dublin chamber of commerce in the media

NewsAccess Media Summary

Total Articles: 110, Total Pages: 134, Delivery Range: 1st January 1970 - 1st January 1970, Publication Range: 2nd January 2011 - 17th September 2011

Article Index

PLAY IT AGAIN SAMThe Sun-Eire, 17/09/2011, Page: 12,13, Author: MARK MAY, Clip ID: 959903http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=51756315

'Spillane hotline' jammed as fans search for ticlietsIrish Independent Broadsheet, 16/09/2011, Page: 3, Author: Louise Hogan, Clip ID: 958159THE Spillane hotline has been hopping. Disappointed hopefuls, in the Kingdom of Kerry at least, have been dialling the number of the famous Templenoe family in a desperate bid to make it into those fa

Staying PowerIrish Independent Broadsheet, 09/09/2011, Page: 15, Author: , Clip ID: 952467

02 launches webinar for SMEsIrish Examiner, 06/09/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 950145Dublin: 02 has launched a free cloud computing webinar aimed at SMEs, to help them understand the opportunities and solutions that cloud computing can bring. The webinar follows a recent iÃ�each survey

Businesses support restored Cork-Dublin air route, survey showsIrish Examiner, 06/09/2011, Page: 5, Author: by Scan O'Rlordan, Clip ID: 950077BUSINESS leaders are hoping the results of a survey may convince an airline carrier to re-launch the Cork-Dubhn flints which Ryanair is pumng fiom next month. The survey of nearly 500 businesses â�� car

Cork Chamber urges action over Cork - Dublin routeCork News, 02/09/2011, Page: 67, Author: , Clip ID: 955151The Cork Chamber has reiterated its call for a proactive and considered response to last week's announcement that Ryanair are to withdraw their Cork ? Dublin service from October. The Chamber, as wel

Congestion charge is no solutionThe Local News-West, 01/09/2011, Page: 18, Author: , Clip ID: 950498THE National Transportation Authority's proposed congestion charge would not have made sense due to the lack of public transport for the Greater Dublin Area, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. T

The Ultimate Girls Day OutIrish Tatler, 01/09/2011, Page: 152, Author: , Clip ID: 935327

Local Property and Water Charges 'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities*Kildare Xtra, 31/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 948960Combined property and water charges of â�¬100 per household must be directed straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement b

Local Property and Water Charges 'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities'Meath Xtra, 31/08/2011, Page: 10, Author: , Clip ID: 948430Combined property and water charges of â�¬100 per household must be directed straight back to the local authorities m which they were raised, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement by

Local Property and Water Charges 'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities'Lifetimes South East, 31/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 948541Combined property and water charges of â�¬100 per household must be directed straight back to the local authorities in wliich they were raised, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement

Local Property and Water Charges 'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities'Lifetimes South West, 31/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 948505Combined property and water charges of â�¬100 per household must be directed straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement b

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Article Index (continued)

Local Property and Water Charges 'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities*North County News, 31/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 948567Combined property and water charges of â�¬100 per household must be directed straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The annoimcement b

Chamber survey on Ryanair route axingIrish Examiner, 30/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 944957Cork: Cork Chamber is conducting a survey of its members following the axing of the Cork-Dublin Ryanair route, which comes into effect from October 30. Chamber chief executive, Conor Healy, said: "Bot

Chamber wants even more budget savingsDaily Mail Eire, 30/08/2011, Page: 49, Author: , Clip ID: 945067http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=51138915

Chamber to survey over axed air serviceEvening Echo, 30/08/2011, Page: 14, Author: By VINCENT KELLY, Clip ID: 946016It has announced that it is to survey its 1,000-plus member companies about their requirements for a service between the two cities. The initiative follows on last week's announcement from Ryanair tha

Chamber calls for greater measuresIrish Examiner, 29/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 944382Dublin: Government needs to deliver greater savings in current expenditure than the â�¬2.1 bn agreed in the EU/IMF memorandum of understanding, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. "Government must

Dublin Chamber calls for more cutsMetro-Herald, 29/08/2011, Page: 4, Author: , Clip ID: 944430THE Government needs to cut spending even further than the â�¬2.1 billion agreed with the IMF, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. In its pre-Budget submission, the Chamber said that business, inte

Confidence is crucial for business performanceSunday Business Post, 28/08/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 943938In the business world, a recovery plan identifies the most important tasks to restore the business. It sets out what is needed from key activities and functions and how core departments need to operat

LET'S PLAY BALLThe Sun-Eire, 27/08/2011, Page: 12,13, Author: BARRY MORAN, Clip ID: 943768http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=51049551

Cork-Dublin air link is vital for business in our regionEvening Echo, 27/08/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 944618THE decision by Ryanair to end its Cork-Dublin service from Sunday, October 30, Is to be very much regretted. As the only airline providing service on this route, it provided a vital link between the

Cork goes pop as airlines struggle to make their old Tiger routes payIrish Independent Broadsheet-Business Supplement, 25/08/2011, Page: 7, Author: Thomas Molloy and John Mulligan, Clip ID: 941146AER Lingus gave it up years ago, and now Ryanair has come to the conclusion that the Dublin-Cork route just can't pay its way. This week, Ryanair blamed its decision to axe the service on something tha

Ryanair to pull out of Cork- Dublin routeCorkman, 25/08/2011, Page: 9, Author: , Clip ID: 941549RYANAIR is to pull out of its Cork-Dublin route from Simday, October 30 citing a decline in air traffic due to motorway improvements as the reason for the decision. Passengers who have booked to travel

Jobs boost for SouthsideSouthside People, 24/08/2011, Page: 5, Author: by Neil Fetherston, Clip ID: 940206The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, announced recently that over 400 jobs




Chamber: Dublin air clinic must be replacedEvening Echo, 24/08/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 941830The move came after it was revealed yesterday that Ryanafr, the sole provider of services between Cork and Dublin, is to end its flights between the two cities at the end of October The company said t

Congestion charge is no solutionThe Local News-Southside, 18/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 950484THE National Transportation Authority's proposed congestion charge would not have made sense due to the lack of public transport for the Greater Dublin Area, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. T

PayPal jobs boost welcomedNorthside People West, 17/08/2011, Page: 2, Author: by Jack Gleeson, Clip ID: 935314The global online payments company made the announcement last week saying the new customer service positions will support its growing European business which contributed to a â�¬1 billion revenue quarte

Aer Lingus will not offer US west coast flightsThe Star, 16/08/2011, Page: 39, Author: , Clip ID: 934878AER Lingus has decided not to relaunch its flights to the US west coast

Aer Lingus denies plans to resume US west coast flightsIrish Examiner, 16/08/2011, Page: 16, Author: by Caofff Percival, Clip ID: 934914AER LINGUS has stated it will not be resuming services to the west coast of the US in the foreseeable fiiture, despite speculation to the contraty. Media reports suggested that the airline â�� which pul

No to congestion feesDaily Mail Eire, 11/08/2011, Page: 55, Author: , Clip ID: 931658http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=50517698

No congestion charge in city says VaradkarEvening Herald, 10/08/2011, Page: 27, Author: , Clip ID: 931257DUBLIN'S public transport system is not good enough to justify a congestion charge on motorists, according to Transport Minister Leo Varadkar. He was responding to proposals by the National Transport

WORKING WEEKSunday Business Post-Money & Markets, 07/08/2011, Page: 10, Author: , Clip ID: 929241Aebhric McGlbney is Dublin Chamber's director of poltey and communications. Established In 1783, the chamber provMes networidng, learahig, business devetopment and export services to 1,300 member comp

The harder you work, the luckier you getLifetimes South East, 03/08/2011, Page: 1, Author: , Clip ID: 929871

Cobra targets the gastropubsDrinks Industry Ireland, 01/08/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 923110Since entering a (49.9 per cent/51.1 per cent) deal for Â£14 million with Molson Coors UK just over two years ago, Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra beer, has stated that the first of three phases

COBRA FOUNDER INSPIRES BUSINESS LEADERSRetail News, 01/08/2011, Page: 54, Author: , Clip ID: 927446LORD Karan Bilimoria (right), founder and chairman of Cobra Beer, was joined by Dublin Chamber of Commerce President Imelda Reynolds and Niall Phelan, Molson Coors Country Manager, as he addressed mor

THE ubiquitous Brian O'Driscoll [...]The Sunday Times-Eire, 31/07/2011, Page: 16, Author: AINE COFFEY, Clip ID: 924494http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=50155096




Savings must support jobs and businessThe Local News-Northside, 29/07/2011, Page: 6, Author: , Clip ID: 935306POTENTIAL savings of â�¬46 million at Dublin City Council should lead to lower commercial rates for businesses in Dublin City, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The potential savings was identifi

â�¬100 charge to hit 1.8m householdsIrish Examiner, 27/07/2011, Page: 6, Author: by Maiy Reg/an, Clip ID: 920546PENSIONERS, struggling mortgage-holders and thousands of cash-strapped families will be hit with a â�¬100 household charge early next year. The flat charge will apply to an estimated 1.8 million propert

BOD: the day I was at a Monaco bash sponsored by a tobacco companyThe Mail on Sunday-Eire, 24/07/2011, Page: 29, Author: Warren Swords, Clip ID: 918885http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=49935499

Dublin Chamber eyeing up â�¬46m cuts in councilDaily Mail Eire, 16/07/2011, Page: 55, Author: , Clip ID: 912615http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=49678637

Dublin council eyes savings of â�¬46mIrish Examiner, 16/07/2011, Page: 20, Author: , Clip ID: 912678Dublin: Potential savings of â�¬46 million at Dublin City Council should lead to lower commercial rates for businesses in the city, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The potential savings were id

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionKildare Xtra, 13/07/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 920083Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionNorth County News, 13/07/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 920413Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said, "The decision to stage the 2013 final in Dublin is another welcome boost to the Irish economy. We estimate that the 2013 Heineken Cup Final will generat

Dublin Chamber Looks Forward to Working with Lord Mayor MontagueCity Wide News North East, 13/07/2011, Page: 11, Author: , Clip ID: 920243Commenting Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive, said; "Dublin Chamber congratulates CUr Montague on his election and looks forward to working closely with him as Lord Mayor of Dublin. We have wo

Dublin Chamber Looks Forward to Working with Lord Mayor MontagueLifetimes South East, 13/07/2011, Page: 11, Author: , Clip ID: 920317Commenting Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive, said: "Dublin Chamber congratulates Cllr Montague on his election and looks forward to working closely with him as Lord Mayor of Dublin. We have w

Improved Airlink service welcomedNorthside People West, 13/07/2011, Page: 3, Author: , Clip ID: 909059

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionMeath Xtra, 13/07/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 920072Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said, "The decision to stage the 2013 final in Dublin is another welcome boost to the Irish economy.

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionCity Wide News North East, 13/07/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 920271Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said, "The decision to stage the 2013 final in E)ublin is another welcome boost to the Irish economy. We estimate that Uie 2013 Heineken Cup Final will genera




Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionLifetimes South East, 13/07/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 920336The announcement that Dublin will host the 2013 Heineken Cup Final caps a past month that has been positive for Irish Rugby and tourism. Dublin Chamber of Commerce says that there will be a significan

Ball's in your courtSouthside People, 13/07/2011, Page: 4, Author: , Clip ID: 909128

O'DRISCOLL PREPARES FOR LIFE AFTER RUGBYSunday Business Post, 10/07/2011, Page: 4, Author: , Clip ID: 907654Ireland rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll has revealed plans to set up a nationwide rugby coaching academy when his playing career ends ? most likely within the next two years. The Ireland and Leinster n

O'Driscoll catches crowd attentionIrish Independent Broadsheet, 08/07/2011, Page: 18, Author: , Clip ID: 905951

AN EAsY DECIsIoN For BoDDaily Mirror-Eire, 08/07/2011, Page: 46, Author: MICHAEL SCULLY, Clip ID: 906155http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=49413272

Improved Airlink service welcomedNorthside People West, 06/07/2011, Page: 4, Author: , Clip ID: 903527

City car toll is ruled outThe Star, 04/07/2011, Page: 26, Author: , Clip ID: 902507A LONDON-style congestion charge for Dublin has been ruled out by Transport Minister Leo Varadkar.

Varadar rules out congestion chargeSunday Business Post, 03/07/2011, Page: 2, Author: By Nicola Cooke, Clip ID: 901949A congestion charge for Dublin has been ruled out by transport minister Leo Varadkar. The charge for Dublin city and the greater Dublin area had been envisaged in a new National Transport Authority (N

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionNorth County News, 29/06/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 902689Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said, "The decision to stage the 2013 final in Dublin is another welcome boost to the Irish economy. We estimate that the 2013 Heineken Cup Final will generat

Dublin signs twinning agreement with BeijingKildare Xtra, 29/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: , Clip ID: 902877In Bering at 11am (Irish time) on Thursday the 2nd June, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, signed a twinning agreement with Mayor Guo Jmlong, the Mayor of Beijing. This momentous occasion comes o

Dublin signs twinning agreement with BeijingCity Wide News North East, 29/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: , Clip ID: 902744In Beijing at Ham (Irish time) on Thursday the 2nd June,

Dublin signs twinning agreement with BeijingLifetimes South West, 29/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: , Clip ID: 902894In Beijing at 11am (Irish time) on Thursday the 2nd June, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, signed a twinning agreement with Mayor Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing. This momentous occasion comes



Dublin signs twinning agreement with BeijingLifetimes South East, 29/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: , Clip ID: 902935In Beijing at Ham (Irish time) on Thursday the 2nd June, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, signed a twinning agreement with Mayor Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing. This momentous occasion comes

Dublin signs twinning agreement with BeijingNorth County News, 29/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: , Clip ID: 902671In Beijing at Ham (Irish time) on Thursday the 2nd June, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, signed a twinning agreement with Mayor Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing. This momentous occasion comes

Dublin signs twinning agreement with BeijingMeath Xtra, 29/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: , Clip ID: 902838In Beijing at 11am (Irish time) on Thursday the 2nd June, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, signed a twinning agreement with Mayor Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing. This momentous occasion comes

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionKildare Xtra, 29/06/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 902899Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said, "The decision to stage the 2013 final in Dublin is another welcome boost to the Irish economy. We estimate that the 2013 Heineken Cup Final will generat

Heineken Cup Final to Generate â�¬18 MillionLifetimes South East, 29/06/2011, Page: 30, Author: , Clip ID: 902955Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber chief executive said, "The decision to stage the 2013 final in Dublin is another welcome boost to the Irish economy. We estimate diat the 2013 Heineken Cup Final will generat

'200 leads a year' to CrimestoppersIrish Independent Broadsheet, 27/06/2011, Page: 6, Author: , Clip ID: 896589CRIMESTOPPERS is receiving around 200 useful calls from the public every year, writes Tom Brady. The organisation was set up in 1998 by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and gardai to provide an independ

Chat from beer chiefThe Sun-Eire, 11/06/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 883644http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=48508097

