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1.0 |
Open & Welcome |
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1.1 |
PR – called meeting to order at 7:15pm |
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1.2 |
PR – Thanked and welcomed everyone for coming and introduced fellow key speakers Padraic Kierans (Chairman Finance Committee ) & Jim Corcoran (Retail Committee Chairman ) |
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1.3 |
PR – read out apologies from people who wished to come to the meeting but due to prior engagements could not attend |
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1.4 |
PR – noted housekeeping and emergency exits, thanked the Barbican Centre, council members and colleagues for taking the time to come |
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1.5 |
PR – read out agenda, to talk through slide show, read correspondence received and then a 45minute open floor debate and rules for this introduced Padraic Kierans to speak
N.B. Correspondence received at foot of minutes |
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2.0 |
What Triggered the call to this meeting |
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2.1 |
PK – thanked everyone for coming and noted that the Chamber Council had been forced to call this meeting due to the seriousness of the situation businesses are currently facing |
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2.2 |
PK – gave outline of story so far. He noted that increasingly businesses were under severe pressure and sadly as we all knew many had disappeared in recent weeks, highlighting the difficulties for large, medium and small business have incurred since the summer of 2009 – who took on large loans to facilitate growing their businesses, or negotiated expensive leasing arrangements which are now crippling them and they are struggling to cope with these and many other cost elements weighing down their businesses but cannot escape these burdens. |
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2.3 |
PK – Took the meeting through the Chamber’s actions which began back in late October 2009 in acknowledging the bleak position facing businesses locally the Chamber Council undertook to focus on the upcoming rates budget estimates and try to inform the local representatives how important the decision they would make on the estimates would be for businesses. To that end the Chamber devised a structured presentation for elected representatives gathered from statistical information nationally and locally and also from specific local case studies to highlight the realities facing businesses and how rates were playing a damaging part in those realities. The intent and result was to engage with local councillors and ask for the elected representatives to take that into account when addressing the rates estimates and budgets for 2010 and reduce the rates by 6% for commercial rates and 50% for water rates which were seriously inflated over the previous 4 years. |
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2.4 |
PK – referred to case studies which in agreement with those businesses were carried out on them to illustrate that through every diverse section of business the impact was huge. PK described the case study examples for the meeting a small Retail Shop, small Professional Business, small Deli, medium Hotel, medium Food Chain, large Food Chain, large Professional Business etc
N.B. The case studies are appended to this document |
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2.5 |
PK – 1 survey on a medium sized retailer found that last summer this retailer had 4 full-time , 1 part-time staff, currently it has 1 full-time staff (proprietor) & 2 staff on 3 day week – this was a typical scenario |
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2.6 |
PK – went on to discuss the challenges of doing business in Drogheda – too expensive to set up, too expensive to maintain, too expensive to grow, too slow to implement change, missing opportunities due to lack of information |
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2.7 |
PR – Meeting called by the Chamber about the rates in Drogheda – 12 local councillors were invited to come to the Chamber Offices over a period of three evenings to give them all an opportunity of those who were invited the following elected members were kind enough to accept that invitation –Richie Culhane, A. Donoghue, Kevin Callan, Imelda Munster, Michael O’Dowd, Ged Nash, Dom Wilton |
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2.8 |
PR – When making the presentation to those councillors the Chamber asked the elected representatives to vote through a decrease of 6.6% in commercial rates & 50% in water rates on the back of a 441% increase in water rates over the last 4 years which in was having a huge impact on certain businesses. At this presentation the Chamber asked each attending councillor to consider the request and support it when it came to the time to vote through the rates budget each indicated there sympathy with the proposal and their intention to seriously consider supporting the reduction we sought. It is worth noting that each elected representative was individually asked this question and each responded in this way.
