Dear Chamber Member,

I hope you, your colleagues and families are keeping well.

Many of you attended this morning’s insightful Business Breakfast, with Port of Cork CEO Eoin McGettigan, and I’m sure you agree that it is certainly an exciting time in the history of our port. The scope of the ‘Port Masterplan 2050’ has the potential to deliver remarkable change for the city region and we look forward to continued engagement on this developing plan.  

The importance of connectivity for business, tourism and the economic development of our region cannot be understated, and the infrastructure affects each of us, so I ask you to please take a moment to complete our survey, in partnership with Cork Airport, which seeks to inform and improve the current and future route offering. The survey can be found <HERE>. (By taking part in this short survey, you will also have the chance to win a pair of flights with free airport parking to either Rome or Valencia along with two tickets to a Cork Chamber Business Breakfast.)

Our last Economic Trends results indicated high levels of confidence among members’ in their own performance and outlook, however there was a clear decline in respondents’ confidence in the wider economy. No doubt this is related to the ‘business threats’ which these same respondents identified – the top three being: changing consumer spending; cost of energy and raw materials and competitiveness.

Yesterday, Cork City Council set out its budget for 2023, which includes an increase in commercial rates, of 3.8%. While cumulatively, the increases in commercial rates have been somewhat low over the past decade, this increase comes at a particularly challenging time for businesses. This will have a concerning effect on many businesses’ viability in the middle of an energy and inflation crisis. While rebate schemes will help, these increases will be a burden on many already challenged businesses. Cork City Council needs to continue to invest significantly in economic development and marketing activities which would drive additional business to offset some of the impact.

The real issue here is the inadequate level of central government funding for local authorities. Currently businesses are picking up the tab for a legacy of under-funding of City and County Council’s by central government and this cannot continue. As your Chamber of Commerce, we are here to represent your interests and ensure that this will remain on the national agenda.

However, each of us can make a positive impact - our purchasing decisions can make a real difference to the economy, local jobs and the community. Shop locally where you can, and help to keep our city region thriving. In addition, the Cork Chamber Gift Card is perfect way to reward your team and shop local this Christmas, accepted in over 400 stores across Cork. Remember that you can gift your staff with up to €1,000 annually completely tax-free. More details are available <HERE>.

We are very much looking forward to our Dublin Dinner in partnership with EY, next week on November 22nd and look forward to seeing many of you there, or at our Christmas lunch in the Vienna Woods Hotel.

We will continue to lobby on your behalf and I welcome you to contact me directly on 087-9471858 or by e-mail HERE to discuss any issues affecting your business. We are here to represent you.

Yours Sincerely,

Conor Healy

CEO