â�¬18M SCOREDaily Mirror-Eire, 10/06/2011, Page: 25, Author: RORY TEVLIN, Clip ID: 882148http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=48470960

Councils praised for savingsNorthside People East, 08/06/2011, Page: 8, Author: by Jamie Deasy, Clip ID: 879990Dublin City Council, Fingal County. Council, South Dublin County Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have contributed more than â�¬81.3 million of the â�¬162 million in savings made to date

Dublin officially twinned with BeijingIrish Times, 03/06/2011, Page: 7, Author: CLIFFORD COONAN, Clip ID: 875935DUBLIN (POPULATION 1.2 million) has been officially twinned with Beijing, (population 19.4 million) and Lord Mayor of Dublin Gerry Breen hopes it will give business in Ireland's capital a boost. On a

County Council visit to ChinaCommunity Voice, 01/06/2011, Page: 7, Author: , Clip ID: 917165The invitation to visit Chengdu, a city of 11 million people, for the International Sister Cities Week, resulted from a recent Chengdu trade mission to Dublin when the Chengdu authorities met represen

Calls for growth of Dublin PortIrish Examiner, 31/05/2011, Page: 16, Author: , Clip ID: 873086Dublin: Dublin Port needs better facilities, deeper berths and improved supporting infrastructure as part of its growth strategy for the next 30 years, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. In maki




Dublin Port 'needs better facilities'Irish Independent Broadsheet, 31/05/2011, Page: 28, Author: , Clip ID: 873091TRADE DUBLIN Port needs better facilities and supporting infrastructure as part of a strategy for the next 30 years, according to the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, in response to Dublin Port's Master Pl

Dublin Port makeoverDaily Mail Eire, 31/05/2011, Page: 48, Author: , Clip ID: 873183http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=48136451

The Queen welcomed with open armsBusiness & Finance, 30/05/2011, Page: 20, Author: , Clip ID: 873321What do you reckon? Of her jaunt over the Irish Sea. Yes, the big Q. Did she deliver as you'd experted or surpass those very same expectations? Looking on from London, the international media coverage

THANKS A â�¬BILLIONIrish Independent Broadsheet-Review, 28/05/2011, Page: 5, Author: , Clip ID: 871215Gemma O'Doherty says that the boost to our business and tourism after the big visits is already being felt Nanotechnologists are meant to be nerds; dry, bookish types who devote their lives to making

Capital idea to become city of designIrish Times, 26/05/2011, Page: 13, Author: FRANK MCDONALD, Clip ID: 868613INCREDIBLE AS it may seem, Dublin is bidding to be designated World Design Capital 2014. Given the unfinished state of the city, and its curtent penury, the bid is audacious and insouciant. Nearly two

Queen's visit will generate â�¬2 billion in British tradeSunday Business Post, 22/05/2011, Page: 11, Author: By Nicola Cooke Industry Correspondent, Clip ID: 865721Irish exporters and business leaders anticipate that Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ireland

Queen's Parting GiftEvening Herald, 20/05/2011, Page: 1, Author: , Clip ID: 864616

Visit â�¬150m 'advert' coup for countryThe Sun-Eire, 19/05/2011, Page: 5, Author: , Clip ID: 862813http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=47739804

Wall-to-wall coverage puts us all back in shop windowIrish Independent Tabloid, 19/05/2011, Page: 27, Author: , Clip ID: 862923SHOPOWNERS have suffered short-term pain for long-term gains of over â�¬150m. Sales slumped by up to 50pc in Dublin city centre shops as the streets emptied and some outlets closed, while gardai mounted

Queen makes headlinesEvening Herald, 19/05/2011, Page: 24, Author: , Clip ID: 863477THE Dublin Chamber of Commerce said that Ireland has received a huge amount of publicity since the queen's visit, with over 5,000 articles published in 95 countries within the first 24 hours. Analysis

Dublin Chamber's surplus at â�¬1.6mIrish Independent Broadsheet, 13/05/2011, Page: 20, Author: , Clip ID: 858222THE Dublin Chamber of Commerce boosted its annual surplus to â�¬1.6m last year, according to accounts just filed with the Companies Office. The business group took in â�¬1.8m over the year.

Chamber suggests jobs initiativesIrish Examiner, 06/05/2011, Page: 18, Author: , Clip ID: 852409Dublin: The Government should stimulate job growth through small changes to VAT, PRSI rebate scheme and stamp duty, Dublin Chamber of Commerce has suggested in its submission to the Minister of Financ




Master plan for PortEvening Herald, 07/04/2011, Page: 18, Author: , Clip ID: 829547THE Dublin Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the announcement of the public consultation process to devise a master plan for the long-term development of Dublin Port. Gina Quin, chief executive of Dubl

Business body opposes plan for Metro as threat to tradeIrish Times, 28/03/2011, Page: 6, Author: OLIVIA KELLY, Clip ID: 820530A DUBLIN business organisation has decided to withdraw its support from the Metro North rail project, despite having the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) as a member. The Dublin City Business Associat

â�¬80m boost expected for tourism industryIrish Independent Tabloid, 17/03/2011, Page: 16, Author: Shane Hickey, Clip ID: 811916VISITORS flooding in for St Patrick's Day are expected to give the beleaguered tourism industry a â�¬80m cash injection. The combination of the St Patrick's Festival and Saturday's rugby international b

â�¬18m boost to economy is just GrandDaily Mirror-Eire, 17/03/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 811993http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=45628605

Smiles around the world for Patrick's DayIrish Examiner, 17/03/2011, Page: 7, Author: by Evelyn Ring, Clip ID: 811939SAINT Patrick's Day is now rated one of the friendUest days of the year, not only in Ireland but throughout the world, a new global study reveals. Eight out of 10 people in the United States, Australi

â�¬18m bonanza as 20,000 England fans hit DublinEvening Herald, 17/03/2011, Page: 6, Author: By Michael lavery, Clip ID: 812137DUBLIN is set to score a â�¬18m bonanza from thousands of rugby-mad English fans. They will arrive in the city over the next few days for Saturday's Six Nations clash at the Aviva Stadium. They're expec

â�¬80m boost expected as tourists flock inIrish Independent Broadsheet, 17/03/2011, Page: 10, Author: Shane Hickey, Clip ID: 811875VISITORS flooding in for St Patrick's Day are expected to give the beleaguered tourism industry a â�¬80m cash injection. The combination of the St Patrick's Festival and Saturday's rugby international b

Overseas rugby fans to help out our economyDaily Mail Eire, 17/03/2011, Page: 63, Author: , Clip ID: 811979http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=45633126

Broadband importance stressedSunday Business Post, 13/03/2011, Page: 4, Author: , Clip ID: 808827The chief executive of Vodafone Ireland has told businesses that development of next generation broadband must be a key priority for the new government, and that private sector funding will be availab

Bring out the leader in youWomen Mean Business, 01/03/2011, Page: 75, Author: , Clip ID: 799534

Changing PlacesIrish Director, 01/03/2011, Page: 65, Author: , Clip ID: 810619

New Dublin Chamber of Commerce PresidentPublic Sector Times, 01/03/2011, Page: 10, Author: , Clip ID: 808745Imelda Reynolds has been appointed to the position of President of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce for 2011. Ms. Reynolds is a Partner of Beauchamps Solicitors, where she served as Managing Partner fro




Chamber calls for changeNorthside People West, 23/02/2011, Page: 6, Author: , Clip ID: 794454THE Dublin Chamber of Commerce says it wants the abolition of upward only rent reviews, modernisation of bankraptcy laws and 'root and branch' public sector reform as part of the next programme for Go

How to make Dublin a far better placeSunday Business Post, 20/02/2011, Page: 16, Author: Gina Quin, Clip ID: 792922As we face the most significant general election of our generation, it is time for businesspeople, who have a strong vested interest in this country's wellbeing, to work actively with the next governm

Brick by BrickIrish Independent Broadsheet-Business Supplement, 17/02/2011, Page: 2, Author: , Clip ID: 790655

The building blocks for successThe Star, 17/02/2011, Page: 44, Author: , Clip ID: 790303

movers & SHAKERSSunday Business Post-Money & Markets, 13/02/2011, Page: 11, Author: , Clip ID: 787949Dublin Chamber of Comimerce has appointed imelda Reynolds as its president for 2011. Imelda Reynolds is a partner with Beauchamps Solicitors, where she also served as managing partner from 2001 to 2

STRIKING A DEAL AND HIGH-END HOTELS AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICESEvening Herald, 11/02/2011, Page: 40, Author: , Clip ID: 787071THURSDAY Aer Lingus CEO Christoph Mueller is gratuitously magnanimous at the Dublin Chambers evening, apologising to customers who have had their lives disrupted by the Impact dispute, and saying he u

Chamber's campaignDaily Mail Eire, 11/02/2011, Page: 53, Author: , Clip ID: 786400http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=44474689

LITTLE THINGSIrish Times-Business, 11/02/2011, Page: 14, Author: , Clip ID: 786426

'I'm disappointed things seem to be as they were'Irish Examiner, 08/02/2011, Page: 8, Author: by Juno McEnroe, Clip ID: 783727COMMUNITY and business groups have expressed disappointment at the failure of Labour and Fine Gael to meet promises after an investigation by the Irish Examiner revealed undelivered pledges made at th

Aer Lingus chief 'confident' roster row will be settledIrish Independent Broadsheet, 04/02/2011, Page: 4, Author: John Mulligan and Fergus Blacli, Clip ID: 781270AER Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller said last night the airline is "very, very confident" that the three-week cabin crew roster dispute will be resolved. Addressing the annual general meeting

Parties challenged on recovery plansIrish Times, 03/02/2011, Page: 7, Author: STEVEN CARROLL, Clip ID: 780266POLITICAL PARTIES have been pushed to outline how, if in government, they would reduce business costs, modernise bankruptcy laws and improve infrastructure in order to get the economy moving again. Th

Mueller to give speechEvening Herald, 01/02/2011, Page: 18, Author: , Clip ID: 779392AER Lingus CEO Christoph Mueller will lead the speeches at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce's AGM Dinner. Mr Mueller was appointed CEO and a member of the Board of Aer Lingus in September 2009 and prior



GardaÃ get power to clamp down on beggarsDaily Mail Eire, 10/01/2011, Page: 24, Author: Eva Marie Gibney, Clip ID: 763993http://www.nla-eclips.com/NLAAPI.dll/GetObject?ObjectID=43385697

Chamber calls for local government reformSunday Business Post, 02/01/2011, Page: 2, Author: By Nicola Cooke, Clip ID: 759438Dublin needs to have a single local authority system in areas such as IT, local planning processes, budgets and business rates, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The business organisation said


'Spillane hotline' jammed as fans search for ticketsLouiseHogan

THE Spillane hotline has beenhopping. Disappointed hopefuls,in the Kingdom of Kerry at least,have been dialling the number ofthe famous Templenoe family in adesperate bid to make it intothose famous stands on Sundayto see their heroes contest theAll-Ireland Senior Football Final.

With tickets being offered forover €1,000 on eßay, a lastminute ring-around is alwaysworth a shot.

Cara Spillane (21), thedaughter of Kerry legend andsports pundit Pat Spillane, saidthe home phone had been ringingnon-stop with calls from ticket-seeking friends and family. «

"I'm going to watch it with

friends on the television. I couldhave got a ticket but, in solidaritywith all the friends who couldn'tgo, we'll enjoy it somewhereelse," Ms Spiliane, who willreturn to UCC the day after theclash for her final year studyingLaw and Irish, said.

"All the family will be up inCroke Park - dad will be workingfor RTE, and my mom, brotherPat, and sister Shona will bewatching," she said.

Pat Spillane Jnr (14) is on theSouth Kerry development squadand Shona (19) also plays.

"I'm the black sheep," theAssets Agency model quipped.

"Particularly with my brotherat that age the run-up to an All-Ireland is exciting.

"The traditional All-Irelandday is: we all meet in the Hill 16pub and go to Mulligan's

afterwards. Family friends fly infrom London for it," she added.

It has proved one of the mostanticipated clashes in years, withCroke Park bosses admitting theycould easily fill the 82,300-seaterstadium twice over.

Thousands of ticketless fanswill be watching it on the smallscreen in pubs and hotels after aproposal to erect big screens inthe Phoenix Park and Dublin citycentre failed to get the greenlight.

A spokesman for Dublin CityCouncil said the council, gardaiand the Dublin County GAABoard felt people would havesufficient access to the match asit was on free-to-air television.

The Dublin Chamber ofCommerce has forecast a boostfor businesses in the capital overthe weekend.

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Staying Power How Paddy keeps ahead of the gamePAOOYPCWER,iHrectorof brandofoneofthewortd's tiie betting firms success was experlencetnatmeansmore account manager, Vodaf one;communicationsforPaddy UrgestbookmakersataDubUn staying ahead of the game by thansimplywlimingorloting and flinaQuln, chief executivePoweraddressedover2oo Chamber of Commerce event making betting an money." With Mr Power, centre, DubUn Chamber of Commerce.peepteaboutbuHdlngtne MrPowersaWthatthekeyto "entertaWrtg, fun and fair are left, IflaU Hayes, key cdlmmahady/fennells

02 launcheswebinar for SMEsDublin: 02 has launched afree cloud computingwebinar aimed at SMEs, tohelp them understand theopportunities andsolutions that cloudcomputing can bring.

The webinar follows arecent ißeach survey for02 which found that overhalf (54%) of businessesare confused about theterm cloud computing. Thewebinar, in partnershipwith the Dublin Chamberof Commerce, can beviewed any time atwww.o2.ie/cloud.

Businesses supportrestored Cork-Dublin

air route, survey showsby Scan O'Riordan

BUSINESS leaders arehoping the results of asurvey may convince anairline carrier to re-launchthe Cork-Dublin flightswhich Ryanair is pullingfrom next month.

The survey of nearly 500businesses — carried outby the Cork and Dublinchambers — revealed thatwhile 47% travel by road asubstantial 30% chose to fly,with a further 23% favour-ing the train.

The survey results, givento the Irish Examineryesterday, followed ahigh-level meeting attendedby representatives of CorkAirport, Cork Chamber,Cork city and countycouncils, the Irish Hotels'Federation, the Cork Busi-ness Association and Enter-prise Ireland.

All expressed confidencein the viability of the routewith the appropriate busi-ness model.

Cork Chamber chiefexecutive Conor Healy said:"The high propensity ofCork's business communitytravelling between Cork andDublin for business reasonswas instantly validated bythe overwhelming responseto the survey."

He said the most impor-tant factors for commuterswere timetable convenience,frequency of flights/trains,and the travel time.

"Respondents indicated ademand for two returnflights per day as theoptimum number of flightsbetween Cork and Dublin,with the strongest prefer-ence to depart Cork forDublin between 7am andBam and a return departuretime from Dublin Airportof between 6pm and 7pm."

He added that a regularand frequent air connectionfrom Cork to Dublin (andvice-versa) "is key if weare to support existingmultinationals and indige-nous businesses and attractfurther foreign directinvestment".