N.B. Those who were unable to attend these sessions were sent the information nonetheless and asked to support the additional reduction in any event |
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2.9 |
PR – Drogheda Borough Council budget was presented on December 16th formally to the elected representatives at Drogheda Borough Council with a recommendation from the County Manager that the commercial rate reduction he had devised of 3% on the 2009 figure for 2010 be accepted by the elected members present. |
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2.10 |
PR –On the evening of the budget vote 16.12.09 the Chamber Council decided that they would proceed to the Millmount Building where the meeting was to be held to lobby on final time and appeal to the elected members to vote through the reduction we had sought. In recognition of the need to achieve a reduction greater than that proposed by the County Manager we sought to compromise and asked that the elected members considered voting through a 5.9% reduction on commercial rates on the basis of the following facts. In 2009 budget though Dundalk got no rate increase Drogheda had an increase of 1.9% on its rates base and that could be reversed. The County Manager had already proposed 3% and a further 1% in cognisance of the real issues being faced by business as highlighted in our presentations in November coupled with the fact that inflation was running at a deficit of -6.6% for the year was an equitable solution.
The County Manager presented the budget and recommended it to the elected members. The Mayor Michael O’Dowd proposed the budget as presented with no change, Frank Maher FF seconded Mayor’ O’Dowd’s proposal. Sinn Fein opposed the budget but as they candidly stated not on the basis of the argument put forward by the Chamber of Commerce however for other reasons that were articulated by them earlier in the debate. Ken O’Heiligh proposed the reduction exactly as sought by the Chamber on behalf of the business community but no one would second his proposal. The remaining elected members voted for the budget and the budget was duly passed as presented with a reduction on commercial rates of 3% and a reduction on water rates of 5%.
PR warned the elected representatives we would be back when attending at the Council meeting in December because we would have no choice and she noted– here we are as predicted. |
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2.11 |
PR- noted costs are making it difficult for businesses and it is too expensive to do business in Drogheda and we warned that regardless of the vote that would remain the case and we would be back to this subject because we had no choice and businesses had no choice - cost of Rents – costs of employment, upgrading equipment, licensing and other regulatory requirements are all factors. Businesses she noted control whatever costs they can control but they cannot control regulatory costs imposed on them by statutory and other instruments and these costs are an onerous burden on businesses. |
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2.12 |
PK –We told the councillors there was a real fear of job losses in the new year and there was, it was feared many more businesses would go to the wall, it’s like nothing we’ve seen before, we knew that many businesses were hanging on over Christmas and hoping and that many would fail in the New Year |
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2.13 |
PR – there are many challenges ahead for businesses and together we need to find solutions – invited businesses to share their survival and help businesses keep jobs – this is a desperate situation. PR said that the Borough Council are repeatedly saying they are pro-business and we welcome that and they are sympathetic to businesses struggling to pay their rates however sympathy is not sufficient. Businesses still have an unpaid debt on their books regardless of how sympathetic the Borough Council may be and that is not acceptable and not in line with good business practice they could be accused of trading recklessly. It is simply too expensive to do business here and that needs to change |
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2.14 |
PK – noted that Commercial Rates increased by 66% in 10 years and Water Rates increased by 441% in the last 4 years |
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2.15 |
PK – 39% of the total Drogheda Borough Council budget is contributed to by Drogheda businesses in the rates that they currently pay (circ. €30 million) |
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3.0 |
Survey of Members – the Results |
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3.1 |
PK – Told the meting that the Chamber had surveyed its members to find out what they were experiencing and we are now going to show you the results of that survey – how businesses have changed |
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3.2 |
PK – Did you business suffer a decrease in turnover in 2009?
Answer: 85% Yes – 15% No – the best result showed one business had a turnover decrease of 5% and the worst case was one business having suffered a decrease of 80% - mostly there was an average of approx 32% decrease in turnover for businesses in Drogheda in 2009 |
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3.3 |
PR – Does your business employee less people than this time last year?
Answer: 53% Yes – 47% No –
Some of the respondents also left comments on their experiences here are an example of those comments:
1. We as the Directors have not drawn a salary for the last twelve months that was the only way to keep our staff
2. One person left us and we were unable to replace that person
3. We have reduced staff by 30%
4. We have reduced staff by a combination of early retirement and voluntary redundancies the reduction represents 25% of the workforce
5. 50% laid off with a further 70% of those remaining on a three day week
6. The lowest reported staffing reduction was 1 the highest was 35 the average was difficult to determine as some answered in % and some in numerical order but it appeared to be around 8 on average |
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3.4 |
PR - The lowest reported staffing reduction was 1 the highest was 35 the average was difficult to determine as some answered in % and some in numerical order but it appeared to be around 8 on average |
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3.5 |
PK – Has your business been forced to put employees on short time?
