Fellow Business Owners & Managers:
Since holding the ‘Business in Crisis’ Meeting which was held on Tuesday 9th March 2010. we have made good progress in our meetings and lobbying on the issues you raised. We
encourage you to keep pushing all the issues with your local and national elected representatives to ensure our difficulties are heard, and more importantly dealt with.
Please see below a snapshot of our progress to date:
ü Lobbying:
Drogheda & District Chamber have met or engaged with the following on your behalf; Minister Dermot Ahern, Mr. Hugh Creegan, NRA, Louth County Manager Conn Murray, Town Clerk Joan Martin, Mr. Padraic White, Chair of Louth Economic Forum. We are soon to meet with Minister Batt O’Keeffe, Dept. of Enterprise.
ü Commercial & Water Rates:
The Chamber has met with LA Management and talks are continuing, with emphasis on payment plans for struggling businesses, and focus on further reductions for 2011.
ü Traffic Management:
Following discussions with D&DCC, LA Management have recently undertaken a review of the Traffic situation in Drogheda, and are awaiting the recommendations from the review.
ü Parking:
D&DCC have requested LA Management to consider some periods of FREE PARKING in Drogheda. LA have undertaken to run a cost analysis of same and revert. Chamber encourages all private parking operators to offer some FREE PARKING time in the week and to reduce the hourly parking rates.
ü Foreign Direct Investment:
Chair of the Louth Economic Forum Mr. Padraic White, specially convened a meeting with all relevant parties to identify the difficulties which are unique to Drogheda, when trying to attract FDI. As a result the Drogheda Economic Forum will formulate an Action Plan to deliver FDI in the short and long term.
ü Finance:
D&DCC are providing support mechanisms and advice through various organisations who have offered their services to businesses in distress. We are also pursuing the banks with a view to publishing their lending criteria on a local level.
ü Marketing:
DEF will soon publish the new Drogheda branding which we hope will lead to an Advertising and Publicity drive for Drogheda, more details to follow once teased out.
ü Tourism:
Drogheda Economic Forum is currently very active on production of a Tourism Strategy, very much focussed on the Boyne Valley; party to this is the development of the Tholsel as a Tourist Office (work on-going).
ü Supply Chain:
D&DCC have canvassed Minister Ahern and will soon lobby Minister O’Keeffe and Local Government to ensure procurement officers are focussed on retaining orders in Ireland, as the decisions being made are causing severe job losses across all sectors.
ü Town Centre Management:
Discussions are on-going between LLA and D&DCC with a view to securing the most effective and cost sensitive, formal Town Centre Management structure. (watch out for more to follow)
Yours Sincerely,
Padraic Kierans (Chair Finance Committee)
Contact the Drogheda & District Chamber of Commerce on enquiries@droghedachamber.com or 041 9833544
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