AGP Executive Report

Irish School Meals Scrutiny: A Department of Social Protection review says only 7% of meals meet all nutrition standards, with just 14% hitting required fruit and veg levels and about a fifth containing processed meats or high fat/salt/sugar items; it also flags waste of around 6.3m kg per school year and adds major single-use packaging waste. Food Exports Pressure: UK food and drink exports fell 11.7% in the first half of 2026 as costs rise and Middle East conflict bites, widening the trade deficit; salmon exports were down sharply and tariffs are blamed for further damage. Dairy & Drought Impact: Teagasc reports Ireland’s drought left vegetable yields down 25–40% in unirrigated crops, with irrigation helping but at steep cost and limited capacity. Farm Policy & VAT: IFA and ICOS warn Budget 2027 livestock VAT and mart flat-rate changes are hitting small farmers hardest, with ICOS calling the anomaly “a penalty” that can be avoided only by private sales. Organic Growth: Bord Bia’s National Organic Awards highlight continued momentum, with organic market value up 12.5% in 2025 vs 2024. Transport & Shipping: Stena Line orders two hybrid E-Flexer ferries for 2030 service, designed for both conventional fuel and electricity with future conversion to fully electric operations. Aviation Capacity: Ryanair targets higher summer 2027 capacity (2–3%) while cutting winter flights to manage jet fuel exposure. Data & Regulation: Ireland’s data watchdog fine against Google over location data practices remains a major compliance story, alongside broader EU/US tech regulatory tensions.

Livestock VAT Fight: Sinn Féin and Aontú are pushing Budget 2027 to cut the livestock VAT rate at marts, arguing farmers are losing the VAT “difference” on every animal sale after the flat-rate addition fell to 4.5% while marts remain at 4.8%. Water Costs for Veg Growers: Teagasc reports drought-hit vegetable growers paid up to nine times the normal cost to irrigate in July and August, with higher grade-out rates even on irrigated land. Food Prices Risk: Scientists warn El Niño could lift Irish food prices in 2027-2028 as global supply chains tighten. Energy Retrofit Push: Minister Darragh O’Brien says a boiler scrappage scheme worth up to €2,000 per household is headed to Cabinet, targeting oil and kerosene users. Pharma Pay Gap: CSO data shows a 20.5% median male-female earnings gap in Irish pharma and medical tech, with foreign-owned firms dominating employment. EU Grid Control: EU governments resist Brussels’ push for more control over power-grid charges and management, with Ireland’s Presidency seeking compromise. Irish Business & Jobs: Ireland publishes an ineligible occupations list blocking employment permits for 37 job categories, while the Irish Games Fund expands into Development, Prototype and Release strands. Diageo CFO Move: Diageo appoints Joanne Wilson as CFO, replacing Nik Jhangiani, with a board transition expected in 2027. Offshore Wind Research: ORE Catapult launches a project to study how wind farms affect marine mammals in the Celtic Sea.

CAP and farm income supports: A new Irish Farmers Journal survey finds 57% of farmers oppose Brussels’ planned abolition of entitlements, with strongest resistance among suckler (68%) and tillage (62%) farmers, while sheep farmers are the only group broadly supportive. Animal health and biosecurity: Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir warns of bluetongue risk after cases rise in Britain and detections in the Republic, urging NI livestock keepers to stay vigilant and consider vaccination. Data protection and big tech: Ireland’s data watchdog has fined Google €403m over GDPR breaches tied to location data, ordering a six-month compliance fix. Housing delivery crunch: A Central Bank statistic highlights how planning-to-completion times have stretched to four years, worsening the pipeline and costs behind Ireland’s housing crisis. AI and tourism pressure: Research suggests Galway visitors using AI chatbots are repeatedly steered to the same top attractions, potentially sidelining smaller tourism businesses. Electric vehicle rollouts: Skoda details its new electric seven-seater Peaq for Ireland this November, while Kia unveils the PV7 people-carrier/van with long-range options. Agri-machinery at Ploughing: New equipment highlights include Krone’s lighter MX 380 forage wagon, VST’s €12,950 hydrostatic compact tractor, and multiple cultivation and sprayer attachments from Irish importers. Food and farming markets: Grain prices kick off with early harvest deals, while dairy and beef updates point to sluggish milk pricing but firmer beef quotes as finished cattle tighten. Irish industry innovation (Galway): A run of local business features spotlights growth in medtech, engineering and creative enterprise, from Aerogen and Glanua to Spotlight Oral Care and Galway’s CREW.

