Cork Chamber welcomes funding boost for N/M20 and M28 but says other routes must also be prioritised
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has welcomed today’s important funding announcement for the highly anticipated N/M20 Cork to Limerick route and the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy project, but has expressed concern that more needs to be done regarding other projects. “A strong connection between Cork and Limerick is crucial for economic growth and collaboration. Today’s funding announcement for the N/M20 is an important next step that facilitates the project moving to the next stage,” said Conor
Continued Investment and Acceleration of Key Cork Developments Essential to Safeguard Cork’s Future,
- Support of the green transition in areas such as renewables needed to propel the Cork region to further success - Cork has a real opportunity to integrate economic growth and environmental responsibility, while cementing its position as a world-leading destination of choice for global companies, said President of Cork Chamber, Ronan Murray at the 2024 Chamber Annual Dinner sponsored by AIB. “We are indeed at the very heart of our national eco-system with an offering that continues to win on the world
An investment in Cork’s future, Cork Chamber welcomes official opening of Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has today welcomed the official opening of the highly anticipated Dunkettle Interchange Scheme by An Tánaiste Micheál Martin T.D. “The completion of this €215 million project is a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of all involved. It represents a major investment in our region's future and will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development,” said Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO. “This project not only improves
PepsiCo's Winning Formula - Crowned Cork Company of the Year 2024
-PepsiCo Cork Marks 50 Glorious Years with Prestigious Award Win- Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, is pleased to announce PepsiCo as the recipient of the prestigious Cork Company of the Year Award 2024. This esteemed accolade recognises the outstanding contributions to the region’s business community and celebrates the excellence and innovation demonstrated by PepsiCo. The award was announced along with individual category winners at the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner which brought together
Cork Chamber welcomes amendments to Tax Debt Warehousing scheme
Cork Chamber the voice of business in Cork has today welcomed the amendments to the Tax Debt Warehousing scheme announced by Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath T.D. Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber said, “the announcement of the changes to the Tax Debt Warehousing scheme will offer some relief to the affected businesses. It has been a very challenging time for business. There are many and mounting pressures, and we have seen the cost of doing business rising across our membership." "The reduction of
Businesses remain proactive in addressing skills shortages
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has published its latest Economic Trends, proudly supported by PTSB. Cork Chamber members shared their experiences through the most recent business quarter Q4 2023 and their outlook for the first quarter of 2024. In response to skills availability posing a significant threat to business growth, the Q4 survey also asked about skills gaps breakdowns.The Q4 2023 survey found: 80% expressed confidence in the Irish economy 81% of respondents’ net profit either
Leadership, peace and progress
Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO As we reflect on 2023, it has without doubt been a year of great progress for the business community in Cork, undeniably marked by significant advancements. However, amidst this progress, the region did not emerge unscathed from the reverberations of conflict, a reality that manifested itself prominently in 2023. In the past year Cork continued to grow in every sense and the city itself is showing real signs of transformation with ambitious and exciting new projects on the
Progress on the Cork to Limerick N/M20 paving the way for sustainable growth, says Cork Chamber
Cork Chamber welcomes the design updates and the announcement of the preferred corridor of the highly anticipated multi-modal N/M20 Cork to Limerick project. “The advancement of this project marks a significant step towards the successful delivery of this strategic multi-modal corridor, which once completed will be a catalyst for sustainable growth in our region. This project is a sustainable travel project with 100km of segregated active travel infrastructure and transport hubs that will facilitate
Pat McGrath Honoured with Outstanding Contribution to Business Award from Cork Chamber
Cork Chamber has recognised Pat McGrath for his outstanding contribution to business. The award was presented at the Cork Chamber Dublin Dinner where the keynote speaker was An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. The event, held at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road and sponsored by EY, brought together 600 prominent figures from the political and business sectors. Mr McGrath’s exceptional role at PM Group played a significant part in his career. In the early 00’s, Mr McGrath was appointed CEO and was
