US multinationals are committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Ireland and are making a big impact in areas such as education, social equality and environmental sustainability. According to Business in the Community Ireland, 84 per cent of businesses in Ireland see CSR as critical to their success, as social impact is important for both domestic and multinational companies.
In terms of community engagement, multinationals in Ireland work with local organisations to support social initiatives including education programmes and diversity-and-inclusion initiatives. Ireland’s national plan on CSR highlights the impact of responsible business and shows how these efforts improve community wellbeing and competitiveness, and sustainable development goals.
Julie Galbraith, head of employment and labour law at Eversheds Sutherland, agrees that multinational companies are leading the way in Ireland on CSR initiatives. She sees many of her clients supporting specific global CSR objectives which they bring back to their Irish employees.
“Some particular initiates we have seen include time off for volunteering, where employees can work with a local charity of their choice. Typically, they get a budget each year to allocate to fundraising or local bake sales, GAA clubs etc. It depends on the industry but sometimes they are also permitted to use their skills to provide advice or other skills to charities,” says Galbraith.
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She also says that while multinationals are active in terms of gender equality, positive discrimination in favour of a gender or group can be difficult in the context of equality legislation.
“However, companies seek to have initiatives in place to encourage those who are underrepresented, such as internships, or additional programmes to support applicants,” she says.
Other active US players include Citi, the first US bank to arrive in Ireland, where it has had a presence since 1965, and whose Dublin office is headquarters to Citibank Europe Plc.
Citi Ireland country head Davinia Conlan says the bank is active in helping its clients, colleagues and communities to navigate the challenges and embrace the opportunities of a rapidly changing world.
“As a global bank we can play a role in helping to address society’s greatest challenges, including championing pay equity, addressing the racial wealth gap, increasing economic mobility and confronting the climate crisis,” she says.
In Ireland, Citi works with several NGOs, local organisations and schools. This October, the Citi Foundation announced a new partnership with homelessness charity Depaul Ireland, which will receive $500,000 (€471,000) in catalytic funding over two years as part of the 2024 Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge, which aims to advance solutions to homelessness.
“We also have a long-established charity partner programme in Ireland which runs over a two-year period,” says Conlan. “The Citi Ireland charity partner for 2024 and 2025 is Breakthrough Cancer Research, an Irish medical research charity. This partnership is managed by employee volunteers from our Community Affairs Group who plan fundraising and awareness initiatives.”
Citi, like other multinationals, fosters diverse activities and initiatives, from Business in the Community’s Time to Read and Time to Count programmes to Belvedere Youth Club, Ireland’s oldest youth club, based in inner-city Dublin. Citi Ireland is also a founding signatory to Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter (WIFC).
“As part of our WIFC commitments we have set a goal that at least 30 per cent of our directors and managing directors will be women by 2025,” says Conlan. “Our entire leadership team has ownership of this goal. We have continued to make progress towards this goal in many areas of our business.
“At the time of our last annual WIFC update, 41 per cent of directors and managing directors were women, up from 37 per cent in 2022. In January 2023, 20 per cent of employees promoted to managing director were women and 52 per cent of the director promotions were women.”
As with other MNCs, some of the best initiatives include Citi employees directly volunteering and this year more than over 550 Citi Ireland employees volunteered in activities including painting, gardening and cleaning at schools for children with complex needs; donating blood; writing letters to the elderly and supporting them at social clubs; hosting a careers event for students and graduates with disabilities; and collecting waste from beaches.