Gina Quin, chief execu-tive of Dublin Chamber ofCommerce, said the surveyillustrated the strong busi-ness relationships betweenthe two cities and said it wasimportant this connectivitywas retained.

She said it is now open foranother carrier with a morerelevant business model toadopt the route.

Kevin Cullinane, CorkAirport marketing manager,said management will con-tinue to talk to airlinepartners "in order todeliver a more appropr-iate, long-term sustainablesolution to air connectivitybetween the two cities".

Mayor of County Cork,Cllr Tim Lombard, said hehoped other airlines wouldsee there was a major needfor the service.

Cork Chamber urges actionover Cork - Dublin routeThe Cork Chamber has reit-erated its call for a proactiveand considered response tolast week's announcementthat Ryanair are to withdrawtheir Cork - Dublin servicefrom October.

The Chamber, as weU as re-questing an "urgent meeting"with regional stakeholders,have also launched a businesstravel survey which they hopemight pave the way for the

development of a new service.Chamber Chief ExecutiveConor Healy, in announcingthe launch of the survey, alsostressed the importance offinding a new carrier for theroute as quickly as possible.

The travel survey, accordingto Healy, "sees Cork Airport,Dublin Chamber and CorkChamber join forces to assessthe demand for air servicesbetween Cork and Dublin.

This short survey assesses thetravel needs for air connec-tivity between Ireland's twolargest cities, and will helpenhance the business case tothose Airlines who remainopen to the proposition of aCork-Dublin/Dublin-Corkroute".

The survey, which is beingcirculated widely, is also avail-able on the Chamber website,corkchamber.ie.

Congestion charge is nosolution

THE National Trans-portation Authority'sproposed congestioncharge would not havemade sense due to thelack of public trans-port for the GreaterDublin Area, accord-ing to Dublin Cham-ber of Commerce. TheChamber has wel-comed the decision byTransport MinisterLeo Varadkar TD, torule out a congestion

charge for motoristsfor thejkext five years.

The' NationalTransportation Au-thority (NTA) had putforward the proposalas part of their'Greater Dublin AreaDraft Strategy 2011--2030'. The proposalenvision congestioncharging not just thecity centre betweenthe canals, but anextra charge for the

use of major roads -like the M5O - andcharges according tosections driven bymotorists.

"The NTA's con-gestion charge pro-posal would havepunished GreaterDublin commuters forthe lack of publictransport investmentthat has occurred,"said Aebhric Mc Gib-ney, Dublin Cham-ber's Director of

Policy. "Speaking onbehalf of businessesthroughout the re-gion, strongly op-posed the proposal atrecent meetings withthe Minister and theNTA. There is no casefor even discussing ituntil proper publictransport alternativesare in place."

"The Minister'sdecision recognisesthe importance of the

efficient and effectivetransport of goods andpeople in urbanareas," said Mr McGibney.

"Any congestioncharge would be un-just and unfair oncommuters until ourtransport network issignificantly im-proved, and the cen-sus figures show thatthis is a moving targetso we better start

building now,'' said MrMc Gibney.

The NTA strategyhad been drawn up tobe consistent with theNational Develop-ment Plan 2007-2013and the National Spa-tial Strategy 2002--2020, both of whichneed to be refocusedin the light of the eco-nomic downturn.

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Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce said, "The introduction of the combined property and water charge is welcomenews but it is imperative that the income generated from the charge goes directly towards the funding of local government.

Local Property and Water Charges'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities*

Combined property and water charges of €100 per household must be directedstraight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according to

Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement by Minister Hogan that the localtax base would be broadening was welcomed by Dublin Chamber, who say thecharge must be clearly allied to local services received by the taxpayer.

Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin said, "The introductionChamber of Commerce ofthe combined propertyand water charge is wel-come news but it is

imperative that theincome generated from

the charge goes directlytowards the fundingof local government.Dublin Chamber haslong called for a faireradministration of taxes,in order to create a directlinkage between localservice usage and locallyraised charges. In doingso we will not repeat theproblems createdthrough the LocalGovernment Fund."Ms Quin continued, "Ifthese charges are direct-

ed locally, local authori-ties and councillors willbe directly accountableto local taxpayers forhow they spend theirmoney. It is necessarythat all citizens appreci-ate the need for localauthorities to be run effi-ciently and push forimplementation of effi-ciency programmes. Forexample, theIndependent ReviewGroup Report onStaffing Levels in DublinCity Council, stated thatstaff numbers could bereduced by nearly 20%with payroll savings of€46 million by the endof 2014."


Local Property and Water Charges'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities*Combined property and water charges of €100 per household must be directed

straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according toDublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement by Minister Hogan that the localtax base would be broadening was welcomed by Dublin Chamber, who say thecharge must be clearly allied to local services received by the taxpayer.

Gina Quin, CEO, DublinChamber of Commerce

said, The introductionof the combined propertyand water charge is wel-come news but it isimperative that theincome generated from

the charge goes directlytowards the fundingof local government.Dublin Chamber haslong called for a faireradministration of taxes,in order to create a directlinkage between localservice usage and locallyraised charges. In doingso we will not repeat theproblems createdthrough the LocalGovernment Fund."Ms Quin continued, "Ifthese charges are direct-ed locally, local authori-ties and councillors willbe directly accountableto local taxpayers forhow they spend theirmoney. It is necessarythat all citizens appreci-ate the need for localauthorities to be run effi-ciently and push forimplementation of effi-ciency programmes. Forexample, theIndependent ReviewGroup Report onStaffing Levels in DublinCity Council, stated thatstaff numbers could bereduced by nearly 20%with payroll savings of€46 million by the endof 2014."


Local Property and Water Charges'Must Go Straight to Local Authorities'Combined property and water charges of €100 per household must be directed

straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according toDublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement by Minister Hogan that the localtax base would be broadening was welcomed by Dublin Chamber, who say thecharge must be clearly allied to local services received by the taxpayer.Gina Quin, CEO, DublinChamber of Commercesaid, "The introductionof the combined propertyand water charge is wel-come news but it isimperative that theincome generated fromthe charge goes directlytowards the fundingof local government.Dublin Chamber haslong called for a faireradministration of taxes,in order to create a directlinkage between localservice usage and locallyraised charges. In doingso we will not repeat theproblems createdthrough the LocalGovernment Fund."Ms Quin continued, "Ifthese charges are direct-ed locally, local authori-ties and councillors willbe directly accountableto local taxpayers forhow they spend theirmoney. It is necessarythat all citizens appreci-ate the need for localauthorities to be run effi-ciently and push forimplementation of effi-ciency programmes. Forexample, theIndependent ReviewGroup Report onStaffing Levels in DublinCity Council, stated thatstaff numbers could bereduced by nearly 20%with payroll savings of€46 million by the endof 2014"



straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according toDublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement by Minister Hogan that the localtax base would be broadening was welcomed by Dublin Chamber, who say thecharge must be clearly allied to local services received by the taxpayer.

tjina t^uin, utiu, uuDlinChamber of Commerce

said, "The introductionof the combined propertyand water charge is wel-come news but it isimperanve mat tneincome generated from

me cnarge goes airecuytowards the fundingof local government.Dublin Chamber haslong called for a faireradministration of taxes,in order to create a directlinkage between localservice usage ana locanyraised charges. In doingso we will not repeat theproblems createdthrough the LocalGovernment Fund."Ms Quin continued, "Ifthese charges are direct-ed locally, local authori-ties and councillors willbe directly accountableto local taxpayers forhow they spend theirmoney. It is necessarythat all citizens appreci-ate the need for local

authorities to be run effi-ciently and push forimplementation of effi-ciency programmes. Forexample, theIndependent ReviewGroup Report onStaffing Levels in DublinCity Council, stated thatstaff numbers could bereduced by nearly 20%with payroll savings of€46 million by the endof 2014."



straight back to the local authorities in which they were raised, according toDublin Chamber of Commerce. The announcement by Minister Hogan that the localtax base would be broadening was welcomed by Dublin Chamber, who say thecharge must be clearly allied to local services received by the taxpayer.Gina Quin, CEO, DubbnChamber of Commerce

said, "The introductionof the combined property

and water charge is wel-come news but it is

imperative that theincome generated from

the charge goes directlytowards the fundingof local government.Dublin Chamber haslong called for a faireradministration of taxes,in order to create a directlinkage between localservice usage and locallyraised charges. In doingso we will not repeat theproblems createdthrough the LocalGovernment Fund."Ms Quin continued, "Ifthese charges are direct-ed locally, local authori-ties and councillors willbe directly accountableto local taxpayers forhow they spend theirmoney. It is necessarythat all citizens appreci-ate the need for localauthorities to be run effi-ciently and push forimplementation of effi-ciency programmes. Forexample, theIndependent ReviewGroup Report onStaffing Levels in DublinCity Council, stated thatstaff numbers could bereduced by nearly 20%with payroll savings of€46 million by the endof 2014."

Chamber survey onRyanair route axingCork: Cork Chamber isconducting a survey of itsmembers following theaxing of the Cork-DublinRyanair route, whichcomes into effect fromOctober 30.

Chamber chief executive,Conor Healy, said: "BothCork and Dublin Chambersbelieve that a Cork-Dublinair connection is necessaryand an alternative carrierneeds to be securedwithout delay.

"Cork Chamber, inconjunction with CorkAirport and DublinChamber, are askingmembers to complete ashort survey to helpdetermine the preferencesof those travelling betweenCork and Dublin."

Chamber to surveyover axed air serviceBy VINCENT KELLYCORK Chamber is conducting asurvey which it hope willstrengthen its hand in calling for areplacement company to take overair services on the Cork-Dublinroute.

It has announced that it is to survey its1,000-plus member companies about theirrequirements for a service between the twocities.

The initiative follows on last week's an-nouncement from Ryanair that it will ceaseits Cork-Dublin service from Sunday, Octo-ber 30, due to low usage.

Chamber president, Conor Healy, in anote to companies asking them to take partin the survey, said an alternative carrierneeded to be secured without delay.

In it he said that their colleagues inDublin Chamber also believed that aCork-Dublin air connection was necessary.

The survey is being conducted by Cork

Chamber, m conjunction with Cork Airportand Dublin Chamber.

The need was to determine the prefer-ences of those travelling between Cork andDublin, aMr Healy said.

The information in the survey wouldprovide useful information in relation to theroute and indicate how best to meet the airtravel needs of Cork business customers.

One hope is that a smaller plane can besourced to service the route.

The Ryanair flight carried close on 200passengers, but in recent times, due to theeconomic downturn, usage had droppedconsiderably.

Aer Arann, which previously provided aservice on the route, said it had no plans toreturn to it.

Ryanair, in making its announcement,also said that more people were travellingbetween the two cities by road because ofthe improved road network.

Chamber members can access the surveyby going to : https://corkdublinair.survey-console.com.

Derek and Lorainne Walshe, proprietors of the Elm Tree, with head chef, Richella Leahy, and her team, following the presentation of theGreat Carvery Pub of the Year award to the establishment. Picture: Diane Cusack

Chamber calls forgreater measuresDublin: Government needsto deliver greater savingsin current expenditure thanthe €2.1 bn agreed in theEU/IMF memorandum ofunderstanding, accordingto Dublin Chamber ofCommerce.

"Government mustproduce a 'business plan'for recovery to clearlyoutline the path thatgreater overall fiscalmanagement will take.This reform of thepublic sector may needto exceed the boundsof the Croke ParkAgreement with publicservice unions or —at the very least — testthe agreement to itslimits. What's needednow is certainty," saidDublin Chamber chiefexecutive, Gina Quin.

Dublin Chambercalls for more cutsTHE Government needs to cutspending even further than the€2.1 billion agreed with the IMF,according to Dublin Chamber ofCommerce. In its pre-Budgetsubmission, the Chamber saidthat business, internationalmarkets and consumers want tohave confidence in this Budgetbut that it will need to include animplementation plan for furtherpublic sector reform as part of it.

Confidence is crucial for business performanceBudget 2012 must clearly detail Ireland's 'businessplan' to restore confidence among citizens,businesses and investors

In the business world, arecovery plan identifiesthe most important tasksto restore the business. It

sets out what is needed fromkey activities and functionsand how core departmentsneed to operate in the shortand medium term. It gives thelong term direction and vision.This is how we must address Ir-eland's business recovery plan.

The broad brush strokes ofthis are set out in the EU /IMFMemorandum of Understand-ing (MoU), but much greaterdetail is required - and soon.The government said therewould be no increases in in-come taxes; now it is sayingthere will be an increase. Howcan consumers plan theirspending without knowingwhat will be left in their paypackets?Business andenterpriseBusinesses throughout Ire-land's cities and towns areaware that fiscal correction is

hard but, as our export sectorhas demonstrated, such a cor-rection makes businesses com-petitive and sustainable.Unfortunately for businessesserving the domestic market,the lack of a government 'busi-ness plan' has citizens worry-ing rather than spending.

Dublin Chamber's pre-bud-get submission includes re-commendations on how thegovernment can enable smallbusinesses to expand and ad-

dress cash-flow issues. Theserecommendations are de-signed to be cost-neutral andsensitive to concerns regardingExchequer cashflow and thecost of capital.

Above all, clarity is needed,as it will foster stability, andout of stability we will havegrowth.Current expenditureThe primary issue that must beaddressed in Budget 2012 iscurrent expenditure. In theEU/IMF memorandum, thetargeted current expendituresavings are €2.1 billion. We feelthat this needs to be nearer €2.5billion.

Central to this should be re-form of the public sector, fo-cusing on the effectiveness ofits delivery, pushing or exceed-ing the bounds of the CrokePark Agreement.

June's progress report on theagreement was welcomed byunions and why not? Theagreement in effect rules outoutsourcing public servicesand continues a flawed expen-diture reform approach. Re-form needs to focus on theeffectiveness of public servicedelivery, which will require de-partments to not only knowhow much is spent but howmuch is bought.

Each department managerand public servant needs to de-monstrate the linkage betweenresources and outputs againstother options, such as outsour-cing.Local governmentand commercial ratesLocal government is a hugecost, but can produce signifi-cant savings in this budget. In2010, the budget for Ireland's lo-cal authorities was €4.7 billion.This current spending washigher than all but three gov-ernment departments: SocialProtection, Health and Educa-tion.

We strongly believe that thisis unsustainable and our sub-mission recommends that eachlocal authority should be givena current spending reductiontarget of 3 per cent per annum,in addition to any cost- savingmeasures that may already beunder way.

This 3 per cent target, whichwould exclude the savings of

€346 million already identified

Ireland needs to be a competitive location forenterprise TONY O'SHEA

by the Local Government Effi-ciency Review Group, wouldgenerate over €130 million insavings in 2012 and take about€500 million off the cost of lo-cal government by the end of2015. This approach has beeneffective for local authorities inEngland.

As an incentive to localmanagement and councillors,a portion ofthe additional sav-ings made should be retainedat local level for discretionaryspend on services and projects.

A reduction in spend for lo-cal authorities does not neces-sarily mean a poorer output ofservices. It is possible to deliverthe same quality of service at areduced cost by exploring al-ternative options such as theoutsourcing of local services.

