Get Involved with Public Affairs

The Public Affairs Council is composed of members, interested in actively contributing to the success of our lobbying and of Cork, beyond the confines of the day job. The Council meets a number of times per year, agreeing priorities and formalising working groups to develop specific topics for advocacy work. We aim to be impactful, output and outcome focused.

One active working group already in place is our budgetary committee, who guide the preparation of the annual Chamber budgetary submission.

Your VOICE at the table

Cork Chamber is pleased to have a diverse range of involvement on projects and initiatives across the region, either through the Cork Chamber team or through our members.

Committees

Age Friendly County Alliance

Representing the business voice promoting for steps that encourage an inclusive, accessible and age friendly business environment. The alliance is an interagency county group comprised of senior management from the statutory, voluntary, community and private sectors.

Age Friendly City Alliance

The alliance is an interagency group comprised of senior management from the statutory, voluntary, community and private sectors operating in the city. We actively represent the business voice promoting for steps that encourage an inclusive, accessible and age friendly business environment.

Cork Development Forum

This is a unique Forum through which public and private stakeholders in the Cork region work in partnership to focus on development priorities that will ensure the continued growth of the Cork region as a thriving economic engine of regional and national growth.

South West Regional Skills Forum

Working in partnership to facilitate structured dialogue between enterprise sectors, education, and training providers. The Forum comprises Business Representative Organisations, Education and Training Providers, and Statutory Development Agencies.

Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)

Representing the voice of business on the Cork County LCDC, to reinforce the strategic planning and coordination of local and community development activity.

Energy Cork

An industry driven cluster pursuing actions to strengthen enterprise and employment within the energy sector in Cork. Cork Chamber actively participates as part of the Energy Cork steering group. Cork Chamber is Chair of the Energy Cork Transport sub-group.

Energy Champion

We represent the voice of business on the Energy Champion Steering Group, a recent initiative started by Energy Cork and which formalises a Sustainable Energy Community process for Cork, linking with the overall national Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) project.

CORE

Representing business on the CORE steering group. The CORE partnership, headed by Cork City Council, is focused on defining the overall strategy for the management and promotion of all aspects of city life. We actively participate as part of the Steering Group.

Cork City Centre Forum

A working group of CORE, within which we actively manage and participate. The working group has successfully undertaken a number of initiatives such as the Purple Flag Award, traffic incentives and marketing campaigns for Cork City Centre, and Cork Cashes Out. This forum is key in identifying and actioning City Centre projects. Currently there is work underway as part of a subgroup in developing a Customer Service Charter available to Cork City businesses.

Cork City Purple Flag Award Steering Group

The steering group meets to review the progress of the City against the metrics of the award criteria. Cork Chamber actively promotes the voice of business.

Angelsea District Management Committee

Representing business at this community policing forum, Cork Chamber actively participates to voice the concerns of business and to highlight issues of significance to the city centre area and surrounds.

Chambers Ireland Forums

Working with the Chambers Ireland team as a regional voice on national issues. Cork Chamber actively participates on the  Local Government Council; the Education, Workplace and Skills Council; and Public Affairs Forum.

Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP) Steering Group

Representing the regional voice of business across a diverse spectrum of topics inclusive of employment growth, skills strategy, infrastructure and transport planning. We also actively participate as part of the CASP Transport sub-committee.

Transport and Mobility Forum (TMF) Cork

The TMF is representative of organisations across Cork who have a common interest in pursuing actions to promote sustainable travel. We actively participate to share the perspective of the business community and to drive actions to support this.

RATIO stakeholder group

Engaged in a Interreg Europe project, RATIO, we are focused on actions to promote innovation to rural based SMEs. We are the Irish partner to this project and are working with regional stakeholders across the county to refine future actions to be developed and delivered.

Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs)

Through our members we represent the voice of business on a number of the City Council and County Council SPCs. As committees of the council, it is the task of the SPCs to advise and assist in the formulation, development and review of policy. Cork Chamber are represented via member representatives on the

Cork County Council SPC

Cork City Council SPC

Cork Innovates

Working with stakeholders to engage collaboratively to grow the region as a location which offers entrepreneurs globally and locally the best environment to start, grow and stay their business successfully. Cork Chamber actively engages as the voice of business and is a long standing member of the project steering group.

Enterprise Europe Network

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is the world’s largest support network for SMEs with international ambitions. A network office is hosted in Cork Chamber and we are a long standing representative of EEN in the broader business ecosystem.

Financial Services Forum

Cork is Ireland’s second centre for International Financial Services (IFS), with a depth and breadth of disciplines and firms that doesn’t exist anywhere else outside Dublin. Cork Chamber’s Financial Services (FS) Forum drives the advancement of the financial services industry in the region and strengthens partnerships between industry, education and government organisations.

Cork is Ireland’s second centre for International Financial Services (IFS), with a depth and breadth of disciplines and firms that doesn’t exist anywhere else outside Dublin. Cork Chamber’s Financial Services (FS) Forum drives the advancement of the financial services industry in the region and strengthens partnerships between industry, education and government organisations.

Members of the FS Forum include:

​Your voice matters. You are part of Cork. In our surveys we ask for your views on key opportunities and challenges facing your business. Your feedback helps us transform Cork and Ireland for the better.

Join us and strengthen your business voice. Together, we can make Cork the best place for business.