Ireland has the potential to become a renewable powerhouse
The Cork Chamber Dublin Dinner held this evening celebrated the collaborative spirit between Cork and Dublin and the importance of this synergy to the success of Ireland Inc. Held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road in association with EY, the keynote was delivered by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar T.D. to more than 600 people from across Ireland’s business, political and diplomatic landscape. In his keynote address, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar T.D. said “The Government and I strongly believe that more
Cork Chamber Welcomes Significant Investment by Qualcomm, A Vote of Confidence in Cork
Cork Chamber has today welcomed the announcement by Qualcomm Technologies that it is to invest $127 million in an expansion of its Research and Development facility in Cork city resulting in 150 new highly skilled engineering jobs. “This announcement is another chapter in Qualcomm’s ongoing success story in Cork where its operations first began in 2013 with just four employees, that figure now stands at 500. This investment will further grow their workforce with the creation of 150 highly skilled
Ireland a global hub for financial services with Cork’s strong IFS centre key to its international o
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, together with the Cork Financial Services Forum, today hosted a national event for the financial services (FS) sector which focused the future of the FS sector and the evolving role of technologies including artificial intelligence. The event, attended by over 160 FS sector leaders from across Ireland, was addressed by keynote speaker Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath TD.Ireland is now recognised as a significant global financial centre and the
Plans to Transition to Electric Train Fleet a Boost for Cork Commuter Rail Network, says Cork Chamber
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has welcomed Iarnród Éireann’s pledge to switch to an electric and battery-electric train fleet, along with the corresponding infrastructure enhancements for the Cork commuter rail network. “This week's announcement by Iarnród Éireann is a very important step towards a transformed public transport offering in Cork. As the city region begins its decarbonisation journey and the population continues to grow, we must facilitate this transition and expand with it,”
Announcements by PepsiCo and Boston Scientific Signal Strong Confidence in Cork
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has welcomed today’s announcement that PepsiCo is to invest €39 million into its Little Island site. This latest investment by PepsiCo, which follows the completion of a €127 million investment at the site, will expand the company's manufacturing capacity and see the rollout of a major solar PV installation. “PepsiCo has been a long-time employer in Cork for almost 50 years and this latest investment signals the company’s commitment to Cork and focus on a
Cork Chamber Broadly Welcomes Budget 2024, But Highlights Need For Greater Focus On Climate Action Measures
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has broadly welcomed the measures contained in Budget 2024. “Today’s budget will address many of the concerns of business and protect economic development into the future through both the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund and the Future Ireland Fund. However, acceleration of essential carbon reduction measures such as support for retrofitting of commercial buildings and public transport investment delivery are needed to meet Cork’s Mission Cities
Cork Chamber’s business awards seek brightest and best
-Cork Company of the Year Awards 2024 open for entries- Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has opened the Cork Chamber Cork Company of the Year Awards 2024 for entries. For a quarter of a century, these awards have served as an exclusive platform for businesses in the region to celebrate their successes and gain recognition for their achievements. The four distinct award categories allow for businesses of all sizes and backgrounds to enter so that the true diversity of the Cork business
The Need for Increased Policing Resources the Focus of Meeting with Justice Minister at Cork Chamber
The need for increased policing resources in the city was raised with the Justice Minister in a meeting she attended at Cork Chamber today.The focus of the meeting, which was also attended by senior politicians including Minister Simon Coveney TD and Chief Superintendent Tom Myers, was to highlight some of the concerns associated with the need for a greater garda presence in the city.“Today’s meeting with Minister Helen McEntee was very productive and a wide range of issues connected to policing resources
Enterprise Investment, Entrepreneurial Incentives and a Climate Neutral Cities Fund among top Budget asks for Cork Chamber
- Cork Chamber’s pre-budget submission highlights the need for further enterprise investment incentives and a broadening of the entrepreneur relief as well as dedicated funding to achieve climate targets - Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has called on the Government to enhance existing investment and start-up investment incentives as well as broadening the entrepreneur relief in a detailed Budget 2024 submission. Cork Chamber President Ronan Murray said, “Budget 2024 represents an