Answer: 47% Yes – 53% No –
1. One respondent said all the staff were on short time now and the owner was working much longer hours to compensate because he needed the staff to cover but could not afford to pay the wages so had to cover their reduced hours himself
2. Another company reported that of their 22 remaining staff they were now on temporary layoffs
3. One other company replied that they had not yet needed to put employees on short time another said they would definitely have to do so this year.
4. Every other company had put some of their employees on shorter working hours |
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3.6 |
PR – 2/3rds of all businesses who took part in the survey have suffered losses in the most recent financial year |
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3.7 |
PK – an overwhelming majority of businesses – 62% do not see an improvement in trading conditions for 2010 |
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3.8 |
PR – less than 60% of businesses were able to say they were not behind in their financial obligations – this is a very worrying statistic and a real indication of further business collapses |
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3.9 |
PK – 86% of businesses think the rates payable to the local authority are too high –
1. It is too easy to respond to this result by saying well they would say that wouldn’t they – the fact is these are the same people who when asked if they thought business would improve in 2010 38% answered they thought it would and when asked if they were behind in payments to Banks, Revenue etc 59% said they were not – but an overwhelming 86% said the rates were too high
2. There was a sub-question to this rates question and that was how much of the current rate can you afford to pay – the answer was by an overwhelming majority 50% and the additional comments were as follows
1. 50% would be reasonable and achieve able – rates have been far too high for far too long
2. Much less than currently being charged – and the rates that are being collected should have more of them allocated to promoting tourism and should be used effectively for that purpose
3. I feel we get absolutely nothing in return for the rates we pay
4. I have paid all my rates but would prefer to pay less
5. Some recorded n/a against that question |
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3.10 |
PR – noted that despite all the evidence business owners remain fighters and 60% are still hopeful they will retain their employees in 2010 |
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3.11 |
PK – the key question “are you confident your business will survive 2010 as it currently exists?” There are 36% of businesses who are not confident of survival – how many jobs does that represent? he wondered. |
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3.12 |
PK – read out the CSO statistics for unemployment in Louth and in Drogheda in the 12 months since February 2009 noting an increase in the County of 19% and in Drogheda of 20% in particular he noted out of all the live register figures for 2009/2010 for Co. Louth, 48.4% of all people on the Live register were registered in Drogheda |
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3.13 |
PK – A member of the Chamber supplied us with a survey of retail premises in the main areas of the town and their occupancy rates these survey results give a good indication of what businesses are experiencing and what businesses see in the future for them if things do not change dramatically
· 31% Shops Vacant - West Street
· 9% Shops Vacant - Shop Street
· 24% Shops Vacant - Laurence Street
· 22% Shops Vacant – Peter Street
· 22 % Shops Vacant – Stockwell Street
· 1st Floor Vacant Space on these streets average 57%
· 2nd Floor Vacant Space on these streets average 76% |
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3.14 |
3. PR – Outlines that offers of assistance from companies have come in to Chamber any one who wishes to avail of that assistance is welcome to contact the Chamber Office and will be given the information – anyone else who is willing to make similar offers of assistance is equally urged to make the details of that assistance known to the Chamber Office and it will be made available and known to members. PR noted that we had received an immediate offer of assistance from the LCEB through Ronan Dennedy and Joe English who had assured the Chamber that they would make themselves available for ‘front line assistance to any business in difficulties’ and they have supplied a direct line number for that purpose which we will make available to anyone who contacts us she noted. In addition private financial consultancies and others have made offers of help and we are not making their names known here but will put people in touch with them through the Chamber offices. Other companies may be similarly willing to offer help and they are encouraged to contact us as well.