For example, in 2010, DunLaoghaire-Rathdown CountyCouncil outsourced its wastedisposal service that had lossesof €3.5 million annually.

It is important that the sav-ings generated from increasedefficiency in local governmentshould be evenly distributedbetween reductions in Exche-quer funding and the commer-cial rates paid by business,which currently account forabout 40 per cent of localauthority revenue in Dublinalone.

If, for example, the €46 mil-lion in savings identified byoverstaffing at Dublin CityCouncil was passed on to theratepayers of that area it wouldmean a 16 per cent reduction.Such a figure is in keeping withthe cuts that businesses have

faced over the past three years.

Capital investmentTimes are tough but Ireland iscontinuing to grow and needsto be a competitive locationfor enterprise. In the GreaterDublin Area alone, the preli-minary census figures showedthe population had grown by136,000 since 2006, with afurther growth of 600,000 inthe next 15 years forecast bythe CSO.

Future strategic investmentis an essential component ofregional and national competi-tiveness and as such, furtherreductions in capital expendi-ture should be avoided. Lastyear's budget saw a drop of€2.8 billion in capital expendi-ture from 2007 levels.

While there have been majorimprovements to Ireland's in-frastructure, we came from alow base and our competitorshave continued to invest duringthis period.

We accept that the money isnot available in the immediatefuture for projects such as Me-tro North and Dart under-ground; however, we believethat these plans should be de-ferred and not shelved comple-tely.

In particular, we believe thatno measure should be taken toimpede the later implementa-tion of these projects. Innova-tive means of funding usingprivate finance should be fullyexplored.ConclusionWe believe that our recom-mendations offer tangible op-portunities for the governmentto foster enterprise in a cost-sensitive approach. We have toincrease confidence in themarket, support SMEs andkeep a long-term vision inplace to continue to attractand retain multinational cor-porations.

The success of Budget 2012will be measured in terms ofits boost to consumer and busi-ness confidence.

Gina Quin is chief executiveof the Dublin Chamber ofCommerce

GINA QUIN

Cork-Dublin air link is vital for business in our regionTHE decision by Ryanair to end its Cork-Dublin servicefrom Sunday, October 30, is to be very much regretted.

As the only airline providing service on this route, itprovided a vital link between the two cities.

The company has given a number of reasons why itdecided to pull the plug on the link, but the primary onehas to be that it was no longer viable to run the servicebecause of falling usage.

The company also said that more people were nowgoing to Dublin by road because of the travelling timebetween the two cities was down to 2.5 hours.

It also said that its decision had been dictated by thehigh level of charges it has to pay to use Cork andDublin, airport.

In reply, the Cork Airport Authority (CAA) said pas-senger and landing charges haven't been increased inCork since 2004. It also said that it had engaged in jointmarketing and advertising promotions with Ryanair inorder to try and boost usage on the route.

It would be futile to engage in a blame game in rela-tion to the matter. The inescapable fact is that the

downturn in the economy has led to the present situ-ation.

In the good old days of the Celtic Tiger, busi-ness-owners didn't have to be as careful as they do tobe now about how they spend their money.

In addition, the contraction in business has hit everycompany in the country, with the result that only jour-neys which are absolutely necessary are undertaken.

In this climate, an increased amount of day-to-daycommunication is being done via the internet and videolink-ups.

Having said all that, it is absolutely vital that an air linkis restored between the two cities, even if it is onscaled-down basis.

It is far better to have a service that operates two orthree times a week than have no service at all.

Nor will people take offence if an incoming new carri-er doesn't provide the same capacity as was providedby Ryanair. In the words of Cork Chamber chief execut-ive Conor Healy, the over-riding need is to have a re-placement service as quickly as possible.

He added that while recent improvements to road andrail options offered additional choice and competition forthose wishing to travel between the Cork region andDublin, flight connections were still very important forthose wishing to use Dublin Airport for domestic travel,in addition to onward mainland European and interna-tional connections.

It was a point backed up by Aebhric McGibney, thedirector of policy at Dublin Chamber of Commerce, whosaid the south-west region had significant requirementsfor international connectivity in order to meet the traveldemands of both the business community and the tour-ism sector. The Dublin route played an integral part inmeeting these needs.

The Cork-Dublin route was also the means by whichbusiness travellers accessed international headquartersand customers/suppliers with relative ease.

For all these reasons, there is an urgency aboutrestoring the link. - VINCENT KELLY

[email protected].

Cork goes pop as airlines struggleto make their old Tiger routes payRyanair's closure of the Cork-Dublin link has been blamed on what would have been unthinkable 10 years ago - a decent road

Thomas Molloyand John Mulligan

AER Lingus gaveit up years ago,and now Ryanairhas come to theconclusion thatthe Dublin-Cork

route just can't pay its way.This week, Ryanair blamed

its decision to axe the service onsomething that less than adecade ago would have beenunthinkable - a decent roadlinking the capital to the coun-try's second biggest city.

Ryanair said that its passen-ger traffic on the route declinedfrom 340,000 in 2007 to 150,000last year.

The termination of the serv-ice marks the continuingdecline of domestic routes, butis also just another chapter inIreland's slowly dwindlingdirect air connectivity.

Bting dallianceFormer Aer Lingus chief execu-tive Dermot Mannion dalliedwith the Celtic Tiger's love ofbling, when he launched a serv-ice between Dublin and Dubaiin 2006.

It came in what would effec-tively be the death throes ofIreland's then decade-long eco-nomic expansion. The serviceceased in March 2008, justmonths before the global melt-down but at a time when it wasalready apparent that thedomestic economy was gettinginto trouble.

Later that year, the directservice to Los Angeles got thechop, while Aer Lingus servic-es to Washington DC and SanFrancisco were euthanised inlate 2009.

There's little prospect at themoment of the carrier expand-ing its current portfolio of USroutes beyond New York,

Boston, Chicago and Orlando,leaving business people beingforced to use connecting servic-es to reach American west-coastdestinations from Ireland andvice versa.

The US east coast remainswell served by airlines includingDelta, United-Continental andUS Airways.

"Changing planes in Chicago,New York or Heathrow adds avast amount of unpredictabili-ty to a trip," says Fergus Sullivan,the 42-year-old director of aSilicon Valley internet companywho often returns home toDublin for work and pleasure.

He adds that delays due toweather, lost bags and missedconnections aren't just "theoret-ical risks", but that disruptionsseems to happen regularly.

"A non-stop from Californiato Dublin would make doingbusiness in Ireland vastly sim-pler," he thinks. "I'd ratherspend 10 hours getting to Ire-land than 16. 1 want to get on aplane, work a little, read a little,watch a movie and nap.

Terminal"I don't want to hare from ter-minal to terminal working outwhether snow, thunderstorms,long immigration queues or lostbags are going to turn a four-daytrip into a train wreck."

Aer Lingus said last weekthat despite having had talkswith airports on the US westcoast, it wouldn't be recom-mencing any services in thenear future as they're likely to beloss-making.

The Dublin Chamber of Com-merce claimed the lack of adirect service from Dublin toSan Francisco or Los Angeleswas a "major obstacle" to Irishcompanies seeking venturecapital.

But it's hardly a surprise thatmany routes dried up as theIrish economy withered.Lufthansa-owned BMI - long astalwart on the Dublin-Heathrow route - stopped bas-ing an aircraft in Dublin in 2010,resulting in the loss of 33 jobs,although it continued to oper-ate the service. It said the movewas to do with the more effi-cient deployment of aircraft.

The Dublin Airport Authori-ty's annual reports reveal justhow services at the capital's air-port have been affected in the

past few years. In 2007 therewere 89 airlines servicing 200destinations. Last year therewere 63 serving 177 - still morethan there was in 2006,however.

Yet even as some routes havebeen canned, others have pros-pered, such as Abu Dhabi-basedEtihad's service between Dublinand the Gulf emirate.

It has proved a popularchoice for Irish travellers mak-ing their way to Australia -many of them emigrating tofind work. The Dublin-AbuDhabi route is profitable forthe airline.

Other carriers that relied ona vibrant transfer of labourbetween eastern Europe andIreland during the boom yearsquickly found that demand wasstunted as the global economicdownturn took hold.

The local impact of route clo-sures can be significant. WhenRyanair decided to cease oper-ating a base at Marseille earli-er this year following a rowwith French authorities overlabour laws, the reaction ofthe local chamber of commerce- which controls the city'sairport - was one of consterna-tion.

Its president, Jacques Pfis-ter, said that Ryanair hadbrought hundreds of millions ofeuro into the local economy inthe previous four years.

"Ryanair, thanks to its planesbased on our territory, hasenabled the creation of 1,000jobs directly or indirectlyand brought into the local

economy over €550 m," he said.He added that a court ruling

which said that Ryanair employ-ees based in France should besubject to French rather thanIrish employee and tax laws,was akin to "putting the brakeson development".

When Ryanair sabre-rattledthe previous year that it wasconsidering leaving Marseille,Mr Pfister described it as an"alarming threat to the future"and even went as far as tosuggest the "whole country"could be destabilised.

But Ryanair is nothing if notfickle. As long as the economicsmake sense, it will jump rightback in to airports it has previ-ously abandoned.

Even while Marseille sufferedfrom 13 routes being cut by

Ryanair, the airline subsequent-ly added 11 for the currentsummer season and even hastwo aircraft based there againup until early next month.

Nine of the summer routeswere routes it had previouslyculled.

Ryanair has also slashed linksbetween Ireland and Germanyin recent years, axing popularroutes linking Dublin and Ham-burg and reducing routesbetween the capital and Berlin.

Despite this, German-IrishChamber of Commerce chiefexecutive Ralf Lissek believesthe moves have had very littleeffect on business. He notesinstead that Aer Lingus hasopened a new route to Stuttgartwhich is the capital of BadenWurttemberg - Germany'seconomic powerhouse.

RoutesRyanair's closure of routes toGermany from places such asShannon has hit individualcompanies but "the roads toDublin are so good nowadaysthat it is not really an issue," headds.

Sources in the airline indus-try suggest that a new routebetween Dublin and Leipzig ineastern Germany is also likely toopen soon, further enhancingthe links between Irelandand our third-largest tradingpartner.

As Ireland slowly claws itsway out of the economic mire itfinds itself in, new routes andadditional services will proba-bly become more attractive toairline operators.

But those services are alsocertain to remain dominatedby just two carriers - Ryanairand Aer Lingus, with Ireland'srelatively small population andperipheral location continuingto make it a largely unappealingprospect for many potentialcompetitors.

Airports failed to come up with Plan B despite warningsANALYSIS MttMlnartofOMM- _Haa_^_^_^_^_^_^_H_l_Ha_^_^_^_^_l °P«-tk>n conUnuas. Moore, president of the

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(PSO) routes which are at BÎ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Î^^^H^Si A*rArarw-op>rat»<lPSO SUgo Parti HoteLUKE so many UMxpoctad theccreoffieostreglonot ■^B_^_n-B^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_l_a_^_^^^r^_^_^_^_l_H route. "Wedon^liomthatevente In Irish We, this airports' bualnassinodaU. fl^^^HH^H^^^^^^^^B__B||^^^^^H *inthaslisoncaofsoma saUlng point anymore evenweek's lalbacfc far two of A further Issue ws* the H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H otherformof though SUgo wastheoountry** largest new EU rates that cams n^sMbMlork, SUgo Airport designated a gatewayregional airports has bean Into foroa three years ago I^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H would ptato to oomniarclal cJty," says Mr Moore*a long time coming and and changed PSO San-^__^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_l baffle (without the PSOs},** Wh-le the naHwas watt flagged as earty guldallnasiiy raoulrlng aaBBBaeaarB^BBaBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB DKM oonctuded eight years connection Is good* thereas 2003. ittentber states to have ago. are still probtoms wllh the

MfchMlO'Uary ->rtciilar regard to other to aerial view of ttienaraay at Why Afcpiirt,a-aii-h-l. S««ty. tn-t prw-cUon H4 road and ptanmdpredtated the demise of six transport modes* ThsrewfllbenoinnraeenoiierclaelfU^^ came tnw a few weeks ago bnpi uvemcnts hove beenregional airports back In especfaHy where there are after Transport Msntstar shelved to sove money, he2008 and oonsutlantiDKM suttsi)Uti-fa sendees with that thaoU modal wa* In ttwPSOwasaboUslwd. Lao Varadkar puUad ttw notes.pubUshadascathkig )ouritey time* of less than ut>ubU, little was done to Tha first airport to shut, plug on ttia abporTs PSa While this wont do tooraport on tha natkm'* three hours". prepare airports for these but almost eertaJray not The decision means that much to deter Irish peopleregional airports In 2003 SUgo, Knock and Batway new commercial and the last, was SUgo Airport KwMbemoredrfflcultto from travel Kwtl deterwtilcli oorioUidad that most are aU less that) three regulatory realities. wNcJi (natty otosadtts aUieiA foreign db vol iNislnesf executives whowould ooUapaa In the hoursfrom DuoUn. Some airport maiiagers doors to uiNiaiiaralßl aiveaunant to the county cutoff the oowUi y Uauughabsence of state- Despite the admr«_dpubucry that they traffic last month auhough and the north west, says DubUn airport, Mr Mooresponsored routes. overwtiaun-ig evidence dldnt even have a Plan BH the ak--saa rescue the thougntful Oerard adds.

Ryanair to pull out ofCork- Dublin routeRYANAIR is to pull out of its Cork-Dublin route from Sunday, October 30citing a decline in air traffic due tomotorway improvements as the reasonfor the decision.

Passengers who have booked to travelon this route after the closure willreceive a full refund in due course.

Cork Chamber and Dublin Chamberhave voiced their disappointment atthe move and have called for anothercarrier to resume the flight.

Cork Chamber Chief ExecutiveConor Healv said: "while recent

improvements to road and rail optionshave offered additional choice andcompetition for those wishing to travelbetween the Cork region and Dublin,flight connections are still very impor-tant for those wishing to use DublinAirport for domestic travel, in additionto onward international connections."

Ryanair is also ending its dailyreturn flights from Kerry Airport toDublin from September 7. However,Aer Arann will take over the routefrom early November under a govern-ment subsidised PSO contract.

Jobs boost for SouthsideIN A BAD week on the employment front, there wassome good news for the Southside with the creationof over 100 new jobs.

by Neil FetherstonThe Minister for Jobs, En-terprise and Innovation,Richard Bruton, announcedrecently that over 400 jobswill be created over the nextthree years in new start-upcompanies, with one in fivegoing to the Southside.

Supported by the Govern-ment through Enterprise Ire-land in the second quarter of2011, the new jobs come ontop of 310 others created ear-lier in the year as part of theHigh Potential Start Ups pro-gramme.

BoostBiometric in Carridonines

has announced the creationof 34 new jobs, DOCOsoft inUCD is creating 14, HandleHygiene in Dundrum is creat-ing 13 and XI in Leopard -stown is creating 24 jobs.

