Dear Chamber Member,

I hope you, your families, friends and colleagues are all well.

Government's Roadmap for Resilience and Recovery is due to be published next week. Over the recent months, we have called on Government to deliver a tailored, sectoral approach to their business and economic responses to Covid-19. The challenges facing our business community are immense and the impacts of the current crisis are having wide reaching affects. While the early response packages including grants, wage subsidies, waivers were welcome, we call on Government to deliver a more considered and long term plan to stimulate the economic activity in the shadow of a pandemic and fast approaching Brexit situations. 

Cork's connectivity and infrastructure networks are critical to maintaining and underpinning economic activity for the region. And it is now time for Government to move the Dunkettle Interchange Project forward and confirm a start date without delay.

To ensure that Cork Airport continues to deliver as a strategic infrastructural asset and driver of the regional economy, significant marketing supports must be put in place for route continuity and development. Capital projects must be supported by Government as they cannot be sustained without revenue. Cork Airport is excluded from regional airport support and in the current context it is essential that this is immediately addressed by Government. Once a route or airline is gone, there is little short term prospect of its return Steps must be taken to support the return of credible levels of passenger volume on our key commercial and tourism routes. 

The European Commission has now set a clear direction for commonality of approach to travel between member states. The Irish Government must be supportive, as this proposal moves to the European Council and push for equivalent international agreements to be progressed with urgency. Stability and continuity of approach will be key to the recovery of our international connectivity in order to secure Cork Airport's future.

As always, I welcome your feedback and input so that, together, we can build economic resilience for Cork, email me <HERE> or 087 9471858 or make contact with any of the team at Cork Chamber.

Take Care,

Conor Healy