4. PR went on. There are questions being asked on a range of business challenges and their legal implications for businesses and anyone who wishes to assist in that regard is encouraged to get in touch with the Chamber and we will pass on the offers of help
5. Through the DEF & LEF we at the Chamber will pursue seeking assistance from state agencies and make the details known to members again through the Chamber Office
PR encouraged further offers of help, we need help, some people need legal assistance and can’t afford the consultation fee. |
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4.0 |
Correspondence and Offers of Assistance |
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4.1 |
PR – read out some emails – messages & Linked in comments from people who couldn’t attend the meeting
Thank you for your messages, comments & ideas;
· Niall Gilna – Dunleer
· Ann Cleary – DKIT
· Mark Morgan – General Manager Scotch Hall
· Mairead McGuinness, MEP Ireland East
· Rourke Carr – local business man |
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5.0 |
Open Floor Debate – comments & ideas |
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5.1 |
PR – outlined the rules of engagement in the debate and noted that the debate was to be respectful of people and in particular reminded the attendees that the elected representatives were hear to listen and we were grateful to them for doing so but that did not mean they were hear to be the focus of particular attention from the floor. PR noted that we wished a useful and positive debate to unfold and anyone who needed to make a point but did not feel inclined to do so could pass their comment to the Council Members at each side front and rear of the room and they would be read for them. She pointed out two microphones and the Council members who would pass them to speakers. She noted that each speaker was required to state their name and the name of their business to the audience at the start of their comment. She asked for respectful and appropriate behaviour and language saying that if anyone was to use inappropriate language the microphone would be taken from them, if they persisted beyond this they would be asked to leave the meeting: PR then said she was about to open floor to questions and would remind the attendees that this section would run for approx 45 mins, to begin this section she called upon Jim Corcoran Chairman of the Retail Committee at the Chamber and a long standing member of the Chamber Council to open with his remarks on the issues to hand. |
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5.2 |
JC - gave a small talk before the open floor: It’s been a difficult few years and the last 6 months have been horrific. The heart of the town has been devastated, it’s sad to see firms and businesses going under in this recession and it’s happening across the board. Rates, Rent, VAT, lack of confidence, lack of leadership, parking charges and tolls are all contributing to business closure. Drogheda is the only town with a toll into it. We need to agree a proper tourism plan for the benefit of the town. We need proper parking and traffic plans, we’ve had too many mistakes before, we need it to work. Business need to know in advance if there are to be road works outside their businesses as these works affect business. |
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5.3 |
JC – said it’s emotional to see old businesses closing and hopes that this time next year everyone can get together again and everyone will have better news |
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5.4 |
PR – asked for first person to take the mic |
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5.5 |
James Duffy – Traffic needs to be worked on. West Street bus stop need to stop cars parking in the bus stops as if the bus can’t park then it blocks the road which brings West Street to a standstill. These cars in the bus stop should be clamped or towed. Also any funerals at the church have to park in bus lane, the bollards on the path should be removed |
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5.6 |
Mary Dunne, Fish Merchants West Street – reason shops are closed is because of the long drawn out road works on West Street, people couldn’t get into the shops or get near them. Drogheda is now a ghost town, everyone needs to get their heads together and get the town back. |
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5.7 |
Seamus Farrelly, Accounting Recruitment – Problems not only Drogheda they are on a national scheme. Navan had a similar meeting to this with the same feedback, same % of losses. These losses are caused from fraud, greed & Corruption and unless the government accepts this, it can’t be fixed |
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5.8 |
PR – accepts that we have a national problem but does not accept that there isn’t nothing we can’t do |
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5.9 |
Gwen Fearon, Stockwell Artisan Foods – look in Drogheda, people come from all over on a Thursday to buy little bits and pieces from the stalls – need to look at the rates problem – she noted to give a busking licence to the town to liven it up, get that feel good factor. Gwen also noted that there are less busses going through the town, why is this… we need to get more people into Drogheda |
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5.10 |
Dr. Pat McLaughlin – Author – Economic Prospects for our area – the next year is going to be very difficult, business in Dublin is suffering also, Key is costs, our costs are much higher than Northern Ireland. We need to minimise costs, dig deep this year or there will be no end in sight for the economy, and we have to do what we can. |
