Irish business leaders: 74% are positive about the Irish economy

RTE Business:

A survey of Irish business leaders has found that the cost of complying with regulations is their top concern, despite high levels of optimism about the Irish economy.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers annual survey of 200 chief executives also found a fall in support for social partnership and an increased level of satisfaction with the Government.

More than 60% of CEOs thought the cost of business regulation was higher in Ireland than in other EU countries, while 90% thought reducing these costs was a priority.

74% were positive about the Irish economy, but 71% were dissatisfied with the general cost of doing business in Ireland. 78% were happy with the quality of labour in Ireland, but 75% were unhappy with its cost.

67% felt the Government was in touch with their needs, up 13 points on last year. 72% said social partnership was necessary - a drop of 10 points.

On future investment, 81% of CEOs in Irish companies said they would not re-locate existing activities abroad, while 75% of multinational CEOs said they were considering additional investment in Ireland.

Two-thirds of CEOs believed that Northern Ireland was not as attractive a location for investment compared with the Republic.

PwC's Irish CEO Pulse Survey: Controlling costs biggest challenge - 67% of 229 respondents happy with Irish Government