Danny McCoy said US president Donald Trump has let ‘genie is out of the bottle’ by ‘starting something that he might not be able to control’.

Ibec’s first assessment of current measures projects a loss of between four and six billion euro in trade in the short term.

"We wouldn't like to be in this situation, but it is a situation where we've got to choose a side.”

Lack of insurance or unaffordable cover has led to hundreds of firms in the leisure sector closing permanently in recent years.

The Taoiseach delivered a speech at the Ibec President’s dinner in Dublin on his 150th day in office.

Ibec's executive director Fergal O’Brien said not enough is being invested in education, research and upskilling to future-proof the economy

The group that represents Irish business said there must be greater focus by Government on enhancing quality of life issues in Cork.

Ibec said it expects the Irish economy to grow by 3.6 per cent in 2023

The weakness of the global growth outlook remains the biggest risk factor for much of the Irish economy next year, it said.

The executive director of Ibec, Maeve McElwee, has denied that the organisation which represents employers will be seeking “proof” of domestic violence from staff seeking leave

The business lobby group warned that increased energy costs will present a real challenge for some businesses, such as engineering and the manufacture of building supplies

The business representative group said a slowdown in the Irish economy may have already begun

Ibec said that a failure to urgently act risks seeing Ireland miss out substantial opportunities for economic growth.

The Government is being urged to “be ambitious” and to “seize the opportunities being presented by the economic recovery” to enhance the quality of life of Cork’s regional economy.