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5.11 |
Dermot Faulkner, Local Taxi Driver – has been a taxi driver for 9 years and thinks that West Street pedestrian ruined the town – Dermot received a €40 fine in the post for driving onto West Street and pulling over to let his fair out. This fine has now gone to €60 and he has tried to sort it out… taxi drivers are helping to bring people into the town and are being penalised for doing so |
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5.12 |
Tony Ward, Redz Bar, West Street – banks are lending small amounts, but charging phenomenal rates on such loans – instead of encouraging businesses to borrow it is discouraging businesses from borrowing |
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5.13 |
PR – Thanked Tony Ward for raising this issue as it was one which many business people faced but were reluctant to discuss and asked a question to the room – Are businesses afraid to discuss money and banking problems openly – everyone said Yes. |
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5.14 |
PR –was at an Oireachtas sub-committee about availability of credit to SME’s which was on a fact finding mission around the country some months ago the committee meeting was headed up by a Junior Minister for state and on it were representatives from all the country’s main banks. PR noted the meeting was very disappointing of the approximately 30 people who turned up to speak to the sub-committee the overwhelming majority were state agency representatives that were at the meeting & it should have been businesses at the meeting. PR brought along case studies from members outlining their difficulties with banks of late and noted that apart from one other person she was the only one who was actually a business person. The Oireachtas Sub-Committee listened to the case studies and the Banks rejected them and said that their statistics did not support them but PR noted at that meeting and to the attendees at the BIC meeting the statistics did not support them because most of these people’s representations never see a piece of paper and therefore are not fed into these statistics. PR concluded the Oireachtas sub-committee was a pointless exercise if it was talking to the wrong people which it certainly was on that occasion at least. |
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5.15 |
Dr. Pat McLaughlin – noted that Matthew Elderfield is now the Financial Regulator appointed – he is not Irish so hasn’t any hang-ups about the banks and it may be worth writing directly to him to highlight the situation – this was commended as a good idea by PR and PK. |
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5.16 |
Drogheda and District Chamber to write to heads of banks and the Regulator and address this issue. |
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5.17 |
Owen Fox, Jeweller, Shop Street – we need tourism, we need a tourist office central in the town, the Battle of the Boyne area needs to be cleaned up it’s a disgrace and the Toll into Drogheda needs to be reduced or gone. In response to this PK noted that it had been the intention of the Borough Council to put a tourist office into the Tholsel, and they had said that a sum of €600k was available for that purpose however now the €600k was apparently gone and there was no immediate prospect of this happening.
Q. From the floor – where has the money gone? A. PK good question I have no idea. |
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5.18 |
Gerard Gardner, Waterfront Interiors – why would people shop in Drogheda, the difficulty is getting into Drogheda, tail backs from every direction, then have to go find and pay for parking. Suggested that the first 2hours are free, suggested shuttle busses into the town |
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5.19 |
PK – buses coming into the town with visitors usually to Oliver Plunkett’s head in St Peters dismount at the church and get back on at the church, we need a tourism plan, we need to have someone there to greet them, a guided tour, show people Drogheda and a place to park the buses and give them time to spend in Drogheda |
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5.20 |
Una Garvey, Windsor Lodge – advised they have a small plan in place in conjunction with Failte Ireland re getting people to come to Drogheda & would appreciate input into this project from local businesses/the Chamber |
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5.21 |
Bernard English, Jeweller, West Street – need to get the life back in town – traffic lights at Mary street bridge need to be looked at, they are not in sequence and this is adding to the traffic build up in the town – suggest needing 2 lanes of traffic on west street, one for cars and one for busses and taxies – need to get traffic flowing. Bernard English said someone had commented that West Street was now pedestrianised and the fact was that it was not pedestrianised it was neither one thing or another now and it might be better if it were pedestrianised but at present it is simply useless, too narrow, and often dangerous and the bollards all the way along it need to be removed completely. The traffic management layout is utterly useless and often creates more traffic backlogs and congestion in the main street. Suggested survey the people who shop in the town get their opinion as to what is really needed and respond to that. |
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5.22 |
