Ireland’s Independent COVID-19 Evaluation Stakeholder Roundtable Forum

On Monday 10th November, the COVID-19 Evaluation panel held a roundtable forum focusing on the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.   

The event featured some of Ireland’s main business and worker representative bodies and stakeholders.   

The roundtable heard from each of these organisations on how the pandemic, and the measures taken to manage and mitigate it, impacted their members, employees and industries.    
  
The session was chaired by Professor Martina Lawless, Director of the ESRI.   
   
Each organisation set out their experiences and views on a variety of topics across enterprise and labour market impacts of both the pandemic and the government responses to the pandemic.    
  
Inputs from participants will assist the Evaluation in its process of assessing overall strengths and weaknesses of the pandemic management approach, including managing competing sectoral policy objectives.   
  
A second session featuring economic experts/researchers was held on the afternoon of November 10th  to discuss the wider economic approach taken by Government in light of the actual and/or anticipated impacts of the pandemic.   
   
Speaking after the stakeholder roundtable, Prof Anne Scott, Chairperson of the COVID-19 Evaluation said:   
  
“This roundtable allowed us to hear from a range of stakeholders well  placed to comment on the impact of the pandemic on our economy, businesses and workers.    
“While there have been many reports and analysis on the economic and broader impacts of COVID-19, the insights we have gathered from this event and wider consultations and engagements, are core to our understanding of the multifaceted impact of the pandemic and the measures taken to manage and mitigate it.    
Our goal is to produce a thorough, independent assessment of Ireland’s pandemic response. One that reflects real life as well as official records.”   
   
The discussion focused on topics such as:  
– Disproportionate impacts across businesses and sectors  
– Uneven impacts on and experiences of workers  
– Balancing economic viability of businesses with prioritising workers   
– Consultation and engagement with stakeholders as part of the pandemic response  
– Communication, awareness and coherence of mitigating supports 
– Extent to which supports were agile and iterative, and appropriately targeted   
– Mitigating labour market scaring effects   
– Wider living standard impacts

Session 1: List of Stakeholder Organisations in attendance:
 
– Laura Bambrick,  ICTU 
– Adrian Cummins, Restaurants Association of Ireland  
– John Egan, Construction Industry Federation
– Elaine Farrell, Irish Farmers Association 
– Brian Foley , Vintners’ Federation of Ireland
– Jim Furey, Mandate  
– Chris MM Gordon , Irish Social Enterprise Network
– Enda Lynch, Federation of Irish Sport  
– David McArdle & John Nolan, Irish Road Haulage Association
– John-Mark McCafferty, Threshold
– Simon McKeever, Irish Exporters Association
– Irma McLoughlin, Performing Arts Forum Theatre Forum
– Anita Murray,  Irish Small & Medium Enterprise Association 
– Fergal O’Brien, IBEC 
– Elaine O’Connor,  Event Industry Association of Ireland
– Kevin O’Donoghue, Fórsa
– Donall O’Keeffe, Licensed Vintners Association
– Eoghan O’Mara  Walsh, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation 
– Eoin Quinn,  Irish Hotels Federation 
– Adrian Quinn, Focus Ireland
 
Session 2: List of Economic Experts / Researchers in attendance:
 
–          Mr Seamus Coffey, Chairperson, Irish Fiscal Advisory Council
–          Professor John McHale, University of Galway
–          Dr Conor O’Toole, ESRI
–          Michelle Murphy,  Social Justice Ireland
–          Dr Emma Howard, TU Dublin
–          Dr Tom McDonald, Nevin Economic Research Institute
–          Associate Professor Frank Walsh, UCD