Data Centres & Energy Planning: A key figure on Ireland’s infrastructure taskforce says data centres should be sited in purpose-built “energy parks” using Bord na Móna land, to take pressure off communities and the main system. Public Sector Pay Disputes: Cork public sector workers begin indefinite work-to-rule from 30 September, with a national strike day on 14 October; UCC staff also face strike action in October amid the wider pay and conditions fight. Road Safety: The RSA and TII told the Oireachtas that learner drivers should be trained on motorways before qualifying, after wrong-way motorway crashes including a fatal M9 incident. Legal & Competition: The Oireachtas Justice Committee will refer striking criminal legal aid solicitors to the CCPC, raising competition-law questions. Energy Costs: The Government says it can’t insulate all pricing impacts from rising energy costs, with further Budget interventions expected on 6 October. Construction & Logistics: Taylor Wimpey has donated a van to Lighthouse Charity to expand mental health support on construction sites across the UK and Ireland. Entertainment (Irish audience): Oasis added more 2027 tour dates, but no new Irish gigs were announced; ticket access is via a registration-only code system.

GDPR Crackdown on Big Tech: Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403m over unlawful handling of users’ location data, following a six-year investigation into features including Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy. Dublin Regeneration Watch: Construction is expected to start early next year on Ballymore’s Guinness Quarter on Diageo lands, with phased delivery covering homes, hotels, offices, a 280-capacity performance space and new public squares. Energy & Grid Pressure: Fingal councillors have questioned whether a proposed gas plant would serve households or data centres, as Ireland faces renewed scrutiny over electricity capacity for the data centre boom. Planning & Power Supply: Kilshane Energy’s 293MW gas turbine phase is underway, with a second phase planned for a 680MW peaking plant aimed at keeping the grid stable when renewables dip. Climate Risk for Industry: A new study says human-caused warming has made Ireland’s extreme drought conditions more likely and more intense, raising evaporative demand and worsening soil moisture deficits. Agrifood Transition: Farmers say 90% of rooftop solar grant applications under TAMS are being rejected, urging Budget 2027 support to speed a just transition. Construction Procurement Reform: A Construction Industry Federation survey finds 4 in 10 firms do no public sector work, blaming low margins and red tape, and calling for procurement reform to boost housing and infrastructure delivery.

Irish Data Protection: Ireland’s DPC has fined Google €403m over GDPR breaches tied to location tracking, ordering compliance within six months after findings on Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy. Energy & Renewables: Wind Energy Ireland warns the grid is the biggest brake on onshore wind, with 3,000MW of permitted projects stuck waiting for connections; it calls for faster lines and substations. Agri-Food & Prices: IGGG says Irish grain prices hit milk and beef too, as concentrate use rises and Ireland remains dependent on imported feed ingredients. Beef Sector Support: Irish Farmers Journal is running 15 autumn beef events with Teagasc and genetics partners, covering winter nutrition, housing, health and AI breeding. Manufacturing & Construction: Walls Construction reports 2025 profits up 11% to €40.55m, boosted by Diageo’s Kildare brewery work. Business & Tech: Google’s location fine follows a wider EU push on data-centre energy rules and AI power constraints. Heritage Crime: Loughcrew’s 5,000-year-old tomb site in Meath has been vandalised with graffiti and blunt force. Transport & Safety: A file has been sent to the DPP after the death of a man struck by an Aircoach bus at Dublin Airport. Environment: Cork volunteers removed 9 tonnes of litter across beaches in one weekend.

