Your Views, Your Voice
Cork Chamber actively participates in policy making and presents the case of business in the region through submissions on a range of issues and our representatives on a number of external bodies and committees.
Current Consultations
Invite to Consultation with Minister Richard Bruton
Following the publication of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mr Richard Bruton TD is consulting with businesses on the contents of the Action Plan & to invite ideas on further actions for the 2013 Action Plan.
The first meeting as part of this consultation will take place on Monday 27th February at 3.30pm in the Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Tivoli, Cork.
Please confirm your attendance to john.maher@djei.ie by Friday 24th February.
The format of the meetings will be as follows:
-Registration (3.30-4pm)
-Minister speaks (4pm)
-EI Representative speaks
-CEB Representative speaks
-IDA Representative speaks
-Open forum with questions and answers
-Tea / Coffee
The purpose of the event will be to outline the Government’s approach to rebuilding the economy and to hear the views and ideas of business people on what support they need to protect existing jobs and to create new jobs. The discussion and ideas generated will feed into the Action Plan for Jobs 2013.
Small Business Issues
The Report of the Small Business Advisory Group was published recently and Cork Chamber and the national Chambers network is monitoring the implementation of this important report. As part of this we are seeking the views of SME members on what reforms or policies they wish to see the Government introduce to support small business. Cork Chamber Chief Executive Conor Healy represented Chambers Ireland on the group.
The report identifies 12 key areas for action:
1. Lending Facilities and Access to Finance
2. Labour Market Costs and Flexibility
3. Local Authority Structures
4. Costs of Doing Business : Energy, Rates and Regulation
5. Enabling Access to Public Procurement
6. Hidden Economy
7. Competitive Practices
8. Improving Cash flow
9. Managing out of the Crisis
10. Management Development for Growth
11. Access to Information
12. Insolvency and Debt Resolution
Recent Consultations
Draft Retail Planning Guidelines
Mr. Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has published for public consultation, draft Retail Planning Guidelines. The accompanying Press Release which details the process, how to make a submission and the intended aims of the consultation is available to view here. The closing date for receipt of submissions is 4 pm on Tuesday, 20th December, 2011.
When finalised after public consultation, the guidelines will replace those issued in 2005. The draft Guidelines take into account the recommendations of a Forfás Study Review of the Economic Impact of the Retail Cap (April 2011) prepared for the Departments of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, and Environment, Community and Local Government. This Study was undertaken as part of the terms of the EU-IMF programme for Financial Support for Ireland in 2010.
Cork Chamber will be making a submission on the guidelines and any comments should reach Alma Murnane (alma@corkchamber.ie) by Friday 2nd December.
Click here to download the draft Retail Planning Guidelines 
Click here to download Forfás Study Review of the Economic Impact of the Retail Cap
Click here to view the accompanying Department of Environment Press Release
Draft Masterplan for the Cork Science and Innovation Park Consultation
Cork County Council has prepared a draft Masterplan for a new Science and Innovation Park at Curraheen. The Masterplan sets out the vision, objectives and principles underpinning the Science Park project and is accompanied by an Environmental Report. The draft Masterplan and accompanying reports can be downloaded by clicking here. Also a public exhibition of the draft Masterplan will take place today (31st August) from 4pm to 8pm in County Hall.
The public consultation period closes on Friday 16th September and Cork Chamber will be making a submission on the draft Masterplan in the coming weeks. If you have any observations regarding the draft Masterplan these can be submitted to alma@corkchamber.ie as soon as possible.
Towards a new National Waste Policy Consultation
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has published a discussion document on the proposal for a new National Waste Policy.
The discussion document invites comments on how the current waste management policy and practice can be better shaped to respond to the EU waste requirements and deliver a coherent approach to waste management policy in Ireland.
Cork Chamber will be making a submission on the document and the requirements of a National Waste Policy in the coming weeks and we would appreciate the views of our members regarding this important issue.