PK – noted to everyone that Chamber Council members work on a voluntary basis and are not part of the Borough Council therefore it must be remembered that whilst they [Chamber] would love to implement these changes they can only urge the Borough Council and other to do so– he also invited new members to join the Chamber noting that whilst the absolute will to do as much as possible was there it needed more people willing to do it and to have their say and input into what the Chamber does do. |
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5.23 |
Local Artist Vivienne – Representing Drogheda Arts and the Nexus Art Project– suggested creating visual spaces to make the town more inviting, try generating tourism with visual art rather than leaving empty shop windows blank. Vivienne noted that if done correctly this could be a distinctive attraction for Drogheda. |
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5.24 |
Darren Hughes – Drogheda Independent – Ideas
1. Extend the market to a Saturday morning – lengthen trading hours, maybe even continue it down onto West Street as there is a lot of space there now that the paving is complete and wider he said
2. Arts – Open the doors to Drogheda, for festivals, for busking [PR commented that busking was something that had been put forward by the people who were instrumental in setting up the Artisan and Farmers Market and there are a lot of artists organised and ready to do this but it had slipped through the net however that would be revisited with the Borough Council for consent]
3. Market ourselves –Churches, Abbeys, “Town of the Spires”, have a fantastic day out. The Augustinian church he noted had a remarkable and incredibly valuable stain glass window the Harry Clarke window, St Peter’s had St.Oliver Plunkett’s head so many of the beautiful churches in the town had so much to offer tourism that was largely untapped.
There is a market here and it needs to be tapped into |
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5.25 |
Peter McCloskey – suggested starting a 6 day week enclosed market similar to the English Market in Cork and suggested having rental tape recorders with ear phones to help with a guided tour of Drogheda, as they have in Christ Church in Dublin – these could be made available in all hotels, B&B’s and Tourist Office |
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5.26 |
Tommy Leddy, Sound Shop – organising National Guitar Festival the week following Easter, 5,000 people are expected to arrive in Drogheda. He knows of 32 people from Scotland who have already booked into local hotels, he urged all businesses to get up on the band wagon – Drogheda people need to support Drogheda business and this and other festivals were a good way to reach out to a wide audience for the benefit of other businesses as well as the one hosting the event. He also went on to describe how Drogheda needed to market itself better and the businesses could get together with a small fund of say €10 per week per business to have a collective marketing system that targets areas in Ireland to attract business to Drogheda he said this was a simple idea easily implemented and he was happy to discuss it further with the chamber if they were interested. PR thanked Tommy Leddy and also took the opportunity to congratulate him on opening the TLT and wish him every success with it in the future. The attendees concurred with a round of applause for Tommy Leddy. |
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5.27 |
Peter Kierans, Anglo Printers - Toll is a disgrace, the people and business owners of Drogheda have sat back for too long, Chamber was to be congratulated for trying to get the councillors to reduce the rates and the councillors failing to do this should be ashamed of themselves. The businesses need to get behind the Chamber and companies need to get rid of the toll it is ridiculous having to pay to get into a town. It is no wonder business is suffering so much in Drogheda. |
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5.28 |
Eddie Phelan, VCL Engineering Consultants –said he was wearing three hats Eddie said he needs to get his staff back on full time due to the amount of work that was coming in recently. Tidy Towns Committee, 2 Gold medals have been awarded to the town however when the Tidy Towns committee reported back their findings and on the two occasions they called to the tourist office it was closed. However he noted (a) at least we had one then and, (b) at least they were able to find it. Recession has led to holidaying in Ireland, there are loads of Motor homes passing through from the North heading south and vice-versa – Drogheda is an ideal stop over location – we need a caravan park to tap this popular form of holiday making with proper facilities |
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5.29 |
Greg Tully, Puzzel – is it possible to make parking free for 2hrs on Saturday – may encourage people to stay longer in the town |
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5.30 |
PR – suggested take to the council ask for 3hrs free parking Thursday, Friday & Saturday in a reduced version of the initiative they ran pre-Christmas
PK – The Borough Council generated over €1.7 million in revenue from parking last year how willing they will be to give some of that up remains to be seen
Anonymous – would the private car parks reduce their parking rates it was wondered or offer some deal on them to match a Borough Council initiative – PR as they were privately owned and not hear to respond it would be difficult to say what they might consider without their input |
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5.31 |