Deputy Peter Mathews,(FG) welcomed the an-nouncement, saying it was awelcome boost for the area.

"This comes on the backof Vodafone Ireland's recentcommitment to retain jobs inLeopardstown," he said."Creating jobs is the Govern-ment's number one priorityand a huge amount of workhas been done between En-terprise Ireland and the de-partment to create these jobs

in 24 new high potential start-up companies across thecountry.

"I am delighted that oneout of every five of these jobsis on the Southside," headded. "Many of these com-panies are operating in pre-cisely the innovative sectorsthat the Government is tar-geting for growth, includingclean tech, life sciences, ICTand financial services.

"If we are to rebuild theeconomy and create jobs ofthe future here, we must notonly continue to attract high-end multinational companies,but also ensure that morehigh potential small busi-nesses can establish and ex-pand here. Only anindigenous engine of eco-nomic growth can create thesuccessful future we all wantfor Ireland."

Meanwhile, a total of 65jobs have been created withthe opening of two newrestaurants in the city centre.

The legendary Nando 'schain is opening the two out-lets on Mary Street and StAndrew Street.

Operating in Ireland since

2008, when it first opened inBelfast Victoria Square, theinternational restaurant that isfamous for its Peri-Perichicken dish has grown sig-nificantly and now employsover 150 people in Dublin,Cork and Belfast.

With the opening of MaryStreet in September and StAndrew Street in November,the staff levels will exceed215.

PrimeAlan Snyman, Regional

Managing Director, Irelandsaid: "We have been on thesearch for two Dublin citycentre locations to add to ourfamily of restaurants for sometime.

"We are delighted to havesecured two prime locationson both Mary Street and StAndrew Street. In openingthese two restaurants we arereaffirming our commitmentto Ireland and are very confi-dent that with the creation of65 new jobs, our two newrestaurants will prove to be assuccessful as the Nando'sstory itself."

Also in Dublin, the North-side was welcoming a deci-sion by Pay Pal to create anadditional 200 jobs at its Eu-ropean headquarters in Blan-chardstown.

Gina Quin, DublinChamber CEO, said theywere delighted by Pay Pal's de-

cision to increase its work-force in the Dublin region.

However, the good newsfor Dublin was overshadowedby that from Carrick-on-Shannon where hundreds ofjobs are at risk at the MBNAoperation. A further 350 areto go at Anglo Irish Bank.

Chamber: Dublin airlink must be replacedCORK Chamber which repres-ents more than a 1,000 firmshas joined with Dublin Cham-ber in calling for urgent actionto find a replacement companyto provide a link between Corkand Dublin airports.

The move came after it was revealedyesterday that Ryanair, the sole pro-vider of services between Cork andDublin, is to end its flights betweenthe two cities at the end of October.

The company said that it was with-drawing from the route because of adramatic fall off in the numbers usingthe services and because recent roadimprovements meant that more peoplewere opting to make the trip betweenthe cities by car.

It also blamed the high costs it isbeing charged for using the airports.However, a spokesperson for Cork Air-

port said it hadn t increased passengeror landing charges since 2004.

Now frantic behind-scenes effortsare being made to see if another air-line will take on the route.

One option is to secure a plane witha small capacity than the one used byRyanair — which was capable of car-rying 189 passengers.

Aer Arann operated a service on theroute with a smaller plane than Ry-anair's up until last year.

Cork Chamber chief executiveConor Healy said that an urgentsearch needed to be launched to findan alternative carrier, one capable ofproviding more flexible capacity and along-term solution on the route, appro-priate to the changing needs of themarket.

"While recent improvements to roadand rail options have offered addition-al choice and competition for thosewishing to travel between the Cork

region and Dublin, flight connectionsare still very important for those wish-ing to use Dublin .Airport for domestictravel, in addition to using it as a hubfor onward international connec-tions".

Aebhric McGibney, director ofpolicy, Dublin Chamber of Commerce,said air connectivity within Irelandwas a must for the tourism sector andwas the s means by which businesstravellers accessed their internationalheadquarters and customers/suppli-ers.

The South West region had signific-ant requirements for internationalconnectivity, in order to meet thetravel demands of both the businesscommunity and the tourism sector.The Cork/Dublin Cork route played anintegral part in meeting these needs,he added.

Congestion chargeis no solutionTHE National Trans-portation Authority'sproposed congestioncharge would nothave made sense dueto the lack of publictransport for theGreater Dublin Area,according to DublinChamber of Com-merce. The Chamberhas welcomed thedecision by Trans-port Minister LeoVaradkar TD, to ruleout a congestioncharge for motoristsfor the next fiveyears.

The NationalTransportation Au-thority (NTA) hadput forward the pro-posal as part of their'Greater Dublin AreaDraft Strategy 2011--2030'. The proposalenvision congestioncharging not just thecity centre betweenthe canals, but anextra charge for theuse of major roads -

like the M5O - andcharges according tosections driven bymotorists.

"The NTA's con-gestion charge pro-posal would havepunished GreaterDublin commutersfor the lack of publictransport investmentthat has occurred,"said Aebhric Mc Gib-ney, Dublin Cham-ber's Director ofPolicy. "DublinChamber, speakingon behalf of busi-nesses throughoutthe region, stronglyopposed the pro-posal at recent meet-ings with theMinister and theNTA. There is no casefor even discussing ituntil proper publictransport alterna-tives are in place."

"The Minister'sdecision recognisesthe importance ofthe efficient and ef-

fective transport ofgoods and people inurban areas," saidMr Mc Gibney.

The new Censusfigures showed apopulation growth ofnearly 140,000 in theGreater Dublin Area.Past census data hasalso shown thatthese commutershave the longesttravel times. "Anycongestion chargewould be unjust andunfair on commutersuntil our transportnetwork is signifi-candy improved, andthe census figuresshow that this is amoving target so webetter start buildingnow," said Mr McGibney.

The NTA strategyhad been drawn upto be consistent withthe National Devel-opment Plan 2007--2013 and theNational Spatial

Strategy 2002-2020,both of which needto be refocused inthe light of the eco-

nomic downturn, ac-cording to theDublin Chamber.

PayPal jobs boost welcomedNEWS of 200 new jobs at the Pay Pal Centre of Excel-lence in Blanchardstown has been warmly welcomed bythe local community.

1 be global online paymentscompany made the announce-ment last week saying the newcustomer service positions willsupport its growing Europeanbusiness which contributed to a€1 billion revenue quarter be-tween April and June.

The jobs are in addition to150 positions announced last

February and Pay Pal, whichbegan its Dublin operationwith a staff of just 25 back in2003, currently employs morethan 1,350 people at its Blan-chardstown site,

Last week's announcementoffers further opportunities forpermanent positions in cus-tomer service, risk operations,financial operations, sales andaccount management for indi-viduals fluent in English and asecond European language.

Pay Pal's Louise Phelan saidshe was proud to be able tomake the announcement.

"This announcement is atestament to the excellent workand commitment of our cur-rent employees," she said.

"We have gone fromstrength to strength since theofficial opening of our Centreof Excellence here in Blan-chardstown two years ago.

Ms Phelan also thanked the

by Jack GleesonIDA for their continued sup-port and its CEO, BarryO'Leary, said he was delightedthat Pay Pal was continuing tosuccessfully develop its Irishoperation.

"It underlines Ireland's con-tinuing ability to attract high-calibre foreign directinvestment," he added.

"Pay Pal's decision repre-sents a key endorsement fromone of the world's leading on-line companies, building on Ire-land's reputation as the internetcapital of Europe."

Minister for Jobs, Enter-prise and Innovation RichardBruton TD, believes Pay Palwill soon employ well over1,550 people in Dublin.

"If Ireland is to get out ofthis crisis and get jobs growingagain, we must build deter-minedly on our existingstrengths as an economy," hesaid.

"One key aspect of this isour base of world-leading in-ternet companies who have es-tablished major operationshere."

Minister for Transport,Tourism & Sport and Dublin

West TD Leo Varadkar alsowelcomed the new jobs whichhe said will further enhance thearea's status for informationtechnology companies.

"The new jobs are particu-larly welcome in these difficulttimes, and are just the sort ofnew positions we need to getthe economy back to stronggrowth," he said.

"I'm particularly pleasedthat Blanchardstown has beenable to attract global companieslike Pay Pal and eßay and Ihope this move will attract fur-ther high-calibre jobs to thearea."

Dublin 15 Labour Partycouncillor and Deputy Mayorof Fingal Patrick Nulty de-scribed last week's announce-ment as "a good news story forFingal and the Blanchardstownarea in particular''.

"Getting people back towork represents a huge chal-lenge for this country and thefact that Pay Pal are creatingmore jobs in Dublin 15 showsthat we continue to have askilled and educated work-force," he said.

The Dublin Chamber ofCommerce said the decision byPay Pal to create the jobs con-firmed that the capital was stilla global leader in attracting in-ternational internet servicebusinesses.

Over the past numbermonths companies such asLinkedln, Zynga and 2Paper-Dolls have joined the growingcluster of Dublin based hi-tech firms with establishedplayers including Google,Facebook, Microsoft, Dell,Intel, AOL and HP.

"We are delighted and en-couraged by Pay Pal's decisionto increase its workforce inthe Dublin region," saidDublin Chamber CEO, GinaQuin,

"We strive to make Dublinthe best place in the world todo business and today's an-

nouncement shows we're suc-ceeding in getting top globalinternet companies to chooseDublin.

"Although we are a smallcity, we have the big players inthe internet service industryhere and that's good for allDublin businesses."

Meanwhile, there wasmore good news on the localemployment front with theannouncement that a total of65 jobs have been created withthe opening of two newNando 's restaurants in Dublincity centre, including one onNorthside's Mary Street.

Aer Lingus will not offer USwest coast flightsAER Lingus has decided not to

relaunch its flights to the US westcoast despite speculation that itwas considering returning thecross-Atlantic service.

The airline was in talks withSan Francisco, San Jose, Oaklandand Los Angeles about operatinga service there.

However, yesterday it revealedthe route would not be "commer-cially viable".

Dublin Chamber of Commerceboss Gina Quin said the news wasdisappointing given that Dublinand San Jose have been SiliconValley "sister cities" for 25 years.

"Such a route would have been

extremely valuable to the contin-ued development of our strongeconomic links with Silicon Valleyand other West Coast hubs of UScompanies with European HQshere in Ireland," she said.SISTER CITIES: Quinn

Aer Lingus denies plans toresume US west coast flightsby Gooff PerdvalAER LINGUS has stated itwill not be resuming servicesto the west coast of the USin the foreseeable future,despite speculation to thecontrary.

Media reports suggestedthat the airline — whichpulled its west coast routestowrards the end of 2009 in abid to arrest mounting losses— was looking to resumeflying to California next yearand had entered talks withfour airports, San Francisco,Los Angeles, Oakland andSan Jose, regarding possiblyrestarting services.

However, the airlineyesterday said that it hadanalysed the potential ofsuch routes but had cometo the conclusion that theywould probably generate"significant losses".

Dublin Chamber ofCommerce was one of theloudest voices supporting aresumption of Aer Lingus'California services andexpressed its disappointmentthat the routes will not bereturning in 2012.

"Such a route would havebeen extremely valuable tothe continued developmentof our strong economiclinks with Silicon Valley and

other west coast hubs ofUS companies with Euro-pean headquarters here inIreland," its chief executive,Gina Quin, said yesterday.

"Silicon Valley companiesemploy thousands ofworkers throughout Ireland.Employment alone hasgrown by 6% in this area in2010 and there is still thepromise of more to come.

"We believe that the lackof routes between DublinAirport and the west coast isa major obstacle for Irishcompanies in search ofventure capital and forattracting multinationalsfrom the west coast technol-

ogy sector," Ms Quin said."We believe this route can

and will be good businessfor an airline and Ireland,"she added.

Meanwhile, the IrishAviation Authority has saidit controlled an average of

1 ,648 flights in Irish airspaceon a daily basis last month— up by 0.4% on ayear-on-year basis.

En-route traffic in Irishairspace (flights which don'tland in Ireland) was up by2%; although commercialterminal traffic for Shannon,Dublin and Cork airportsdropped by 0.8% comparedto the same month last year.

Patrick o'Leary, age 6, and Ella Hanamy, 5, celebrating the announcement of a new strategic partnership betweenWaterford Airport and Aer Arann as Wexford Opera Festival's new Official Airport Partner and Official Airline, withattendees receiving 1 0% off specific flights to Waterford Airport. See www.wexfordopera.com Picture: Patrick Browne

No congestioncharge in citysays VaradkarFAILING: Public transport must be betterBy Cormac Murphy

DUBLIN'S public transport sys-tem is not good enough to jus-tify a congestion charge onmotorists, according to Trans-port Minister Leo Varadkar.

He was responding to pro-posals by the National Trans-port Authority (NTA) to levy afee on drivers for bringing carsinto the city.

The minister insisted analternative to commuting byprivate car must be availablebefore the charge is introduced.

The proposal for Dublin cityand the greater Dublin area hadbeen envisaged in a new NTAstrategy. Previous ministers hadappeared to favour the move.

In addition, the option forthe charge was included in theNTA_ Greater Dublin Area drafttransport strategy 2011-2030.

The authority also said itwanted to bring in a distance-

based road user charge to dis-courage car use and encouragetravel by buses, trains and theLuas.

Following public consulta-tion, the NTA prepared a finaldraft strategy for Mr Varadkarand submitted it in June.

The strategy documentwarned of ever-increasing traf-fic volumes in coming years.

PROSPECTHowever, the minister has nowshot down any short-termprospect of the charge.

He pointed out cities likeLondon where a congestion levyexists already have a publictransport system of sufficientquality to provide an alternativefor commuters.

Irish cities are not capable ofproviding such an "extensivepublic transport alternative",Mr Varadkar said in an inter-view with a newspaper. Whilethe Government was committed

to encouraging greater use ofpublic transport, "congestioncharging was not currentlybeing promoted," he said.

Former Transport MinisterNoel Dempsey announced in2009 that the so-called demandmanagement levy was beingconsidered.

At the time, the Governmentwas committed to investing€16bn under Transport 21 toimprove public transport, whichincluded delivering a new Metroand Luas extensions.

However, many of these proj-ects are now in doubt, makingthe introduction of the new taxmuch more difficult. Businessgroups have long been opposedto any such charge.

The Dublin Chamber of Com-merce said last month itendorsed indications from MrVaradkar that the proposalwould not be implemented.

[email protected]

Aebhrlc McGibney Is DublinChamber's director of policyand communications. Estab-lished In 1783, the chamberprovides networking, learning,business development and ex-port services to 1,300 membercompanies. It employs 23people.

What are the main responsi-bilities of your job?

I head up the DublinChamber team dealing withresearch, public affairs andcommunications. I meet lotsof companies on a daily basisand my job is to channel andrepresent their views to gov-ernment. Our goal is to im-prove the businessenvironment in the Dublin re-gion in order to generate in-vestment and jobs. I am alsoresponsible for our sustainablebusiness network, the GreenEconomy Forum, and for thebusiness matching and intelli-gence services we provide toexporting companies throughthe Enterprise Europe Net-work.What are your professionalmotivators?

