The Business Environment & Economic Outlook Survey gives a clear picture of the challenges, opportunities and outlook facing businesses across the Greater Dublin Region. It turns what you're seeing on the ground into evidence that four chambers bring to local and national decision-makers.
The 2026 findings are now published. Download the 2026 findings (PDF).
Why your response matters
- Your experience goes on the record, anonymously, alongside businesses of every size across four counties.
- The four chambers bring hard numbers, not anecdotes, to local authorities and Government departments.
- The findings shape policy submissions, Budget positions and media engagement on housing, infrastructure and the cost of doing business.
- You get to see how your own trading conditions and plans compare with the wider region.
Who runs the survey
Fingal Chamber leads the survey in collaboration with South Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and County Kildare Chambers. Together the four chambers represent businesses across an interconnected region where staff, customers and supply chains routinely cross county boundaries.
Running one survey across the four areas produces a shared evidence base. That gives the chambers a stronger, more consistent voice than any one of them could achieve alone.
What the survey asks
The survey covers the things that shape your business decisions:
- trading conditions and how they've changed
- recruitment, retention and workforce challenges
- investment and expansion plans for the year ahead
- the factors holding growth back - housing, transport, planning and costs
- what you need from Government
It's open to businesses of all sizes and sectors, from sole traders and SMEs to large employers operating across multiple locations. You don't need to be a Chamber member to take part.
How your responses are used
Responses are analysed anonymously and combined across the four chambers. No individual business is identified in the findings.
The results feed directly into joint advocacy: policy submissions, media engagement and direct engagement with local authorities and Government departments. They also inform Fingal Chamber's own policy priorities and its work with Fingal County Council, Government Ministers and public representatives.
By taking part, you help shape practical policies that support sustainable growth across the region.
What the 2026 survey found
245 businesses took part, spanning sole traders to large employers across every major sector. Their responses show what's working, what's holding growth back and what businesses need from Government.
- Cost of doing business is the dominant concern. More than half of respondents named it as the single action Government could take to make the biggest difference.
- Recruitment and retention continues to strain businesses of all sizes, with more than half finding it moderately or very difficult to attract and keep staff.
- Housing, transport and planning are the infrastructure gaps most limiting growth where businesses are currently located.
- Ambition is intact. More than a third of businesses plan to increase staff numbers over the next twelve months, and 39% intend to expand investment.
Download the 2026 findings (PDF) for the full visual breakdown across the Greater Dublin Region.
Take part in the next survey
The survey runs annually. If you'd like to be notified when the next survey opens, sign up to the Chamber newsletter or follow Fingal Chamber on LinkedIn.
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Policy priorities - see how survey findings shape what Fingal Chamber asks of Government. https://fingalchamber.ie/policy-priorities