Please contact sean@corkchamber.ie with any views you may have before Friday, September 9th.
The consultation period will close on Friday 30th September 2011 and it is intended that the finalised policy will be completed by the end of 2011.
Cork City Council Speed Limit Consultation
Cork City Council is undertaking a process of making bye-laws to change and to rationalise speed limits in various locations in the City. As part of the public consultation process we would like to hear our members’ views on the proposals. These views will be communicated to the City Council and Cork City Councillors when they meet to decide on the implementation of the new speed bye-laws. Please contact alma@corkchamber.ie with your views before 19th August.
The locations are:
South Ring Road (N25).
Proposal to rationalise the speed limits on the South Ring Road which intersects the boundary between the City and County areas at various locations and the ‘rationalisation is to ensure that the bye-laws properly reflect the current positions of the speed signage.
South City Link (N27)
Some small changes to the speed limits on the South City Link near the junction with Boreenmanna Road to allow us to put more visible signage on the bridges. Motorists who are prosecuted by the Gardaí for speeding offences are complaining that they cannot see the current speed signs.
Lower Glanmire Road. (N8)
It is proposed to increase the speed limit to 60 kph from 50 kph between on the Lower Glanmire Road between Water Street and the Skew Bridge at Tivoli to reflect the fact the large majority motorists travel at speeds between 50 and 60 kph in the area. There is no frontage development there so 60 kph is a safe speed here.
Mallow Road. (N20)
It is proposed to increase the speed limit to 60 kph from 50 kph from the City Boundary to the junction with Fitz’s Boreen to reflect the fact the large majority motorists travel at speeds between 50 and 60 kph in the area.
Carrigrohane Road (N22).
It is proposed to extend the 60kph speed zone out as far as the junction with Inchigaggin Lane for road safety reasons because of the presence of the bus lane and more particularly because of the on-street cycle lane on the roadway.
City Centre
1. In the City Centre, several million euro has been spent on the upgrading and refurbishment of the main street network. In order to derive the maximum benefit from the huge investment, in terms of the improvement of the overall environment and comfort/safety for pedestrians, it is proposed to introduce a 30 kph zone. Experience in the UK and mainland Europe has shown that this measure will add to the attractiveness of the City Centre for visitors, shoppers, etc.
2. The zone will be signposted and combined with the newly improved public realm, the new speed limit should be mainly self enforcing particularly at busy shopping periods. The special speed limit will ensure that traffic speeds will be kept low even during off-peak periods so that high levels of pedestrian safety and comfort are maintained throughout the City Centre streets at all times.
3. Accessibility to the City Centre by cars will not be affected by the new speed limits; however the Council believes that the environment for cyclists and particularly pedestrians will be vastly improved, thus making the area safer more attractive.
Click here to download a drawing showing the extent of the new 30 kph zone. The main streets involved are St. Patrick’s Street (N22), Grand Parade, Oliver Plunkett Street, North Main Street, Cornmarket Street and adjacent and adjoining streets.
Call for suggestions for Small Business Advisory Group
Cork Chamber Chief Executive Conor Healy, representing Chambers Ireland, is amongst those nominated by the Minister for Small Business, John Perry, to participate in the Government's new Small Business Advisory Group. This is an important issues driven group, whose role is to identify the key challenges impacting small businesses and develop proposals for addressing these matters with the Minister for onward reference to Government. This presents an opportunity for Chamber members to bring their local perspective and context to the various challenges currently facing the SME sector.
The Small Business Advisory Group is now seeking inputs on issues affecting business. You can make one suggestion or many.
Click here to complete the online form with your suggestions, ideas and solutions.
Suggestions should be received by lunchtime, Friday 1st July.
Draft Study of Cork Harbour
Cork County Council recently published a Draft Study of Cork Harbour. The study looks at the most intensively used part of the South Cork coastline, on a broader and longer term basis, which includes the other activities on Cork Harbour as well as marine leisure, and looks forward up to the middle of the 21st century.