Right now, my motivationis to help companies to sur-vive the downturn and findnew opportunities.There are alot of practical ways in whichgovernment can help busi-nesses to grow by improvingcashflow and reducing costs.Dublin is very well placed tocompete with other cities in-ternationally, but there is stillroom for improvement. I want

to make Dublin the best loca-tion in which to live and dobusiness.How would you describe yourwork style?

Direct and open.

What rates as your bestbusiness decision to date?

Dublin Chamber put a so-cial media strategy in placeabout three years ago, some-what ahead of the curve, pro-viding an online forumthrough which memberscould connect and debate. Wehave the biggest business net-work in Dublin on Linkedln,with over L5OO members. Itweet, therefore I am.

What is the most valuableprofessional lesson you havelearned?

My professional back-ground is as an economist anda wise old lecturer oncepointed out to me that the ori-ginal name for the subject was'political economy'. It is not

just about the theory, it isabout the application of thetheory. It is not just about thebusiness, it is about the widerworld that business operatesin and contributes to.

Who do you most admire InIrish business?

I have been fortunate towork with many leading peo-ple in business, so this is a

Aebhrlc McGibney

tough question. The DublinChamber members elect ourpresident, so that is one strawpoll to consider. I have a finelist of past and future busi-nessmen and women to pickfrom. However, I am going tosay Senator Feargal Quinn,the founder of Superquinn. Imet him years ago, as a custo-mer, when he asked mymother to go on one ofthecustomer panels he was pio-neering at the time. He was aperfect gentleman.

I have come across himmany times since, most re-cently when he was honouredat University College Dublin'sAlumni of the \ear Awards,and he remains a gentleman. Ireminded him where Iworked. "I work for. . ." I said."No," he interrupted, "\buwork for yourself. \bu areemployed by. . ."

What are your expectationsfor Irish business In the

months ahead?

I am not one for 'falsedawns' or blind optimism, butIreland has proven resilient tothe challenges of a bankingand fiscal meltdown. We arestill here. Business is stillbeing done, perhaps not to thesame degree and certainly notin the same way, but it is stillbeing done.

As the Programme forGovernment is implementedby the Fine Gael / Labourgovernment, we will have a lotmore certainty about the busi-ness environment and that isgood for business and jobs.The country has signed up toa plan, now government mustimplement it.

What Is your ultimate profes-slonal goal at this point?

I want to keep learning, begood at what I do and enjoydoing it. I want to make a dif-ference.

The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get

: _B ______________ Hi 9______9____________________________r

Iridt Ruby Captain Brian O-MscoU gave a crowd of over 350 bwrness leaders Us first ever speech aboat his corporate (access.

O-M^ 9~ke at the DnNiii Chamber offttwi his mistakes that wm crucial dements to his own .occess on and off tlw pitch. Qnotfa^kgeßd-B^golfH', Gary Player,

__^^_

CDriscofl told the captivated audience, "The harder yon work, die tedder yon get".

Cobra targets the gastropubsSince entering a (49.9 per cent/51.1 percent) deal for £14 million with MolsonCoors UK just over two years ago, LordKaran Bilimoria, founder of Cobra beer,has stated that the first of three phases

-

that of 'focus' - has now been completedfor the brand.

Here, off-trade distribution for Cobra inIreland is at "its highest in three years"with more than one in two stores nowstocking the brand, according to NiallPhelan, Country Manger for Molson Coors.

Now, Cobra is targeting gastropubs asthe beer goes well with food. LordBilimoria was in Dublin recently to give apresentation to the Dublin Chamber ofCommerce on how he started Cobra in1990 when he was over £20,000 in debt

and the country was in recession.Shortly after his presentation, Molson

Coors announced that it had just

purchased a majority stake in his Indianoperation too.

When Drinks Industry Ireland meets upwith him in the Maldron Hotel, he statesthat Cobra has deliberately not gone forgrowth in this first 'focus' phase of itspartnership with Moslon Coors, "Nowwe're going for growth," he adds.

The first set of results under the CobraPartnership produced "healthy profits"although, when asked to be more specific,he demurs.

However he does venture that theCobra brand enjoys a "96 per cent shareof the Indian restaurant trade in the UK".It's marketed as having the smooth anddrinkable qualities of an ale, but asrefreshing as a lager, which now holds6,000 Indian restaurants in the palm of itshand there.

"Women love Cobra too," he adds,

"They find normal beers too bloating, toobitter."

It must be so, for Cobra has won 55Golds in the Monde Selection over theyears since it was first brewed and is nowexported to 30 countries around theworld.

It's presence here in Ireland is mainlyin Indian and other ethnic restaurants inkeeping with its genesis in the UK.

"People see a 660 ml bottle in thegastropub and see something 'different',"he explains, "They become interested intrying it".

Some 3,000 outlets in the UK havealready installed it on draught andinnovations such as Cobra Zero (alcohol-free) have led to it's becoming thesecond-top seller in the UK off-trade, hestates.

In the absence of any concrete figures,

COBRA FOUNDER INSPIRES BUSINESS LEADERSLORD Karan Bilimoria (right), founder andchairman of Cobra Beer, was joined by DublinChamber of Commerce President Imelda Reynoldsand Niall Phelan, Molson Coors Country Manager,as he addressed more than 120 representativesfrom a range of companies including Bank ofIreland Group and Vodafone Ireland Pic, at anevent at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. LordBilimoria talked about how he started his businessin 1990 when he was over £20,000 in debt and thecountry was in recession and transformed it into

an international beer brand, growing his company into an operation with offices on fourcontinents, brewing operations in five countries and exports to over 45 countries.

Savings must support jobs and businessPOTENTIAL savingsof €46 million atDublin City Councilshould lead to lowercommercial rates forbusinesses in DublinCity, according toDublin Chamber ofCommerce.

The potentialsavings was identi-fied in the Independ-ent Review GroupsReport on StaffingLevels in Dublin CityCouncil, which waslaunched today bythe Minister for theEnvironment, Com-munity and Local

Government, PhilHogan TD. The Re-port states that staffnumbers could bereduced by nearly20% with payroll sav-ings of €46 millionby the end of 2014.All these staff reduc-tions would beachieved throughnatural wastage orthrough a voluntary,targeted redundancyscheme.

Aebhric McGib-ney, Director of Pol-icy, Dublin Chamberof Commerce said,"In Dublin, busi-

nesses who are themain hinders of localgovernment havebeen calling for re-form to make it moreefficient for years. Itis clear from the re-port's findings thatthe quality and effec-tiveness of servicescan be improvedwhile reducing thecost of providingsuch services. Wewelcome the Inde-pendent ReviewGroups report butmust stress that anysavings should di-rectly lead to a re-duction in

commercial ratesand charges to helpbusinesses grow andcreate jobs."

In a further bid toreduce costs, the re-port also outlinedGovernment propos-als to introduce com-petitive tendering forlocal waste collec-tion services wherethe private sectorcan bid to provideservices in an entirelocal authority areafor a set time frame.

Mr McGibneycommented, "Moreservices should be

provided across localauthority boundariesand more should becontracted to the pri-vate sector. The costof services should betested in the market.The move first madeby Dun LaoghaireRathdown CountyCouncil to leavewaste collection tothe private sector isjust one example ofhow the same or bet-ter service can be de-livered moreefficiently."

€100 chargeto hit I.Bmhouseholds

by Mary ReganPENSIONERS, strugglingmortgage-holders andthousands of cash-strappedfamilies will be hit witha €100 household chargeearly next year.

The flat charge willapply to an estimated 1.8million property owners,regardless of income, withexemptions for those insocial housing, stuck inghost estates or anyone inreceipt of mortgage inter-est supplement.

The Government hasbeen warned the movewill be met with a "na-tional reaction" and thestart of a fight back againstthe EU-IMF bailout deal.

The Socialist Party saidthere will be a nationalcampaign of boycott andrefusal to pay.

Environment MinsterPhil Hogan warned "therewill be enforcementproceedings, there will bepenalties for those whodon't comply," but saidlocal authorities will havediscretion to allow for cas-es of "extreme hardship."

The Government criti-cised opposition calls forthe new charge to beboycotted yesterday.

Visiting the Mac GillSummer School, JobsMinister Richard Brutonsaid: "It's [the boycott]ill-conceived. I think it'simportant we are seen tomeet our obligations.With any taxes, you'll al-ways have those who don'tagree with it."

He said funds wereneeded to maintain localgovernment services, thatwould be sourced from thehousehold charge.

The charity for olderpeople, Age Action, saidthe charge will equal oneweek's pension when com-bined to cuts that havealready been made to fueland electricity allowances.It said it was concerned at"the Government's failureto acknowledge that manyolder people are asset rich,but cash poor in that theyown their own homes butdepend heavily on thestate pension as their mainmeans of income."

But Mr Hogan said thecharge is "modest" andwill amount to just €2 aweek. "It's a small amountof money relative to whatthe overall problems are.

"I hope people willcome to reflect on that andwill be prepared to pay asmall contribution of €2 a

week for the provision ofessential local services."

He said it is the "lowestpossible charge" that couldbe introduced in order tomeet the requirement toraise €160 m for localauthorities as agreed withthe EU and IMF as part ofthe bailout deal.

"I'd prefer not to beintroducing any charge.But I'm obliged becausewe've ceded our economicsovereignty," he said.

Mr Hogan said 250,000properties will be exemptfrom the flat charge, whichis intended to be aninterim measure lastingtwo years before the rouout of a fairer property taxsystem in 2014.

Those who will not haveto pay include people inSroperty that is:

I Commercial.■ Government-owned.■ Charity-owned.■ In an unfinished hous-ing estate.■ Social or council hous-ing.■ Owned by a personwho has moved to anursing home.■ Owned by a personon mortgage interestsupplement.

The fee will be separate

to a water charge whichwill be imposed ori house-holds from early 2014,once a metering systemhas been introduced andthe Irish Water agency isset up this October. "I ex-pect that to be a modestcharge for people who aregoing to conserve water."

Mr Hogan disputedclaims by EngineersIreland that installingwater meters would cost€1.5 billion. The ministersaid he still believes it willcost €500 m and saidEngineers Ireland should"stop frightening people."

Socialist TD Joe Higginssaid there will be a cam-

Caign of "mass opposition"ased on "mass boycotting

and refusal to pay."He said people will

"fight back" against the"injustice that has beenperpetrated in this state fora number of years".

Mr Hogan said Ireland isone of the last countries inEurope to introduce localtaxation to fund local ser-vices. But Dublin Cham-ber of Commerce warnedthere must be a more "di-rect association betweensuch charges and theservices being provided."

Dublin council eyessavings of €46mDublin: Potential savingsof €46 million at DublinCity Council should lead tolower commercial rates forbusinesses in the city,according to DublinChamber of Commerce.

The potential savingswere identified in theIndependent ReviewGroups Report on StaffingLevels in Dublin CityCouncil.

Staff numbers could bereduced by nearly 20%,with payroll savings of€46m by the end of 2014.All these staff reductionswould be achieved throughnatural wastage or througha voluntary, targetedredundancy scheme, thereport states.

Heineken Cup Final toGenerate €18 MillionThe announcement that Dublin will host the 2013 Heineken Cup Final caps a past

month that has been positive for Irish Rugby and tourism. Dublin Chamber ofCommerce says that there will be a significant boost to visitor numbers and the economy.Gina Quin, DublinChamber chief executivesaid, "The decision tostage the 2013 final inDublin is another wel-come boost to the Irisheconomy. We estimatethat the 2013 HeinekenCup Final will generate€ 1 8 million from out-of-state visitors. This esti-mate of course dependson who goes to the final

and the number of travel-ling fans they bring.We're hopeful thatLeinster Rugby will beplaying for its fourthHeineken Cup in the2013 final and our figureis passed on one majorclub team travelling forthe match. Thisannouncement hastopped off what has beena great season for Irish

Rugby.Dublin's hospitality sec-tor relies on majorevents, from the interna-tional rugby matches tointernational concertsand festivals. Whilebusinesses closest to thecity centre usually reportthe greatest increase insales during matchweeks, corporate hospi-tality businesses in the

surrounding counties olKildare, Wicklow andMeath also report aboost.For hotels it is likely thatadditional spend onaccommodation will bejust over €sm. Whilerestaurateurs and publi-cans will be expectingjust under €5m from thematch weekend.


month that has been positive for Irish Rugby and tourism. Dublin Chamber ofCommerce says that there will be a significant boost to visitor numbers and the economy.Gina Quin, DublinChamber chief executivesaid, "The decision tostage the 2013 final inDublin is another wel-come boost to the Irisheconomy. We estimatethat the 2013 HeinekenCup Final will generate€18 million from out-of-state visitors. This esti-mate of course dependson who goes to the final


Rugby."Dublin's hospitality sec-tor relies on majorevents, from the interna-tional rugby matches tointernational concertsand festivals. Whilebusinesses closest to thecity centre usually reportthe greatest increase insales during matchweeks, corporate hospi-tality businesses in the

surrounding counties ofKildare, Wicklow andMeath also report aboost.For hotels it is likely thatadditional spend onaccommodation will bejust over €sm. Whilerestaurateurs and publi-cans will be expectingjust under €5m from thematch weekend.

Dublin Chamber LooksForward to Working withLord Mayor MontagueDublin Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to work-

ing with Cllr Andrew Montague, the newly elected LordMayor of Dublin. He is Dublin's 342 nd Mayor and was elect-ed by Dublin City Councillors at the Annual Meeting of theCity Council which was held in City Hall last night.Commenting Gina Quin,Dublin Chamber ChiefExecutive, said: "DublinChamber congratulatesCllr Montague on hiselection and looks for-ward to working closelywith him as Lord Mayorof Dublin. We have

worked closely with himas a councillor and Chairof the TransportStrategic PolicyCommittee to makeDublin an even betterplace to live and work.As Lord Mayor, we lookforward to tradition of

Cllr Montague joiningthe governing board ofthe Dublin Chamber ofCommerce."The office of the LordMayor is few Dublininstitutions with olderroots than the DublinChamber of Commerce,

which traces its ownestablishment back to1782. The Mayor of

Dublin position was cre-ated in June 1229 byPrince Henry 111. Thistitle was elevated to LordMayor in 1665 by KingCharles II .Before 1840,the Lord Mayor wasselected through a com-plicated method from theCity Assembly. Since1840, the Dublin City

Council has elected theLord Mayor from amongits own members.In the present day, theLord Mayor of Dublin isthe symbolic head of thecity government inDublin.The Lord Mayor isknown as first citizen of

Dublin and acts asAmbassador for the citylocally and international-ly. During their term ofoffice, the Lord Mayorlives and works in theofficial residence, theMansion House onDawson Street.The Lord Mayor pre-sides at meetings of theCity Council, signs itsrecords of proceedings,and represents the city atpublic events."Dublin Chamber wouldlike to thank outgoingLord Mayor, Cllr GerryBree'n, for his positivecontribution to DublinCity and the DublinChamber as a Councilmember," said Ms Quin.