Cork Chamber welcomes launch of Maritime Area Regulatory Autho
Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork has today welcomed the official launch of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA). The new agency has been set up to streamline the consenting process for the maritime area, and so is central to the development of the offshore wind industry. “The launch of MARA today, along with the first proposal of a Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) off the south coast, are significant milestones in the development of Ireland's maritime area and offshore
Cork Chamber of Commerce Welcomes AMD's Investment Announcement
“This announcement by AMD of a $135 million investment is very significant and demonstrates the company’s commitment to Ireland as a strategic location for R&D, innovation and engineering. The investment and associated creation of 290 jobs across the Little Island, Cork and Dublin sites will strengthen our vibrant technology sector and will also impact positively on the broader ecosystem in the Cork region,” said Conor Healy CEO of Cork Chamber. “Cork has a strong track record in attracting FDI and we
Housing Tops Agenda At Cork Chamber Meeting With Taoiseach
– Infrastructure delivery and an accelerated timeline for public transport including Cork light rail were also raised as areas for continued investment and focus – The magnitude of the housing shortage and its impact on economic growth was conveyed to the Taoiseach during his visit to Cork Chamber today. The focus of the meeting, which was attended by industry representatives, some of the region’s largest employers as well as senior politicians including Minister Simon Coveney TD, was to identify
Confidence in Cork’s bright future continues to drive FDI and indigenous investment in city
–Cork’s future as lighthouse city for FDI and indigenous investment mapped out at 204th Cork Chamber AGM– An era of exciting change ahead for Cork was conveyed at the 204th Cork Chamber AGM at the Imperial Hotel. Addressing assembled members on the evening Cork Chamber President, Ronan Murray spoke about the resilience of Cork businesses in the face of uncertainty created by war on our continent, energy prices and wider inflation. “Our members sought to embrace sustainability through energy efficiency
Chamber welcomes PepsiCo expansion
-Ambition of global investors must be matched to remain competitive internationally- Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has welcomed the €127m PepsiCo expansion which enhances its manufacturing capacity at the Little Island facility. “The €127m investment made by PepsiCo into its Little Island facility is very significant. PepsiCo have shown continued commitment to Cork as a place for business, recently installing, 4,500 solar panels to power its Carrigaline facility. PepsiCo is a long-time
High energy costs lead to reduction in business profitability
- Confidence in the Irish economy remains high through changing business environment - Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has published its latest Economic Trends, proudly supported by Permanent TSB. Cork Chamber members shared their experiences through the most recent business quarter Q1 2023, their outlook for the second quarter of 2023 and views on the ongoing business impact of high energy costs and skills gaps. The Q1 2023 survey found: 73% of respondents are experiencing reduced
New timelines for delivery of offshore wind have to be met by Government, says Cork Chamber
The Government announcement of the acceleration of Phase 2 Offshore wind projects and the introduction of a new Phase 3 for 2GW of floating offshore wind provides some certainty but the timelines for delivery need to be met this time. “The Phase 1 auctions need to deliver the volume of projects needed to meet the majority of our 5GW target and the timelines for both Phase 2 DMAPS and for opening a specific route to market for floating offshore wind projects by Q1 2024 has to be delivered upon. In the
Major Cork road projects not moving fast enough, says Cork Chamber
Cork Chamber has warned that major road projects such as the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy road and N25 are moving too slowly despite welcome funding announcements on the Macroom and Castleymartyr bypass. “The new Cork to Ringaskiddy road is critical to opening up the Docklands in Cork to housing development and enabling the port to move its operations completely to Ringaskiddy. This is a project that needs to be delivered by the end of 2026. Despite the welcome announcement of €19m for the N28 Cork to
Confidence in the Irish Economy jumps to 66% at close of 2022
Skills and housing still bottlenecks for business expansion Cork Chamber, the voice of business in Cork, has published its latest Economic Trends, proudly supported by Permanent TSB. Cork Chamber members shared their experiences through the most recent business quarter Q4 2022, their outlook for the first quarter of 2023 and views on the ongoing business impact of rising energy costs and inflation to track business sentiment across quarter 3 and quarter 4 2022.The Q4 2022 survey found: 66% of