27/05/2026
What a morning full of learning at the CIPD in Ireland Employment Law Conference 2026! 🎉
So many people professionals have come together to navigate the ever-changing employment law landscape here in Ireland. A huge thank you to our chair for the day, Meg Dunphy, for keeping us all on track, and Country Director Alison Hodgson, who’s welcome this morning truly set the tone of a purposeful, grounded, and forward-looking day of shared learning.
Here's a flavour of what we've covered in the morning sessions:
🇪🇺 Yvonne White shared a clear and practical perspective on why the Irish Presidency matters, both politically and operationally, for employers and the people profession.
⚖️ Kieran Mulvey brought us through the evolution of the Workplace Relations Commission and Ireland's employment law system. The 2015 reforms marked a real step forward in delivering fair and expedited adjudication, and the shifting environment around collective bargaining remains firmly in focus.
💶 Katie Ridge explored the EU Pay Transparency Directive and what it means for employers in practice. While transposing legislation may not land by 07 June 2026, organisations need to start preparing now.
🤖 Maria McAnearney from KPMG walked us through what the EU AI Act means in practice for employers and people professionals. If you use or sell AI in the EU, you need to ensure you’re adhering to the act.
🎙️ Following a rich and candid conversation about the shifting employer/employee relationship and the challenges faced by senior leaders today about the toughest employment decisions leaders are facing today. Chaired by Derek McKay of Adare Trusted People Partners, with panellists Anita Walsh from Entegro, Niall Eyre, former Intel and Debbie Low, The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD).
⚖️ The last speaker of the morning, Paul D Maier, Barrister-at-Law, delivered a highly practical session exploring the question: Employee or Entrepreneur? The discussion unpacked the key principles used to determine employment status.
And we’re just getting started – stay tuned, there’s plenty more to come.