Dublin Chamber LooksForward to Working withLord Mayor MontagueDublin Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to work-

ing with Cllr Andrew Montague, the newly elected LordMayor of Dublin. He is Dublin's 342 nd Mayor and was elect-ed by Dublin City Councillors at the Annual Meeting of theCity Council which was held in Cfty flail last night.Commenting Gina Quin,Dublin Chamber ChiefExecutive, said: "DublinChamber congratulatesCllr Montague on hiselection and looks for-ward to working closelywith him as Lord Mayorof Dublin. We have

worked closely with himas a councillor and Chairof the TransportStrategic PolicyCommittee to makeDublin an even betterplace to live and work.As Lord Mayor, we lookforward to tradition of

Cllr Montague joiningthe governing board ofthe Dublin Chamber ofCommerce."The office of the LordMayor is few Dublininstitutions with olderroots than the DublinChamber of Commerce,

which traces its ownestablishment back to1782. The Mayor ofDublin position was cre-ated in June 1229 byPrince Henry 111. Thistitle was elevated to LordMayor in 1665 by KingCharles 11. Before 1840,the Lord Mayor wasselected through a com-plicated method from theCity Assembly. Since1840, the Dublin City

Council has elected theLord Mayor from amongits own members.In the present day, theLord Mayor of Dublin isthe symbolic head of thecity government inDublin.The Lord Mayor isknown as first citizen of

Dublin and acts asAmbassador for the citylocally and international-ly. During their term ofoffice, the Lord Mayorlives and works in theofficial residence, theMansion House onDawson Street.The Lord Mayor pre-sides at meetings of theCity Council, signs itsrecords of proceedings,and represents the city atpublic events."Dublin Chamber wouldlike to thank outgoingLord Mayor, Cllr GerryBreen, for his positivecontribution to DublinCity and the DublinChamber as a Councilmember," said Ms Quin.

Heineken Cup Final toGenerate €18 MillionThe announcement that Dublin will host the 2013 Heineken Cnp Final caps a past

month that has been positive for Irish Rugby and tourism. Dublin Chamber ofCommerce says that there will be a significant boost to visitor numbers and the economy.Oina Quin, DublinChamber chief executivesaid, "The decision tostage the 2013 final inDublin is another wel-come boost to the Irisheconomy. We estimatethat the 2013 HeinekenCup Final will generate€ 1 8 million from out-of-state visitors. This esti-mate of course dependson who goes to the final





month that has been positive for Irish Rugby and tourism. Dublin Chamber ofCommerce says that there will be a significant boost to visitor numbers and the economy.Gina Quin, Dublin and the number of travel- Rugby." surrounding counties ofChamber chief executive ling fans they bring. Dublin's hospitality sec- Kildare, Wicklow andsaid, "The decision to We're hopeful that tor relies on major Meath also report astage the 2013 final in Leinster Rugby will be events, from the interna- boost.Dublin is another wel- playing for its fourth tional rugby matches to For hotels it is likely thatcome boost to the Irish Heineken Cup in the international concerts additional spend oneconomy. We estimate 2013 final and our figure and festivals. While accommodation will bethat the 2013 Heineken is passed on one major businesses closest to the just over €sm. WhileCup Final will generate club team travelling for city centre usually report restaurateurs and publi-€lB million from out-of- the match. This the greatest increase in cans will be expectingstate visitors. This esti- announcement has sales during match just under €5m from themate of course depends topped off what has been weeks, corporate hospi- match weekend,on who goes to the final a great season for Irish tality businesses in the

• BALL'S IN YOUR COURT: Rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll Is pictured with Imelda Reynolds and Gina Quin, of the Dublin Chamber ofCommerce at a gathering of over 350 business leaders.

By Gavin DalyIreland rugby captain BrianO'Driscoll has revealed plans to setup a nationwide rugby coachingacademy when his playing careerends - most likely within the nexttwo years.

The Ireland and Leinster number13 said his "exit strategy" includeddeveloping a network of rugbycamps that could play a part farmaking rugby "less elitist".

"Hopefully, we can get themasses playing and steal some ofthose GAA players that are oatthere," said O'Driscoll, who al-ready runs a summer rugby campin north Dublin.

Giving his first corporate speak-ing engagement to a Dublin Cham-ber of Commerce event last week,O'Driscoll said he was trying togauge what he would do for the"30-40-50 years" after his rugbycareer ended.

"I ant a realist," he said. "Iwould be only too happy if I couldget another two years out of thisgame."

That timeframe could allowO'Driscoll to take part in the nextLions tour, to Australia in June andJuly 2013.

However, it is understood that heis already exploring his options as acorporate and motivational speakerand is working with the LondonSpeaker Bureau, whose speakersinclude David Beckham, Pele andNeil Armstrong.

O'Driscoll said it was important

that his "brand" had integrity.Describing alcohol advertising as a"non-runner", he said he had beenapproached a few times by RedBull, but was put off by its associa-tion with alcohol.

He also revealed he could notrenew a credit union advertisingdeal because there was perceived tobe a conflict with Bank of Ireland,which is the Leinster team sponsor.

"It was one of my favouritesponsorships,' 'he said. "We ar-gued there were differences be-tween the credit union and thebank, but we had to concede and weweren't able to renew it"

O'DriscolNaid he had takenaction against two firms for un-authorised use of his name orimage, including an eye laser sur-gery firm that implied he had usedits service. After being sent asolicitors' letter, the firm agreed topay a charity donation.

"It's not about making a few .quid, it's about making sure peopledidn't push things too much," hesaid.

He said he hoped to maintain hisrelationships with sponsors "post-rugby" and was active aboutbringing ideas to them. He said thathis four personal sponsorship deals- with 02, Adidas, Gillette andLexus - had all been in place for atleast seven years.

"It's important to keep brandexclusivity," he said. "Less ismore."

He said that some sponsors gotnervous when he had a "dip inform" in 2007 and 2008.

"Thankfully, 2009 followed andwe won a few things," he said,referring to Ireland's Grand Slamvictory and Leinster winning theHetneken Cup.

He attributed part of his recoveryfrom that "slump" to a sportspsychologist he saw at the time.

"He said: 'Rather than practisethe things you're bad at, whywouldn't you practise the thingsyou're really good at and becomeabsolutely sensational at them?'That struck a chord with me," saidO'Driscoll.

He said he found Twitter usefulfor keeping in touch with hissupporters. He has almost 68,000followers, but said there was "a finebalance between having a laugh andprotecting yourself '.

Last month, when he posted apicture of himself in bed with theHeineken Cup trophy, his sistersent him a message in block capitalssaying: "Remember your brand."

O'Driscoll said he and his wife,actress and author Amy Huber-man, had agreed not to do jointsponsorship or advertising deals.

"We decided to keep our publicand private lives separate," he said."There have been some very lu-crative offers, but that's our posi-tion. Hopefully, there isn't a figurethat makes me eat those words. Orhopefully there is."

Brian O'DriscolI: 'I would be only too happy If I could get anothertwo years out of this game' sportsfile

Improved Airlinkservice welcomed

THE new improved Airlink bus service from Dublin Bus hasbeen described as a "positive step" by die Dublin Chamber ofCommerce.

Launched last week, the Airlink 747 route will now get to andfrom Dublin Airport quicker as it will be allowed use the Port Tun-nel.

Director of Policy at Dublin Chamber of Commerce, AebhricMcGibney, said providing efficient public transport connectionsto the airport was vital to Ireland's economy.

"Dublin Airport is a key port for our island economy and theDublin Port Tunnel is a supporting piece of infrastructure that'suse should be maximised for the benefit of the economy," he said.

"The improvements in the Airlink service will now mean thatbusiness travellers can now expect a 15 to 20 minute frequency ofservice to access the international headquarters and customers andsuppliers that have located in Dublin with relative ease.

"The announcement by Dublin Bus is an important step in im-proving the connectivity between Dublin Airport and the city cen-tre."

"This is part of the improvements needed to create an inte-grated transport network in Dublin that serves not only the regionbut the nation.

"Years of investment developing our international connectiv-ity and domestic transport network need now to be connected upso that benefit of this infrastructure is maximised."

City car tollis ruled out

A LONDON-stylecongestion charge forDublin has been ruledout by TransportMinister Leo Varadkar.

The levy had beenproposed in a newNational TransportAuthority strategy paper.

But after Ministerialdiscussions with theDublin Chamber ofCommerce, the charge isnow off the table.

The previous FiannaFail-led government hadmooted a 'demandmanagement' charge toreduce rush-hour grid-lock in the capital.

A Dublin Chamberspokesman said thereshould be no chargeuntil proper publictransport initiatives arein place.

Varadkar rules out congestion chargeBy Nicola Cooke

A congestion charge for Du-blin has been ruled out bytransport minister Leo\&rad-kar.

The charge for Dublin cityand the greater Dublin areahad been envisaged in a newNational Transport Authority(NTA) strategy.

But the minister recentlymet with the Dublin Chamberof Commerce to discuss thematter and his spokesmanconfirmed to The Sunday

Business Post that such acharge was not now underconsideration.

Under the previous govern-ment, a "demand manage-ment" charge, to reduce rush-hour gridlock and increaseuse of public transport, wasmooted

The option was included inthe NTA's most recent publi-cation, the Greater Dublinarea draft transport strategy2011-2030.

Under measures to meet'smarter travel' targets for re-ducing private car use, a sub-stantial distance-based road

user charge was included asan option throughout thegreater Dublin area to discou-rage car use and encourage atransfer to public transport.

It also looked at an option ofreducing public transportfares by 20 per cent at off-peaktimes, and increasing them by10 per cent during on-peaktimes.

Following public consulta-tion in the last few months,the NTA prepared a final draftstrategy for Varadkar, whichwas submitted last month.

Dublin Chamber of Com-merce policy director Aebhric

McGibney said the businessbody had "strongly opposed"congestion charges, and madethis case to the minister andthe NTA.

"This was not just a conges-tion proposal for the city cen-tre between the canals. It wasan extra charge for the use ofmajor roads - like the M5O -and charges according to sec-tions driven by motorists.

"We welcome and stronglyendorse the minister's deci-sion, as it recognises the im-portance of the efficient andeffective transport of goodsand people in urban areas,"

said McGibney.He said the strategy had

been drawn up to be consistentwith the National Develop-ment Plan 2007-2013 and theNational Spatial Strategy2002-2020, "both of which nolonger reflect or appropriatelyaddress the current economicenvironment".

"The new census figuresalso show major populationgrowth in the counties of Du-blin, Kildare and Meath, sountil there is proper publictransport alternatives for thesepeople, such charges make nosense," said McGibney.



and the number of travel-ling fans they bring.We're hopeful thatLeinster Rugby will beplaying for its fourthHeineken Cup in the201 3 final and our figureis passed on one majorclub team travelling forthe match. Thisannouncement hastopped off what has beena great season for Irish


surrounding counties orKildare, Wicklow andMeath also report aboost.For hotels it is likely thatadditional spend on

accommodation will bejust over €sm. Whilerestaurateurs and publi-cans will be expectingjust under €5m from thematch weekend.

DublinsignstwinningagreementwithBeijing

In Beijing at 11am (Irish time) onThursday the 2nd June, the Lord

Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, signed atwinning agreement with Mayor GuoJinlong, the Mayor of Beijing. Thismomentous occasion comes on the heelsof Dublin City Council's December deci-sion to formally twin with Beijing.

The Dublin delegation isled by the Lord Mayor ofDublin and includes theCity Manager, JohnTierney, CouncillorsPaddy Bourke andPaddy Crimmins,Deputy Eric Byrne, rep-resentatives from severalthird level colleges andthe Dublin Chamber ofCommerce. TheTwinning is expected toopen up business oppor-tunities between Dublinand Beijing. The missionwill also be used as anopportunity to support

both cities as destina-tions for education,tourism, and foreigndirect investment.Dublin's designation as aUNESCO City ofLiterature and EuropeanCity of Science in 2012will also be highlighted.Commenting on thetwinning, the LordMayor of Dublin, GerryBreen, stated, "We arehonoured to have thisimportant link with oneof the world's greatestcities - Beijing. Thisagreement is more than asymbolic piece of paper;it is opening wider adoor of friendship andopportunity for bothcities. Dublin wants tobe the gateway forBeijing into theEuropean market, offer-ing an ideal investmentlocation. The new waveof Foreign DirectInvestment, especially intechnology, will comefrom China. Andthrough the relationshipfor which we set thegroundwork today, wewill work hard to makethat investment createopportunities for bothcities." Ireland wasrecently honoured withbeing voted the"Destination with theMost Potential for 2011"in a recent poll conduct-ed by the Beijing news-paper "Life Style" .Recent changes in Visaarrangements with theUnited Kingdom willalso open up the touristmarket and will attractChinese tourists visitingLondon to make Dublina destination on theiritinerary. Additionally,Education links with

China have grown sig-nificantly. There aremore than fifty formalbilateral agreements inplace between Irish &Chinese institutions forstudent/staff exchangesand the development ofjoint programmes andresearch activities. Thereare currently over 3,500Chinese students study-ing in Irish HigherEducation Institutions.





both cities as destina-tions for education,tourism, and foreigndirect investment.Dublin's designation as aUNESCO City ofLiterature and EuropeanCity of Science in 2012will also be highlighted.Commenting on thetwinning, the LordMayor of Dublin, GerryBreen, stated, "We arehonoured to have thisimportant link with oneof the world's greatestcities - Beijing. Thisagreement is more than asymbolic piece of paper;it is opening wider adoor of friendship andopportunity for bothcities. Dublin wants tobe the gateway forBeijing into theEuropean market, offer-ing an ideal investmentlocation. The new waveof Foreign DirectInvestment, especially intechnology, will comefrom China. Andthrough the relationshipfor which we set thegroundwork today, wewill work hard to makethat investment createopportunities for bothcities." Ireland wasrecently honoured withbeing voted the"Destination with theMost Potential for 201 1"in a recent poll conduct-ed by the Beijing news-paper "Life Style".Recent changes in Visaarrangements with theUnited Kingdom willalso open up the touristmarket and will attractChinese tourists visitingLondon to make Dublina destination on theiritinerary. Additionally,Education links with






both cities as destina-tions for education,tourism, and foreigndirect investment.Dublin's designation as aUNESCO City ofLiterature and EuropeanCity of Science in 2012will also be highlighted.Commenting on thetwinning, the LordMayor of Dublin, GerryBreen, stated, "We arehonoured to have thisimportant link with oneof the world's greatestcities - Beijing. Thisagreement is more than asymbolic piece of paper;it is opening wider adoor of friendship andopportunity for bothcities. Dublin wants tobe the gateway forBeijing into theEuropean market, offer-ing an ideal investmentlocation. The new waveof Foreign DirectInvestment, especially intechnology, will comefrom China. Andthrough the relationshipfor which we set thegroundwork today, wewill work hard to makethat investment createopportunities for bothcities." Ireland wasrecently honoured withbeing voted the"Destination with theMost Potential for 201 1 "in a recent poll conduct-ed by the Beijing news-paper "Life Style" .Recent changes in Visaarrangements with theUnited Kingdom willalso open up the touristmarket and will attractChinese tourists visitingLondon to make Dublina destination on theiritinerary. Additionally,Education links with





The Dublin delegation isled by the Lord Mayor ofDublin and includes theCity Manager, JohnTierney, CouncillorsPaddy Bourke andPaddy Crimmins,Deputy Eric Byrne, rep-resentatives from severalthird level colleges andthe Dublin Chamber ofCommerce. TheTwinning is expected toopen up business oppor-tunities between Dublinand Beijing. The missionwill also be used as an

opportunity to supportboth cities as destina-tions for education,tourism, and foreigndirect investment.Dublin's designation as aUNESCO City ofLiterature and EuropeanCity of Science in 2012will also be highlighted.Commenting on thetwinning, the LordMayor of Dublin, GerryBreen, stated, "We arehonoured to have thisimportant link with oneof the world's greatestcities - Beijing. Thisagreement is more than asymbolic piece of paper;it is opening wider adoor of friendship andopportunity for bothcities. Dublin wants tobe the gateway forBeijing into theEuropean market, offer-

ing an ideal investmentlocation. The new waveof Foreign DirectInvestment, especially intechnology, will comefrom China. Andthrough the relationshipfor which we set thegroundwork today, wewill work hard to makethat investment createopportunities for bothcities." Ireland wasrecently honoured withbeing voted the"Destination — with — thc

-

Most Potential for 2011"in a recent poll conduct-ed by the Beijing news-paper "Life Style".Recent changes in Visaarrangements with theUnited Kingdom willalso open up the touristmarket and will attractChinese tourists visitingLondon to make Dublina destination on their

itinerary. Additionally,Education links withChina have grown sig-nificantly. There aremore than fifty formalbilateral agreements inplace between Irish &Chinese institutions forstudent/staff exchangesand the development ofjoint programmes andresearch activities. Thereare currently over 3,500Chinese students study-ing in Irish HigherEducation Institutions.




