One such factor that can heighten or hamper growth is the level of connectivity which a city or region experiences. Connectivity is a universally acknowledged factor that is emphasised time and time again as being crucial in attracting in and sustaining investment to a region and therefore it is a priority for businesses to be supported by a level of infrastructural connectivity that is conducive to enabling growth and expansion. Cork Chamber strongly encourages that the decision not to progress with the development of the M20 motorway to the planning stages be reconsidered as this critical piece of infrastructure will support increased competitiveness and economic growth for Cork, Limerick, the wider Southern region and the Atlantic Corridor as a whole. As far back as 2007, in the Cork to Limerick Route Pre-Feasibility Report, it was evaluated that the route between Cork and Limerick suffered from capacity issues and therefore needed to be upgraded to a higher quality.

Not much has changed in the intervening period with the road connecting Ireland’s 2^nd and 3^rd cities still being comprised of a mixture of dual and single carriageways. As journey times grow ever increasingly critical from a ‘doing business’ and competitivenessperspective the limiting of traffic between Cork and Limerick to roads that are not equipped to serve current and predicted growth should be seriously addressed as a lack of vision here could greatly hamper anticipated growth. The 2007 Pre-Feasibility Report also states that HGV movements along the Cork to Limerick N20 cause a reduction in average traffic speed particularly through the narrower and more sinuous sections where overtaking is not possible. This has many repercussions, and not only from a journey time perspective, but also from a road safety perspective.  Indeed, the proposed corridor would bypass towns and villages and in doing so separate strategic traffic from local traffic, improving journey times for the strategic Cork to Limerick traffic, and increasing safety for all road users along the route. The proposed corridor includes connections to each town and is of potential benefit to these towns in easing congestion and also in ensuring an efficient road link to Cork and/or Limerick. What’s more, It is expected that the agri, food and dairy sectors in the region will grow in the coming years due to the abolition of milk quotas and as these are transport heavy industries, this growth will result in increased traffic between the cities which will result in increasing pressure on the existing N20 road between Cork and Limerick and the greater Atlantic Corridor reaching to Galway and the west.

What’s more, the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 highlights a number of key ambitions of which the building of “an indigenous engine of growth that drives up the export market share of Irish companies” and the building of “world-class clusters in key sectors” are deemed of significant strategic importance and therefore the existence of “fit for purpose” road connectivity is essential in realising the future aspirations of our regions and the ability of our regions to work in partnership. Furthermore, as reinforced within the Cork Area Strategic Plan (2001 – 2020), the success of the economy of Cork is dependent upon a number of factors of which excellent physical infrastructure and ease of access are critical.

The recurring theme associated with the importance of our infrastructure from a regional and national perspective cannot be underestimated and prompts questioning as regards the future affect that such decisions to curtail such regionally critical investment will have in the longer term.  What’s more, according to the IDA, Cork sits at the industrial heart of Ireland with Co. Cork having the highest value of gross output per person engaged in industry in Ireland in 2011. As significantly, the South West region accounted for the highest percentage of Irish industrial output at 36.2 percent, or €36.7billion, in 2011. Such data quantifies clearly the contribution of Cork and the South West region to the overall health of the national economy and the reluctance to enable this growth to develop and expand is very disappointing to the region as a whole.

Cork Chamber reiterates strongly the need to develop this critical piece of infrastructure and strongly encourages that the decision to not progress with the development of the M20 be reconsidered. It is clear that the development of this critical artery linking Cork and Limerick would result in improvements in employment, attraction of FDI, reduced traffic congestion and improved journey times between Irelands 2^nd and 3^rd cities. Cork Chamber therefore requests that Minister Donohoe clarifies future intentions with regard to this critical infrastructural development which is increasingly vital to promoting and enabling growth in the Cork, Limerick, wider Southern and the Atlantic Corridor regions.

Influencing & Negotiating Skills

Course Dates: 26^th & 27^th May

Member Rate: €245.00

Is this course for me?

This course is ideal for anyone who wishes to improve their persuading, influencing and negotiating skills. This is particularly relevant for anyone in the areas of marketing, sales, advertising & buying.

What’s in it for Me?

Once you complete this course, you will:

• acquire the skills to prepare and plan effectively for negotiations;
• understand the roles and functions people play within the customer’s organisation with whom they are negotiating;
• develop an awareness of strategies to deal with people in the customer organisation;
• cultivate the persuasive style of conducting a professional sales negotiation;
• understand how customer behaviour can influence the negotiation strategy, and
• explore ways to identify and deal with common barriers to achieving goals.

These are key skills that once learned have applicability across both business and life situations.

Certificate in Supervisory Management (FETAC Level 6)

Course Dates: 2nd, 8th & 15th June & 10th July

Member Rate: €525.00

The main purpose of this programme is to provide candidates with the tools and techniques necessary to work in a supervisory management role. You will learn the key areas of management such as roles and responsibilities, employment legislation, recruitment, performance management, data protection, operational planning and budgeting.

If you are new to the management area, thinking of moving or are an existing manager, this course is ideal for you.

At the end of this programme, successful participants will be able to:

1. List the roles and responsibilities of a supervisor/line manager;
2. Analyse the process of staff recruitment;
3. Identify the key areas of workplace legislation and best practice in staff supervision;
4. List the main provisions of the Data Protection Act;
5. Develop operations manuals for work-related procedures, including systems for records management;
6. Prepare departmental budgets, taking into account a range of potential expenses such as labour and material costs, insurances and contingency;
7. Identify best practices in the ongoing training and development of their staff;

Manage performance and conduct effective performance appraisals.

How does the EU’s General Food Law impact on your business?

The European Commission has launched a public consultation in order to better understand how General Food Law (i.e. EU rules on food/feed safety along the production chain) affects small businesses in the sector.  The Commission is keen to hear about SME experiences, both good and bad, in terms of complying with the legislation.  If, for example, the current legislation creates additional paperwork or undue costs for your business, then they would like to know. 

This survey is aimed at all food / feed businesses along the supply chain, including:

• Processors and manufacturers of food/feed products
• Manufacturers of food contact materials (e.g. packaging, cutlery and kitchen equipment)
• Plant production products (pesticides)
• Wholesalers of food/feed products
• Retailers (mainly selling food/feed, specialised or non-specialised)
• Caterers / restaurants
• Transport / storage (mainly for the food/feed sector, specialised or non-specialised)

Your feedback will help assess the effectiveness of the law, and possibly make changes to it.  If you are operating in one of the sectors above and would be willing to complete a short survey on how food/feed regulations impact your business, please click through the following link: https://surveyconsole.com/t/AlrGZDjX4

All respondents’ names will be placed into a draw for a bottle of Prosecco!