address this by establishing a new “Cost of Business Advisory Forum” to conduct a review of all current business costs and taxes.  According to the party’s manifesto, “this forum will be consulted before introducing new legislation or policies that affect small businesses.”  Likewise, in its manifesto, Fine Gael took a similar tack by reasserting its commitment to apply what it calls the “SME test” to any new legislation coming down the track – a test that would essentially require all departments to first assess the impact on small businesses of any new measures being proposed prior to enactment.  So, with both parties essentially singing from the same hymn sheet on the issue, it is likely that we will see the announcement of some sort of new initiative designed to limit the amount of new regulations that could further add to the cost burdens of small businesses.   Employers’ PRSI   Again on the issue of reducing business costs, both parties also made specific commitments to reduce the Employers’ PRSI burden where lower earning workers are employed.  While Fine Gael favoured a temporary, three-year PRSI rebate based on the number of lower-earning workers on a company’s payroll, Fianna Fáil pledged an outright reduction to the lower rate of employers PRSI by 1.5 percent.  The logic behind the latter proposal (we know this because the Institute’s pre-election manifesto originally proposed it) is to mitigate the concurrent 1.5 percent uptick in payroll costs due to hit many employers in late 2025 through the introduction of pensions auto-enrolment.  So again, with both parties essentially aligned here, it’s fair to say that a reduction or rebate of the lower rate of Employers’ PRSI in some format will also likely feature in the next Programme for Government.   VAT on hospitality  The issue of VAT on hospitality was a notably contentious issue in the run up to Budget 2024 with the Government ultimately refusing to reinstate the reduced nine percent rate despite extensive lobbying from the sector.  However, the way in which each party subsequently approached the issue in their election manifestos is perhaps telling of a policy fissure between the two.  Fine Gael clearly favours a reduction, albeit to a midway rate of 11 percent while Fianna Fáil is notably silent on the issue in its manifesto, instead placing its focus on maintaining VAT on gas and electricity bills at nine percent for the next five years.  How this difference in approach will ultimately play out in the final Programme for Government is as yet unclear. However, Fine Gael’s pledge to implement a reduction will no doubt have created an expectation from the hospitality sector that some sort of action will be taken on reducing the rate.  Energy supports  High energy costs continue to be an issue for many small businesses and the manifestos of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have again sought to tackle this through further one-off grant schemes.  In Fianna Fáil’s case, the party has pledged to introduce a successor to the Increased Cost of Business/Power Up grant schemes to help hospitality and retail businesses deal with higher energy bills.  Likewise, Fine Gael has promised a new energy cost grant scheme, “to help businesses lower their energy costs, enabling them to operate more sustainably.” Given that the two parties appear to be broadly aligned on the issue, a new round of temporary energy support grants seems likely.  However, what is less clear is how the announcement of these relatively piecemeal measures will be received by businesses, particularly given the slow uptake of previous such schemes over the past two years. Stephen Lowry is Head of Public Policy at Chartered Accountants Ireland