The Study tries to understand what is happening in Cork Harbour and where it might lead, partly through analysis of around 60 shoreline areas. Cork County Council has produced the draft study to outline possibilities, to promote discussion of options, in the hope that a greater degree of consensus will emerge at this more practical level.
The study can be accessed on the County Council website. The closing date for submissions to the study is Friday, July 15th.
Cork Chamber will be making a submission to the study over the coming weeks and we would appreciate the views of our members regarding this important issue.
Please contact Alma Murnane, Policy & Research Manager with any views you may have before Friday, July 1st.
Draft Local Area Plans (Cork County)
Cork County Council has prepared and published a Proposed Amendment of the Draft Local Area Plans for each electoral area in the county (Bandon, Bantry, Blarney, Carrigaline, Fermoy, Kanturk, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Skibbereen). Click here to inspect the amendments on the County Council's website.
A Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Amendments of each Electoral Area Local Area Plan has been carried out in accordance with the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations, 2004 and these have also been published. The Proposed Amendments have been assessed under the Habitat's Directive 1992 and the Natura Impact Report containing the findings of the assessment have also been published.
All submissions must be received by the Planning Authority by 18th May 2011 to be taken into consideration before the making of the Local Area Plans. Submissions or observations may be made either On-line (via www.corkcoco.ie) or in writing to: The Senior Planner, Cork County Council, Planning Policy Unit, Floor 13, County Hall, Cork.
Cork Chamber will be preparing our own response, and we would like to hear the views of our members. Please contact the Policy & Research team with your comments.
New Public Consultation Process for Rail Timetable Changes Introduced
Iarnród Éireann has announced a new process for major rail schedule revisions which will ensure that customers have a say in timetable changes before they are formally adopted.
The new process will see draft revisions posted online on this website, and provide a response form for customers to express opinions on changes proposed, or any other schedule issues they wish to see addressed. These are then examined before the final timetable is adopted.
The first customers to benefit from this new process will be those on:
- Intercity and Commuter routes to and from Heuston Station
- Cork-Tralee and Cork commuter routes
- Regional routes such as Galway to Limerick, Waterford to Limerick Junction, and Limerick to Ballybrophy via Nenagh
Draft schedules are now on this website by clicking this link <http://www.irishrail.ie/contact_us/timetable_comments.asp> – and we are asking customers for their opinions on the proposed schedule over the next four weeks.
These will then be examined to identify major issues and improvements suggested by customers. Iarnród Éireann will endeavour to implement customers’ suggestions where possible. Suggested alterations which cannot be implemented at this timetable change will be retained in a database for consideration at future timetable reviews.
It would then be intended to implement the new schedules, incorporating customer feedback, by April of this year.
This new initiative is the ideal way for customers to see the changes we propose, and for us to hear our customers views on the changes, and on existing schedule issues they wish to see addressed.
It will be easy to access for everybody, ensuring we get the widest possible level of feedback.
We would encourage all customers on these routes to take a few minutes to look at their route and the proposed changes, and to let us know what they think – whether they are completely happy with the schedule we are proposing, or whether it creates difficulties for them.
We will be using this process for all major schedule revisions in the future, with draft schedules for Connolly Station routes, including Intercity, DART and Commuter, to be published in the coming weeks.
Highlights of the new schedule proposals include:
- Journey time improvements, including on some Heuston-Cork and Limerick-Galway services
- Improved connections between Limerick-Galway and key Galway-Dublin services
- Improved Athenry-Galway commuter services, and new evening Galway-Ennis & Ennis-Galway commuter service
- Improved connections between Waterford-Limerick Junction trains and Intercity services
- Extra Sunday Cork-Midleton trains
While these are the more significant changes, Iarnród Éireann advises all customers on all routes to view the draft schedules, as many services will see departure time changes, or changes to stopping patterns of individual changes which may affect their journeys.