THERE REALLY IS GREAT STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

WELCOME ADDRESS: A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS

THERE REALLY IS GREAT STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

As the country comes out of two years of lockdown the role of Fingal Chamber in supporting our members is arguably more critical now than it has ever been. The prospects for economic recovery over the next two to three years, both nationally and within the region, are quite positive. But there are also many challenges ahead. As a Chamber we need to work collaboratively with other stakeholders, including the local authority, and to lobby effectively at local and national levels on behalf of our membership.

The foundations for this approach are well laid. The recently completed membership survey has been most timely, ensuring that your Chamber’s Council and Executive have a clear understanding of the needs and priorities of the members. We are fortunate, too, in having a highly knowledgeable and experienced advocate in Siobhan O’Donnell in the new role of Head of Public Affairs. And thankfully we have returned to person-to-person engagements. Following the protracted period of digital encounters, we now recognise that in-person meetings are essential elements in both our personal and business interactions.

The Business Sentiment Survey has proved invaluable in setting the agenda for the remainder of this year. Difficulties in staff recruitment and retention stand out at the top of the list of concerns and the Chamber is in a good position to assist with this.

Our Fingal Chamber Skillnet Network, for example, helps businesses to identify and address their skills needs in practical ways and delivers value for money training and development programmes that can be tailored to individual needs. In May Fingal Chamber in conjunction with Fingal County Council will hold the region’s largest business to business trade exhibition attracting businesses looking to buy products and services from suppliers and vendors. Fingal Connects Expo’, which will take place at the Crown Plaza Dublin Airport on May 26th, offers a single place for businesses to gather and network with hundreds of local suppliers, partners and future customers. This is another practical example of how the Chamber can support businesses in the region.

We have worked closely with Fingal County Council on many initiatives designed to address specific issues that have direct influences on the economic welfare of the region. In the area of tourism, for example, Fingal has huge potential as a tourism & hospitality destination and during the pandemic we established a subcommittee with the CoCo to explore ways of improving tourism in the region.

Many of our members are facing huge increases in costs, from soaring energy bills to wage inflation pressures they are simply unable to meet. At the same time, government supports designed to help businesses during the pandemic are now coming to an end. The tax warehousing provision, for example, provided a huge cash flow benefit at a difficult time. But from next January any outstanding deferrals will be subject to an interest penalty of 3%. So, depending on how quickly they can rebound, many companies face ongoing financial challenges.

New methods of working present another key challenge for many employers. We recently conducted a survey in partnership with Adare HR which identified that just a third (32%) of organisations believe a hybrid working model will benefit their business. But this is an approach that is fraught with difficult issues, from employment law and health & safety to insurance and monitoring of employees’ work practices. We have already held forums with experts to tease out these issues and we will continue to engage on this topic in the interest of members.

These are all important concerns and the Chamber will continue to engage with various agencies and government departments to ensure, as far as we can, that they are understood and responded to adequately. The appointment of Siobhan O’Donnell as Head of Public Affairs reflects our view that advocating on behalf of the local business on key issues is one of the most important things we can do as a representative body. From taxation to transport, we will pick our battles at the appropriate times and pursue them with vigour.

We are fortunate as a Chamber in having an enlightened local authority with a clear vision of developing the region socially and economically. As I mentioned already, we have developed a very good relationship with Fingal CoCo and I am keen to see that strengthened even further into the future.

Fingal Chamber is also blessed to have an enthusiastic team of council members to direct and assist the executive team. I detect an air of excitement amongst them this year as we all seek to re-engage in a post-COVID world. We will continue to form new subcommittees as the needs arise to ensure we remain alert to both challenges and opportunities.

Finally, I would like to remind members that the greater the membership, the stronger we are as a representative body and the better resourced we will be to advocate on your behalf. We are engaged in an active recruitment drive this year and I would ask you to encourage your peers who are not already members to consider joining us. There really is great strength in numbers.

John O'Donoghue

John O'Donoghue

President Fingal Chamber