Tom Wall, Flo Gas Employee – Wife owns laundrette and has a small turnover – water rates are crippling, something needs to be done if her business were to have begun at in 2006 and for example had a water rates bill of €2k per annum it would now be €12k per annum on a business that does not turnover the equivalent of a T.D.’s salary each year. How he commented was that supposed to be fair or encourage businesses. |
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5.32 |
Anne O’Reilly, Pay Check Plus – we need to do whatever we can to attract employment into the town, need to package the whole town so that foreign and national companies would be attracted to come and set up business here. I noted with a good deal of disappointment that in the last couple of weeks two new FDI businesses were brought to Dundalk but as usual Drogheda got nothing I wish we could see some FDI coming into Drogheda we really need it. |
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5.33 |
Leo Monaghan, Gala Cleaners – need tourism, we used to have the Bonanza, Boyne River Race this
needs to come back, there are vacant shops on West Street one of these should be turned into a tourist office so that is more centralised – suggested the Tholsel Building was an obvious location for this purpose. Take the JFK attitude to the problem and change the way we respond to things he stated. For instance positive discrimination support your own people Shop local – It’s not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country!! Apply that locally. Make vacant shops more presentable, parking arrangements more user friendly the comment from the gentleman about his parking fine for instance is an example – the Borough Council needs to start being more sympathetic and realistic to these situations and listen.
PR – response according to Retail Ireland for every 150 trips across the border to shop one job is lost.
According to the CSO Household Survey of all the cross border shopping trips made from the Republic to the North 41% came from this region and typically each trip was an equivalent spend of around €300 |
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6.0 |
Next Steps Proposals – Actions - Feedback |
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6.1 |
PR – We have now run over time despite our stated intent not to do so but it was worthwhile and great to get this debate I must however now close this part of the session as I promised you we would run to roughly two hours in total and I want to keep to that promise. |
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6.2 |
PK – Re: tourist office he will raise this with the County Manager – as suggested Tholsel Building is ideal location for a tourist office and he will ask the question where has the money gone. |
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6.3 |
PR – Procurement Policies need to be changed to benefit people – local and national procurement policies are so cumbersome and prescriptive that even when local authorities for instance are doing their best to accommodate and capture local businesses into the process they are eliminated by virtue of the qualifying criteria which before they get to price eliminates them from the process very often. This is something that could be revisited by the Government and made more accessible to local businesses. It is a serious issue for businesses here. In addition to national and common problems being faced by everyone we here in Drogheda have some very specific ones many of which were discussed here tonight she noted. In particular to revisit the issue of the proximity to the border PR stated that it is not just about retail business other companies in such close proximity are competing for business with NI companies who have a different currency, tax regime and taxation structure and a distinct advantage over them in many ways which make competition on a level basis impossible and this issue needs to be tackled. |
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6.4 |
PR – apologised for any comments that there wasn’t time to take. |
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6.5 |
PR – advised that the minutes of this meeting would be available at the Chamber |
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6.6 |
PR – we will report back on this meeting through our website and the papers and in some cases will give you a call back. We will probably also call another meeting to bring you up to date on progress soon. |
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6.7 |
PR – we can voice your opinions but we need your support to do so |
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6.8 |
PR – we invited the elected representatives to this meeting to listen to the business community and we hope they have listened and take what we have had to say and act upon it for the benefit of everyone. What happens to business effects what happens to everyone in Drogheda and we have now given a very good indication of the problems that businesses are facing – let see if the elected representatives respond and act.
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7.0 |
Conclude Meeting |
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7.1 |
PR- take what we have said and act upon it – The minutes of the meeting will be made available to our members through their membership access at the Chamber. We will collate all the information gathered here this evening and publish the Agenda that will be brought forward to the LA, DEF, LEF and the Government and Government Agencies we will seek their agreement to adopt these suggestions and implement these ideas to assist in saving businesses in Drogheda. We will report back to you on our web site and through our Chamber emails and through the press with their agreement of course – everything that we do and what the outcomes are.
