Devaney’s comment was striking because he was explicitly acknowledging that concentrated wealth and corporate power are disconnecting us from what matters most by encouraging silent complicity. In Ireland, the influence of corporate power is particularly acute because a handful of large US-based multinational corporations are often considered essential to economic prosperity. Despite the growing risks of corporate power, analysis of the influence and adverse impacts of corporations on political-economic decision-making in Ireland is minimal. Entitled Corporate Power in Ireland: A Review, this analysis summarises investigations of corporate power sector-by-sector, synthesising publicly available advocacy reports, investigative journalism articles, think tank documents and public reports across key areas of Irish society. Jennie C Stephens is Professor of Climate Justice at Maynooth University and author of Climate Justice and the University: Shaping a Hopeful Future for All (Hopkins University Press, 2024)

Source: The Irish Times January 15, 2026 16:37 UTC