Airport Travel Survey 2012 - Results:

The Chamber has recently released the findings of its Airport Travel Survey 2012 conducted in association with Cork Airport.  The survey highlights the critical importance of a well-serviced International Airport in Cork to support and grow business activity.  Businesses indicate strong reliance on the air travel services provided by Cork Airport with at least 16% using them on a weekly basis, 45% on a monthly basis and 79% on a quarterly basis.  More than three-quarters of respondents (78%) believe that the level of direct air services to/from Cork Airport is crucial for businesses when deciding to locate or expand within the region.  There was high demand for the introduction of a number of routes including Cork/Dublin (23%), New York (17%), Frankfurt (15%), Boston (11%) and Belfast (5%). The results of this survey shows the need for increased route development from Cork Airport, increased frequencies and competitive costs to sustain and grow business activity in the South of Ireland.  More information can be found here. 

Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme:

The Government launched the Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme on October 24^th which facilitates up to €150 million of additional lending to eligible SMEs per annum.  The purpose of the scheme is to encourage additional lending to SMEs and enable them to develop a good record with the lender in order to return to standard commercial credit facilities in time.  More information can be found here