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7.2 |
PR – Closing Address:
United we stand is a truism and as a business community we need to be united now more than ever before. There are many people in this room who were members of the Chamber in the past, there are many who were never members of the Chamber and there are those who are current members of the Chamber. We all have three things in common:
1. We are in business
2. We are in trouble
3. We are agreed that we need urgent change and we need it now.
It does not matter if you have different views to those expressed by the Chamber here tonight you still belong in the Chamber and the Chamber needs to hear those views; It does not matter if you do not like everyone in the Chamber that you have encountered – no doubt they do not all like each other at times or ever in some cases but you do not need to like each other – you need to work together; You do not have to be a certain type of business to be in the Chamber you just have to be in business; If your opinion is that the Chamber has got it all wrong you are exactly who we need to hear from – no one has an monopoly on being right and that applies to the Chamber as much as anyone else; Strong feelings and a passion for your business is exactly what we need – a passion for your town is exactly what we need and a desire to get the changes we need brought into being is exactly what makes your input into the business life of Drogheda through the Chamber exactly why I urge you to get involved, we need you to do that now. Do not sit on the side lines waiting for things to be done wrong – get off your backside get your boots on and play for your team ‘the business community’– join the Chamber and make a difference. I have no issue whatever with someone criticising this Chamber or what it does as long as that person does so from the heart and puts that heart into constructive change of the things they see need to be changed - offer alternatives to what you believe to be the policies and then you are absolutely entitled to criticise you are playing your part – I have no issue with people criticising me as President either if they do not like what I do in the name of the Chamber – but do it as a member – make the Chamber stronger by being a part of it – widen the pool of expertise by adding yours – get involved with us now and help us to help each other and all of you. Decide to become the next President or get onto the Chamber Council, increase the ranks of the Chamber Council and change the thinking – join a sub-committee that specialises in your business area, just be a member and lobby for the things you want to see done by the Chamber Council and push them to get them done. DO whatever suits you best but do not do NOTHING at all. |
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7.2 |
There is nothing more futile or useless than standing on the side lines and telling everyone else how the game should have been played, nor is there anything more defeatist –we can all feel frustrations with the way that committees can work but they can be of great benefit to us as well. If you feel that any committee is failing you and I include this Chamber among those committees then join them and change them from the inside the greatest good we can ever achieve is the good we achieve together– just because something was always done a certain way does not make it right or supportable – I like actions and I like them to be delivered quickly and with a purpose but I recognise the need for committees to share opinions and distribute work and deliver outcomes. They don’t always work out like that – but I recognise that it is by supporting and making an effort to engage in these committees that we have our best chance to affect change – if you don’t like something you can change it but not by just complaining about it. This Chamber works for businesses ‘in business for business’ is its motto and it needs those businesses in the Chamber for their own benefit and the benefit of business generally – the more of us that are joined in the Chamber the greater the weight of our opinion when we express it and the better the chances of getting the changes we seek and we need. Get involved if you are not already, come back if you have been away, join forces with us and let us all fight this problem together, we need each other and Drogheda needs us to work as a unit. Jobs depend on it, businesses depend on it, and futures depend on it. We have every single political persuasion amongst our members and no political opinion or agenda in our Chamber – our agenda is simple ENTERPRISE . Eleanor Roosevelt described ENTERPRISE as ‘A Healthy Horse – pulling a sturdy wagon.’ That is exactly what this is all about and exactly how economic health is maintained, ENTERPRISE the healthy horse is in front leading the way and pulling the load, Local Authorities, National Government, State Agencies, Employment and Productivity are the load on the wagon and the wagon cannot go before the horse and expect anything to move forward. The load cannot be so heavy that the horse cannot move at all and that is what is currently happening here in Drogheda, so much weight is being carried by businesses that they cannot move at all and the only likely move is to their knees never to get back up if we do not get this load lightened and reorganised and do it quickly. Get involved with the Chamber tonight if you are not already involved, Play as a team and Play to win - get behind saving our businesses and this area before it is too late for all of us. We have Chamber Staff and Volunteers on hand, before you leave here take the membership form with you and get involved for real, don’t stay on the sidelines telling everyone else how to play. Thank You and Goodnight.
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