The National Competitiveness Council has said that limited competition in the professions in Ireland has serious implications for the cost of doing business here.
The council , which advises the Taoiseach on competitiveness issues, says there is a need to promote competition in the professions and in the locally traded sector of the economy in order to reduce costs.
In its latest report, the council welcomes the increase in training places for the newly unemployed but says the nature and quality of the retraining options remain an issue.
It also says that unless the tax base is broadened to repair the public finances, taxes on income will have to rise. The report urges the Government to move quickly on the introduction of a property tax, but it also calls for a freeze, or reduction in local authority commercial rates.
NCC chairman Dr Don Thornhill said a property tax of €1,000 per home would bring in €1 .4 billion to the Exchequer.
The NCC says recent falls in energy prices were necessary, but did not go far enough. It calls for a phasing out of price supports for renewable energy as its use increases.
Dr Thornhill said that while Ireland's competitiveness had improved last year, this was due more to the severity of the recession rather than any structural changes.
The NCC says funding for education and training should be targeted at areas with particular needs - such as specialist compliance skills in the chemical, pharmaceutical and financial services sectors. It also says funding should be maintained for training those in work in vulnerable sectors with low skills.
