Feargal O’Rourke, the chair of IDA Ireland, is set to receive the inaugural 'Trusted Business Leadership' award from Chartered Accountants Ireland. The competition among countries to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) is “definitely stronger” than in recent years, as Ireland is up against far wealthier states, IDA Ireland chairman Feargal O’Rourke has said. The IDA chairman said there are “more committed players on the pitch” now and that “the competition for FDI is definitely stronger than it was five years ago, and [there are] people with much bigger and deeper pockets than Ireland”. In addition to describing the IDA as a “world class investment agency”, he said that against the backdrop of international economic volatility, Ireland’s economic stability is finally being appreciated by businesses. “But it is not in the first four, five or six issues that directly affect their companies,” with companies “much more interested in bread and butter issues”.

Source: The Irish Times January 30, 2026 18:02 UTC