Data Protection & Big Tech: Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403m over GDPR breaches tied to location data handling, including transparency, retention and user control, with the probe dating back to 2020. AI Safety & Governance: Leaders from more than 20 countries, including Ireland, backed calls for binding safety measures for advanced AI, warning frontier models could outpace controls. Energy & Data Centres: A new push for rules on data-centre energy use is in focus, as Ireland’s electricity demand pressures from expanding facilities keep growing. Agriculture & Animal Health: Bluetongue has been confirmed in a dead ram on a Wexford farm, the first sheep case in Ireland, as the outbreak spreads across cattle herds. Food Industry & Consumer Safety: Dunnes Stores has issued an urgent “do not eat” recall for certain batches of potato waffles due to elevated MOAH levels. Policy & Cost of Living: A study says the 2024 minimum wage rise caused only modest price increases in a small set of minimum-wage-intensive categories. Climate & Business: Climate Week NYC coverage highlights food-waste cuts delivering real savings and emissions reductions for businesses.

GDPR Crackdown: Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403m over unlawful, unfair and non-transparent processing of users’ location data, covering “Web & App Activity”, “Location History” and “Location Accuracy” from 2018-2020, and ordered compliance within six months. Energy & Data Centres: The EU is proposing energy and water consumption ratings for data centres, aiming to boost AI capacity while easing public anger about grid strain and bills. Tech & Business: JustWatch TV is set to launch in October as a free, ad-supported streaming layer on top of its TV guide, with UK and Ireland among the first markets. Aviation Disruption: Ryanair says recent UK air-traffic disruption linked to NATS has triggered network-wide delays, with EU261 vouchers offered where applicable. Health & Retail: Safefood analysis finds some Irish energy drinks can contain up to 70g of sugar per can, while support is growing for age restrictions. Irish Construction: McCann FitzGerald advised the Land Development Agency on a Dublin City Centre Parkgate Street acquisition for 562 homes, including a planned tallest building in Ireland. Marine Science: University of Galway and partners are testing 3D-printed cold-water coral reefs off the Porcupine Bank to help restore deep-sea habitats damaged by trawling.

Budget 2027 Watch: Tánaiste Simon Harris says Ireland is at a “watershed moment” ahead of 6 October, pairing €1.5bn in new tax measures with €7bn in spending plans as ageing and geopolitics threaten growth. Cost of Living & Social Policy: The Disability Federation of Ireland is urging Government to deliver a cost-of-disability payment before Budget, warning uncertainty is growing. Housing Support: Housing minister James Browne is pushing a €300 rise to the rent tax credit, aiming to lift it to €1,300 and expand take-up. Small Business Pressure: The Small Firms Association wants the Government to reject a proposed minimum wage rise, arguing labour costs are already squeezing viable enterprises. Local Governance & Delivery: A Limerick mayoral model piece warns blurred responsibilities could weaken reform elsewhere, stressing accountability for homes, transport and services. Infrastructure & Construction: Cork event centre tender steps are moving forward after Cabinet approval of the business case; tenders are due later this month with a delivery model that shifts ownership. Energy & Industry: Concerns are rising over power costs as another rate hike is expected, while a separate debate continues over data centre expansion and Ireland’s electricity demand. Agri-Food & Farming: Ireland’s dairy market volatility and CAP pressures remain in focus, alongside calls for better planning and support for farmers. Manufacturing & Tech: A growing row over data-centre power use and AI’s pace is feeding into wider industrial and energy planning debates. Local Economy & Jobs: A Cork investor-readiness programme is set to launch in Cork, backing SMEs with training as scams and competitiveness concerns grow. Community & Planning: Wind farm opposition continues in the Midlands, with residents protesting proposed turbine heights and landscape impacts.

