Stephens, Jennie C., McSharry Daly, Caoimhe, Ferrari, Emanuela, Ó Maonaigh, Conchúr and Reilly, Laurie (2026) MUSSI Working Paper Series No – 28 Corporate Power in Ireland: A Review. Working Paper. Maynooth University Social Science Institute (MUSSI), Maynooth.
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Abstract
Around the world, concern is growing about expanding corporate power. Large corporations are
increasing their influence on public institutions and public policy; corporate power is eroding
democratic processes and diminishing the power of people and communities. The world’s
richest 1% now own more wealth than 95% of humanity, and much of this wealth is deeply tied
to corporate structures. A third of the world’s largest 50 corporations are now run by a
billionaire or have a billionaire as a principal shareholder. This concentration of wealth places
corporations in a unique historical position with power to shape public institutions and public
policy for their benefit, i.e. corporations are capturing the “public good” to maximise their
profits.
Supporters of corporate power argue that these economic entities provide innovation, jobs, and
economic growth which trickles down to benefit society. But with corporate profits surging while
human suffering from climate change, war, pandemics, and economic precarity worsen, the
societal dangers of concentrating wealth among economic elites and their corporate entities are
becoming more clear.
The influence of corporate power is particularly acute in Ireland, where a strong reliance on
foreign direct investment (FDI) has given large multi-national corporations (MNCs) a unique
level of political capital and public legitimacy. Corporate contributions to employment,
economic growth and taxation are widely represented as essential to Ireland’s economic
prosperity. For decades, a ‘pro big business’ political mentality and corporate-friendly policy
agenda has penetrated public institutions and policy discourse. However, decades of
underinvestment in public services and in community-based infrastructure has led to growing
economic insecurity, deteriorating ecological health, and widening resentment towards the
government’s prioritisation of corporate interests over the needs of the public.
Despite the social, economic, and environmental risks Ireland faces from its reliance on a
handful of MNCs, these corporations have been effective (so far) in maintaining their influence
on Ireland’s public support for corporations. Industry representatives and corporate actors are
established partners across public institutions and policy spaces, and corporate representatives
are regarded as vital technical, advisory and research resources to the State. These intimate
relationships, however, are often underplayed in reports and public discourse, with few in-depth
analyses on the scale, scope, influence and adverse impacts of corporate power on political
economic decision-making.
In response to this gap, this report reviews the scope of corporate power in Ireland by mapping
how corporations actively seek to shape government policies and economic priorities. This
analysis includes a review of recent investigations of corporate power in Ireland through a
sector-by-sector approach, synthesising publicly available advocacy reports, investigative
journalist articles, think tank documents and public reports across key areas of Irish society.
The aim is to map the pervasive influence of corporate interests in shaping Ireland’s political
and economic priorities, and offer a resource for those seeking to understand and contest the
role of corporations in shaping the distribution of resources.
First, the report provides brief historical context of the relationship between the Irish state and
corporations that has developed over decades. Second, the report reviews the multiple ways that
corporate power shapes Ireland’s political-economic structures across sectors. The sectors
included in this review are: big tech and data centres; pharmaceuticals and health; farming and
agriculture; food and drinks; banking and financial services; construction and housing;
education and research; energy fossil fuels and mineral extraction; gambling; military; and
plastics. Then a section describes the societal risks of corporate capture exploring the revolving
door between public officials and private industry and explaining why confronting corporate capture has been, and continues to be, so difficult. The report concludes by acknowledging the
international impact on the global landscape of corporate power in Ireland and how the rise of
corporate power is contributing to the rise of authoritarianism around the world.
The information synthesised in this report is not exhaustive. Additional sectors in need of review
include transport and mobility (including cars and roads), care (nursing homes and elder care),
water infrastructure, media/public relations firms etc. Among the sectors explored here, many
additional resources and examples could have been included. This review is an initial effort that
we hope will be expanded upon and continued. The information in this report is, therefore,
incomplete and an underestimation of the true extent and impact of corporate power in Ireland;
but this report provides insights into the patterns of how corporate power operates.
Despite legislation at the national and EU levels to support transparency in lobbying, in-depth
scrutiny of corporate influence across policy processes in Ireland remains underdeveloped and
opaque. By providing a synthesis of what is known about corporate power across a broad range
of sectors, the intent of this report is to support collective efforts to resist corporate power and
to reclaim the public good mission of public institutions and policies in Ireland. This is a
resource for those who are engaged in challenging the aspects of the current political and
economic systems that are concentrating wealth and power in the hands of corporate actors.
In this time of increasing volatility and disruption, Ireland has an opportunity to change course
and develop a new strategy that strengthens democratic processes by reducing corporate power.
To reclaim its collective commitment to social justice and human rights, changes are needed to
constrain corporate power. Strengthening Ireland’s democratic processes and constraining
corporate power are intricately linked. Instead of continuing to fuel the expansion of corporate
power, Ireland could invest more strongly and strategically in the many vibrant and creative
community-based initiatives happening across the country. Strengthening “people power” in
Ireland is essential for a just, healthy and peaceful future.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Working Paper) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Disclaimer: This report integrates information from multiple sources, and we acknowledge that this is not complete or comprehensive. Numerous additional sectors and examples could have also been included. Our vision is that this is a starting point to catalyse additional research and integrated documentation and analysis of corporate power in Ireland. We welcome additions, suggestions and corrections. While this report is being published in January 2026, we envision iterative contributions building on this going forward. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the team of folks engaged with Corpwatch Ireland for inspiration, support, and guidance on this report. We also thank the Maynooth Social Science Institute for their support, and Uplift for collaborating and for making this information accessible on their website. Special thanks to Mary Murphy who gave detailed suggestions and guidance on improving the report. Thanks also to Martin Sokol for his review and suggestions. We would also like to acknowledge the other members of Maynooth University’s Transformative Climate Justice Research Team. We also thank members of the Climate Justice Universities Union for offering collective strength and support for this kind of critical research. |
| Keywords: | Corporate Power; Ireland; |
| Academic Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, ICARUS Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, MUSSI |
| Item ID: | 21859 |
| Identification Number: | 10.48460/MU.MURAL.00021859 |
| Depositing User: | Jennie Stephens |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Sep 2026 13:55 |
| Publisher: | Maynooth University Social Science Institute (MUSSI) |
| Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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