John Whelan: Ireland has to plan to save its blue-collar jobs 

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will set an import tariff on carbon intensive products, such as iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium, electricity, and hydrogen.

International pressure to cut emissions, risks to supply chains, and a phobia about relying on Chinese producers, is pushing Ireland’s manufacturing to the pin of its proverbial collar. 

There is a clear shift from the global policies that boosted the rapid growth of Ireland’s industrial base towards protectionism, putting under threat foreign direct investment, the bedrock of Irish manufacturing.