Budget 2027 Signals: Taoiseach Micheál Martin hinted at targeted cost-of-living help, including possible income tax changes, childcare support and a home heating fuel focus as energy bills bite and energy poverty remains high. Food & Drink Exports: Bord Bia appointed Joe Moore as North America manager to grow Irish food and drink exports, with the region worth €2.1bn in 2025 and driven by dairy and drinks. Manufacturing Upgrade: DETE highlighted progress under Ireland’s Industry 4.0 push, aiming to help manufacturers adopt automation and digital tools to stay competitive as factories modernise. Energy Costs Pressure: Calls for urgent support for households facing electricity hikes and the wider debate on energy pricing and windfall taxes keep the spotlight on affordability. Marine Science & Jobs: University of Galway researchers helped deploy 3D-printed artificial reefs off the Porcupine Bank to restore deep-sea coral after trawling damage, with monitoring planned next year. Agri-Industry Events: Tillage Day returns on 5 November with a full agenda on grain markets, CAP and plant protection, while Ploughing-linked farming updates keep momentum. Rural Growth Watch: South Roscommon’s population rise is tied to housing changes and village infrastructure improvements, with councils pushing for more pedestrian safety near schools. Hospitality Spotlight: Mayo chef Lewis Nicholas heads to the UK Young National Chef of the Year final after reaching the last stage. Local Business Impact: Belfast’s North Street independent traders face further squeeze as regeneration plans advance, with long-running shops preparing to close.

Agri-food & Retail: Lidl is switching some tinned “mackerel” lines to jack mackerel as Atlantic mackerel stocks fall, raising questions for Irish shoppers about labelling and nutrition differences. Farm Costs & CAP Politics: Farmers say anger is rising over fuel and fertiliser costs, with protests threatened as carbon tax changes loom; Macra is also pushing the EU to back “productive” active farmers under CAP. Dairy Market Exposure: Dairy Industry Ireland warns Ireland is “exceptionally exposed” to global dairy volatility because most milk must be exported, keeping pressure on prices and strategy. Energy & Housing Pressure: Finance Minister Simon Harris rules out abolishing stamp duty for first-time buyers in Budget 2027 and flags limited room to cut home-heating oil VAT, as energy costs remain a key concern. AI & Infrastructure: An IMF note for EU finance ministers says AI could lift productivity but may widen inequality and strain power networks, with Dublin among the most exposed data-centre areas. Enterprise Support: Enterprise Ireland selects 18 Irish high-growth start-ups for the Prep4Seed investor-readiness programme, kicking off in Cork. Food Safety: Dunnes Stores issues urgent recalls of a €1.45 freezer staple and other ready meals over health concerns. Transport & Construction: MetroLink progress continues toward tender stage, while Dublin’s rail buildout and related infrastructure planning stay in focus.

Housing & Cost of Living Protest: Unions and left-leaning parties marched in Dublin ahead of Budget 2027, arguing workers are being priced out by housing costs despite a “wealthy economy,” with SIPTU warning the crisis hits healthcare, retail, civil service, hospitality, construction and transport. EU Finance & AI: An IMF note for EU finance ministers in Dublin says AI could lift European productivity by about 1% over five years, but may widen inequality and strain power networks, unless governments deepen integration and reduce dependence on foreign tech. Energy Prices & Policy: Germany announced fuel tax relief and a possible temporary petrol/diesel price cap as Middle East tensions keep oil prices elevated, while EU ministers weigh windfall-tax options. Agriculture & Food Supply: Irish farming groups flagged higher 2026 grain prices, but warned costs still squeeze tillage margins; Bank of Ireland urged support for using local grain amid global volatility. Manufacturing Skills: Digital Manufacturing Ireland stressed that competitive advantage now depends on continuous learning as manufacturers face faster-changing expectations and skills shortages. Consumer Safety: FSAI issued fresh food recalls, including ready meals and other products over possible listeria, while Smyths recalled a children’s toy set due to potential asbestos risk in bean-bag sand. Local Regeneration: Galway County Council outlined plans to restore Tuam railway station as an enterprise hub, with construction targeted for mid-2027.

AI Data Centres & IPO Watch: Nscale Global filed for an NYSE IPO after a multibillion-dollar Anthropic deal, targeting AI power capacity expansion and already operating multiple sites in Ireland. Energy Policy & Costs: Ireland’s finance minister says the Middle East—via Hormuz closure—is the driver of the fuel crisis, while EU leaders push windfall taxes on energy firms as prices bite. EU Banking Competitiveness: ECB officials warn European banks need bigger scale and deeper capital markets to compete with US rivals, with Dublin hosting talks on fixing fragmented banking. AI Governance: California moves toward tougher AI oversight, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to brief the UN Security Council on AI safety and coordination. Food & Farming: The EU bans some Brazilian beef and poultry over antibiotic compliance concerns, raising knock-on worries for UK and EU meat markets. Irish Business & Media: Racecourse Media Group appoints ex-National Lottery boss Nigel Railton as chair, as leadership transitions loom. Port & Logistics Incident: Six people were found in a shipping container at Rosslare Europort, with arrests reported. Public Sector Labour: Primary school teachers begin industrial action campaigns amid pay disputes.

