Limerick Chamber: Boost SMEs to cut reliance on multinationals

“Ireland’s regions, particularly the Mid-West, are being left in a holding pattern due to a lack of infrastructure certainty,” said Mairead Connolly, President of Limerick Chamber.

Limerick Chamber is calling on the Government to introduce measures to support SMEs in the upcoming Budget as a way to cut the country's reliance on a small number of multinationals.

In its pre-budget submission, the business representative body said the October budget must not become another moment of delayed potential. It must send a clear message to businesses and investors that Ireland is serious about its transition, its infrastructure, and its regions.

Among the top priorities identified in the submission are water and housing infrastructure, calling for targeted, ring-fenced capital funding to unlock housing supply and economic growth across the Mid-West.

The Chamber is also seeking accelerated investment in the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan rail network, key roads like the N/M20, and the Limerick BusConnects programme. The Chamber is also asking the Government to include Shannon Airport in the expanded Regional Airports Programme (RAP) and calls for a new National Aviation Policy.

“Ireland’s regions, particularly the Mid-West, are being left in a holding pattern due to a lack of infrastructure certainty,” said Mairead Connolly, President of Limerick Chamber. “The cost of inaction is mounting. If we do not front-load investment in sustainable infrastructure now, we will pay far more in the short term in climate penalties and missed opportunities by 2030 and 2050.

Aligning with EU State aid rules for airports under three million passengers, the Chamber said the inclusion of Shannon Airport in the RAP would allow it to receive operational and capital funding for safety and security-related projects and activities, and support sustainability initiatives. "Accessing the RAP will ensure that Shannon Airport can continue to grow connectivity and deliver real benefits for Ireland," the document states.

The submission also emphasises that delays in climate-critical infrastructure - particularly offshore renewable energy will not only jeopardise Ireland’s 2030 and 2050 targets, but also cost the exchequer potentially billions in EU compliance fines. In response, Limerick Chamber is calling for urgent investment in port infrastructure at Shannon Foynes and grid improvements to enable large-scale deployment of renewables as well as a renewed focus on the Designated Maritime Area Plan for the west coast.

Seán Golden (Director of Policy Limerick Chamber), Mairead Connolly (President Limerick Chamber), Michelle Gallagher (CEO Limerick Chamber). Pic. Brian Arthur

Despite strong economic contributions from regional cities, the Chamber points to new data showing the Mid-West receives just a fraction of per-capita capital spending compared to the East of the Country and highlights without project-level commitments in the NDP, the region risks falling further behind.

"Investing today is the obvious choice, derisking Ireland’s dependence on third parties and bringing payback for decades both to the country and directly to the Midwest economy. Budget 2026 must be the moment we move from rhetoric to results," Ms Connolly said.