September brings a reset to Irish politics. TDs and Senators return to Leinster House, party think-ins refine priorities, and political leaders make their pilgrimage to the National Ploughing Championships. The choreography is familiar, but the backdrop is not: living costs, international relationships and sensitive decisions will converge, leaving the coalition little time to settle into business as usual.
The first test this September arrives before the Dáil resumes. President Catherine Connolly and An Taoiseach Micheál Martin are both expected to meet President Donald Trump following his arrival in Dublin on 12 September. An Taoiseach’s St Patrick’s Day visit to Washington earlier this yearwas broadly well received. All signs point to a similarly diplomatic approach to this encounter — with the added benefit of meeting on An Taoiseach’s home turf.
President Connolly is untested in this context. Both presidents have traditionally held opposing political views, a contrast exposed most recently in Washington when her criticism of US military action in Iran was put to President Trump by media there. This meeting will be watched by US multinationals based in Ireland, for whom transatlantic stability has commercial importance, and will indicate how President Connolly balances her established positions with the diplomatic expectations of her office. They will be expecting President Connolly to maintain her electoral party trick on this occasion and “play ball” for Ireland Inc.
Once President Trump departs, attention will shift to the National Ploughing Championships, where government parties will face an agricultural sector seeking more than reassurance and photo calls. Farming organisations were central to the campaign to retain reduced fuel excise rates, now extended until November. That reprieve will be welcomed, but it comes as geopolitical instability continues to place pressure on fuel and wider input costs, while difficult weather has created another challenge ahead of winter. An August Teagasc survey found that 31% of farms faced, or were at risk of, significant fodder shortages following drought. Fuel costs and feed availability will therefore arrive at the Ploughing as connected concerns about farm viability, food security and climate adaptation, rather than as separate policy debates.
They will follow the coalition into Budget 2027 in early October. An €8.5 billion package has been signalled, with €7 billion in additional spending and €1.5 billion in tax measures. Income-tax changes, childcare fee reductions, higher inheritance-tax thresholds and a tax-efficient personal investment account have all been signalled ahead of the Budget, alongside welfare and energy measures. Recent commentary arising from party political think-ins has also brought potential supports for first-time buyers into focus, although the room for new initiatives appears tighter than the headline package might suggest.
Much of this is established direction rather than new policy. Childcare affordability, making work pay and supporting domestic business are cornerstone Programme for Government commitments, while income-tax adjustments are familiar pre-Budget positioning to incentivise broad sections of the voting public. The emerging emphasis is on permanent interventions rather than another extensive package of once-off cost-of-living supports.
However, public-sector pay further complicates the arithmetic. The previous agreement expired on 30 June without a successor. Since then, 96.6% of participating Fórsa members have backed industrial action, alongside similarly strong mandates across other unions. Coordinated industrial action is due to begin on 30 September, initially through measures that may include work-to-rule arrangements and withdrawal from overtime, with the possibility of escalation. The Government has maintained that it is willing to return to negotiations but has cautioned that any agreement must be affordable for taxpayers. Coming less than a week before the Budget, the action will increase pressure on the coalition to establish a credible basis for talks while balancing demands for restored purchasing power, improved services and control of public expenditure.
The International AI Summit in Dublin on 14 October will examine AI’s contribution to European competitiveness, reflecting domestic priorities around productivity, skills and technology investment. Ireland enters that discussion from a position of considerable influence: 16 of the world’s 20 largest technology companies and eight leading foundation-model providers have their main EU establishment here. The ambition is to use that concentration of industry, research and talent to position Ireland as a bridge between global innovation and the European market, while building a reputation for applied and trustworthy AI. The AI Office will be central to translating that ambition into practice, coordinating implementation of the EU AI Act and shaping the compliance, regulatory and innovation environment for organisations developing or deploying AI.
Navigating the political world from the outside can be challenging. The reality on the ground in Irish politics and how it connects at local, European, and international level can be difficult to decipher in contested political spaces where spin abounds. At Springboard Communications, our public affairs team comes from a cross-section of Irish and international politics to support clients in understanding what they need to know about political developments and how they impact on organisational goals and reputation.
To find out more about our work in public affairs, visit springboardcommunications.ie/public-affairs or contact our public affairs lead Aimée Millar at Aimee@springboardcommunications.ie.