UAE Gateway for Irish firms: Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) used Dublin-based Irish Business Network Dubai’s “Rise & Thrive” seminar to pitch the emirate as a stable growth base, noting 250+ Irish-linked companies already operating there. Construction & plant equipment: Tipperary dealer M&S Machinery showcased New Holland’s new 9t W100D compact wheel loader, aimed at bridging mid-range needs with a 112hp FPT engine, two-speed hydrostatic drive and automation features. Food safety: The FSAI recalled four ready-meal lines over possible listeria monocytogenes, urging retailers to pull affected batches and consumers not to eat them. Energy policy pressure: Germany pushed the EU Commission to propose an EU-wide windfall levy on energy firms’ profits amid soaring gas and oil prices, with talks framed for Dublin’s finance minister meeting. Local investment hurdle: Mayo’s Minister of State Alan Dillon said the refusal of planning for a Killala data centre is “disappointing,” adding he’ll engage agencies to learn lessons for future investment. Industrial automation in Ireland: A pilot at GE Vernova’s Whitegate plant showed autonomous inspection robots can pass access-controlled doors using digital credentials, reducing the need for manual intervention. Agriculture & jobs spotlight: National Ploughing Championships closed with 243,000 visitors across three days and confirmed 2027 will be in Kildare.

Dublin City Planning: Dublin City Council has given the nod to convert two Blackpitts office buildings into a 172-room aparthotel, adding to an already heavy concentration of visitor accommodation in Dublin 8 and reigniting local concerns about “overconcentration” of short-term stays. Housing Conditions: Tenants at a council estate beside a new social-housing build say repairs are slow and standards lag, with residents pointing to long-running issues like broken doors and windows. Active Travel Funding: The Finglas Village Improvement Scheme has been delayed as costs have come back higher than expected, with officials hunting for top-up funding ahead of construction. Agriculture & CAP: Minister Jack Chambers says a €45m top-up to the fertiliser support scheme is “strongly considered” for Budget 2027, while EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen backs ring-fenced young-farmer funding and installation aid in CAP talks. Workforce & Skills: Ireland’s TU sector is set to recruit for the first 25 professorship posts, spanning areas from rural medicine to AI and climate action. Finance & Savings: Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf urged EU leaders to build a “genuine single market” and a European safe asset to keep savings working inside Europe. Energy Policy: EU ministers and Central Bank governors meet in Dublin to discuss the energy crisis and instability, with windfall-tax and competitiveness on the agenda. Labour Market: Indeed reports job postings down year-on-year but hiring demand steadying, with AI-related roles featuring in a growing share of listings.

Culture Night Galway: Galway County is rolling out dozens of free events for Culture Night on Friday, Sept 18, with music, theatre, dance, visual arts and crafts across North and East Galway, all open to the public. Agri-tech at Ploughing: Kubota is debuting its DSM twin-disc fertiliser spreader range in Ireland, while Amazone showcased its AutoSpread system that adjusts spreading settings in real time using radar and field-trial data. Food & farming business: Millbrook Foods Group marks 100 years in business at Navan Racecourse, highlighting a century of local jobs and food supply from Meath and beyond. Biotech leadership: Aerska has appointed Laura Sepp-Lorenzino to its Scientific Advisory Board to support its RNA therapeutics pipeline for neurological disease. EU finance & AI: Ireland’s EU presidency is set to host Eurogroup and informal finance minister talks in Dublin, including discussions on productivity, banking competitiveness, financial innovation and AI. Markets watch: A new analysis flags rising global borrowing costs and energy-driven inflation risks for Irish households. Science & youth: Aerska and other research-focused items aside, the week also highlights international science participation, with young researchers set to showcase work at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.