The Dublin delegation isled by the Lord Mayor ofDublin and includes theCity Manager, JohnTierney, CouncillorsPaddy Bourke andPaddy Crimmins,Deputy Eric Byrne, rep-resentatives from severalthird level colleges andthe Dublin Chamber ofCommerce. TheTwinning is expected toopen up business oppor-tunities between Dublinand Beijing. The missionwill also be used as an

opportunity to supportboth cities as destina-tions for education,tourism, and foreigndirect investment.Dublin's designation as aUNESCO City ofLiterature and EuropeanCity of Science in 2012will also be highlighted.Commenting on thetwinning, the LordMayor of Dublin, GerryBreen, stated, "We arehonoured to have thisimportant link with oneof the world's greatestcities - Beijing. Thisagreement is more than asymbolic piece of paper;it is opening wider adoor of friendship andopportunity for bothcities. Dublin wants tobe the gateway forBeijing into theEuropean market, offer-ing an ideal investmentlocation. The new waveof Foreign DirectInvestment, especially intechnology, will comefrom China. Andthrough the relationshipfor which we set thegroundwork today, wewill work hard to makethat investment createopportunities for bothcities." Ireland wasrecently honoured withbeing voted the"Destination with theMost Potential for 201 1"in a recent poll conduct-ed by the Beijing news-paper "Life Style".Recent changes in Visaarrangements with theUnited Kingdom willalso open up the touristmarket and will attractChinese tourists visitingLondon to make Dublina destination on theiritinerary. Additionally,Education links with





The Dublin delegation isled by the Lord Mayor ofDublin and includes theCity Manager, JohnTierney, CouncillorsPaddy Bourke andPaddy Crimmins,Deputy Eric Byrne, rep-resentatives from severalthird level colleges andthe Dublin Chamber ofCommerce. TheTwinning is expected toopen up business oppor-tunities between Dublinand Beijing. The missionwill also be used as anopportunity to supportboth cities as destina-

"trons

—

tot

—

educarioTrrtourism, and foreigndirect investment.Dublin's designation as aUNESCO City ofLiterature and EuropeanCity of Science in 2012will also be highlighted.Commenting on thetwinning, the LordMayor of Dublin, GerryBreen, stated, "We arehonoured to have thisimportant link with oneof the world's greatestcities - Beijing. Thisagreement is more than asymbolic piece of paper;it is opening wider adoor of friendship andopportunity for bothcities. Dublin wants tobe the gateway forBeijing into theEuropean market, offer-

ing an ideal investmentlocation. The new waveof Foreign DirectInvestment, especially intechnology, will comefrom China. Andthrough the relationshipfor which we set thegroundwork today, wewill work hard to makethat investment createopportunities for bothcities." Ireland wasrecently honoured withbeing voted the"Destination with theMost Potential for 2011"in a recent poll conduct-

ed by the Beijing news-Traper — *trfe — Style".Recent changes in Visaarrangements with theUnited Kingdom willalso open up the touristmarket and will attractChinese tourists visitingLondon to make Dublin

a destination on theiritinerary. Additionally,Education links withChina have grown sig-nificantly. There aremore than fifty formalbilateral agreements inplace between Irish &Chinese institutions forstudent/staff exchangesand the development ofjoint programmes andresearch activities. Thereare currently over 3,500Chinese students study-ing in Irish HigherEducation Institutions.

Heineken Cup Final toGenerate €18 MillionThe announcement that Dublin will host the 2013. Heineken Cup Final caps a past





'200 leads a year' to CrimestoppersCRIMESTOPPERS is receivingaround 200 useful calls fromthe public every year, writesTom Brady.

The organisation was set upin 1998 by the Dublin Chamberof Commerce and gardai to pro-vide an independent and confi-dential means for the public tosupply information on crime

through a freephone line.Crimestoppers has issued

appeals in more than 160 casesand said many of the calls haveresulted in vital information.

It admitted that paymentshad been made to callers onthe basis of garda advice, butwould not divulge the size of thepayments. But it is known that

rewards of up to €10,000 areusually on offer for informa-tion leading to the arrest andconviction of a prime suspectfor a crime.

The freephone number, 1800252525, is open from 9am until9pm daily. Calls are answered bytrained gardai and treated instrict confidence.

Councils praised for savingsDUBLIN'S four local authorities have been praisedfor making savings of tens of millions of euro underthe provisions of the Croke Park Agreement on pub-lic sector costs and pay.

Dublin City Council, Fin-gal County . Council, SouthDublin County Council andDun Laoghaire RathdownCounty Council have con-tributed more than €81.3 mil-lion of the €162 million insavings made to date by localgovernment under the provi-sions of the deal that was madewith trade unions last year.

The figures were presentedrecently -to the national bodyoverseeing the implementationof the agreement, which is car-rying out the first official re-view of the deal for theGovernment.

The Implementation Bodyhas said all claims relating tosavings made by Governmentdepartments will be verified in-dependendy as part of the re-view.

The Department of the En-vironment submission to theImplementation Body said the€162 million in savings wasdivided equally between payand non-pay.

Figures released by FingalCounty Council recently showthat it has saved some €16.5million in the IS months sincethe agreement on pay wasmade.

That total savings made bythe local authority comprise

by Jamie Deasypayroll savings and other sav-ings accruing from what thecouncil calls 'operational effi-ciency 1 .

Payroll costs in terms ofsalaries and wages have beenslashed at the council since2008 and 251 staff who haveleft the council for a variety ofreasons since the beginning of2009 have not been replaced.

A spokeswoman for FingalCounty Council said it hadalso reduced its energy costs byover half a million eurothrough a series of energy-sav-ing initiatives that have beencarried out in the local author-ity over the last four years.

In 2010, electricity con-sumption in Fingal CountyHall in Swords was down by24 per cent compared to 2007,while gas consumption wasdown six per cent.

Electricity use in GroveRoad in Blanchardstowndropped by 11 per cent be-tween 2008 and 2010, whilegas consumption dropped by25 per cent.

There was a reduction ofalmost 1 5 per cent in electricityuse for both Blanchardstownand Balbriggan.libraries, whilegas consumption dropped 12

per cent.A spokesman at the De-

partment of the Environmentsaid Dublin City Council hasmade total savings of €44 mil-lion to date.

The figure includes some€9.6 million saved as a resultof the introduction of morecompetitive procurement in thearea of waste disposal.

Gina Quin, chief executiveof the Dublin Chamber ofCommerce, said it was"proud" to see that local au-thorities in Dublin were lead-ing the way in making savingsunder the agreement.

"The cost of inefficient

Government is a burden thatneither businesses nor taxpay-ers can afford during thesetimes," stated Ms Quin.

"We believe by tackling thisissue, the cost of doing busi-ness in Dublin can be reduced.

"A lower cost of doingbusiness, such as a reduction incommercial rates, supports thecreation of enterprise and jobsand is only possible if there istighter cost management bylocal government."

DublinofficiallytwinnedwithBeijing

CLIFFORD COONAN

DUBLIN (POPULATION1.2 million) has been officiallytwinned with Beijing, (population19.4 million) and Lord Mayor ofDublin Gerry Breen hopes it willgive business in Ireland's capital aboost.

On a balmy day in the Chinesecapital yesterday, Mr Breen andvice mayor of Beijing Hong Fengsigned the agreement, whichtwins two cities that superficiallyhave little in common, but whichshare the hauteur that comesfrom being their respectivecountries' seats of government.

Mr Breen said three main areasshould benefit from the twinning -third-level education, tourism andbusiness - via foreign directinvestment.

"This twinning means as muchor as little as we make it," he said."There's a return visit by the

mayor in the autumn, and now it'sthe turn of the private sector, be itthe third-level institutions, thetourism companies or the privatecompanies, to take up thecudgels."

There are about 4,000 Chinesestudents in Dublin at any onetime, and the Chinese communityis about 30,000 strong in thecapital. The number of Dublinersin Beijing is not clear.

One plan that attracted a lot ofinterest from Mr Hong was theDublin Bike scheme, which hasmassively encouraged bicycletravel in the city.

While Beijing is famous for itsbicycles, years of economic growthhas seen a dramatic decline intheir number, and there are callsat senior levels to bring back thetwo-wheelers as the city's streetsbecoming thronged with cars.

To facilitate Chinese peoplecoming to Ireland, Mr Hong saidhe hoped to see the issuance of

visas made easier, and welcomedrecent plans to give a visa waiverto Chinese tourists who visitBritain first.

Mr Breen also met the directorof Beijing Municipal Commissionof Tourism, Lv Yong.

The Beijing delegation includedrepresentatives from many of thecapital's universities and colleges.

Among those taking part in theDublin delegation were citymanager John Tierney, Eric ByrneTD and Gina Quin, DublinChamber of Commerce chiefexecutive.

"The essence of doing businessin China is having governmentendorsement, and twinning with acity of the stature of Beijing is anamazing development," saidMs Quin.

"From the perspective ofsupporting business efforts andeducation and tourism, this willexcite more interest. We need to

get more companies out here tocapitalise on the governmentendorsement."

Once migrants and those livinghere illegally are factored in,Beijing has a population of22 million, although the recentcensus came up with the figure of19.4 million.

Some rights organisations hadopposed the move to twin withBeijing, including AmnestyInternational, because of China'spoor human rights record, but theagreement to twin with Beijingwas reached in December.

City councillor Mannix Flynnmentioned Dublin's goodrelations with China and thesuccessful twinning recemly whenhe expressed concern over thesafety of outspoken artist AiWeiwei, who has been detained byfor 60 days without charge.

County Councilvisit to ChinaOfficials and councillors from Fingal CountyCouncil spent a week in China last monthto discuss a proposal for the possibleestablishement of a "China Trade City"in the Fingal county area. The purpose ofsuch a project would be to establish a centrewhere Chinese businesses could showcaseChinese products for sale throughoutEurope.

The invitation to visit Chengdu, a city of 11million people, for the International Sister Cit-ies Week, resulted from a recent Chengdu trademission to Dublin when the Chengdu authori-ties met representatives from Fingal CountyCouncil, Dublin Airport Authority, Fingal Dub-lin Chamber of Commerce, and Fingal CountyEnterprise Board. According to a spokespersonfor the county council it was felt that "Fingalprovides a unique location with direct access toDublin Airport and Dublin City."

The official leading the Fingal delegation toChengdu, PJ Howell, Fingal's Director of Envi-ronment, Business and Enterprise, explainedhow the visit "is a great opportunity for Fingalto make direct business and tourism connec-tions with this major Chinese city. We mustbe proactive in this economic climate, lookingforward with confidence and taking advantageof opportunities to develop business and trad-ing exchanges between Ireland and the world'sfastest growing economy," he said.

PJ Howell said on departure, "as home toDublin Airport, Fingal's location in the DublinCity Region gives us a significant advantage forforeign investment. This visit to Chengdu will

allow us to explore the potential for Chineseenterprises to invest in Fingal and for Fingaland Irish companies to develop export opportu-nities to China."

The Fingal delegation, comprises two coun-cillors, Ciaran Byrne (Labour) and and TomO'Leary (Fine Gael) along with Peter Caulfield,Deputy County Manager and PJ Howell. Theyare also being accompanied by John Wood-house of Aer Rianta International who is repre-senting the Dublin Airport Authority.

Anticipating possible negative reaction tothe cost of such a trip in the current economicclimate, a spokesperson for the county councilemphasised that "all expenses in China for thevisit are being covered by the Chengdu authori-ties as an indication of their enthusiasm todevelop trading and tourism links worldwide,and in this case, in Fingal."

jfcjft-Rfll^ftlfc (Welcome to Fingal)!

Chengdu city centre

Calls for growthof Dublin PortDublin: Dublin Port needsbetter facilities, deeperberths and improvedsupporting infrastructureas part of its growthstrategy for the next 30years, according to DublinChamber of Commerce.

In making itscontribution to the DublinPort Company's publicconsultation process for its30-year growth strategy,the chamber said DublinPort must have thecapacity to provide forIreland's future exportneeds.

The chamber's policychief, Aebhric McGibney,said: "Dublin Port is a keypart of national economicinfrastructure. It is wellconnected and attractivelylocated. But ships aregetting longer with deeperdraughts and the demandson moving containers offand out of the shipsquickly are growing.

"In order to continueproviding a reliablegateway to internationalmarkets and the primaryaccess point for rawmaterials to industryDublin Port will need toprove it has a place thatwill be attractive for all touse," he said.

Dublin Port 'needsbetter facilities'TRAOEDUBLIN Port needs betterfacilities and supportinginfrastructure as part of astrategy for the next 30 years,according to the DublinChamber of Commerce, inresponse to Dublin Port'sMaster Plan 2011-2040 publicconsultation.

Kudos to Oueenie for her almost apology; Lagarde leads the field to replace embattled Strauss-Khan;and superinjunctiongate opens a fresh can of worms on online privacy

The Queen welcomedwith open arms

What do you reckon? Of herjaunt over the Irish Sea. Yes, thebig Q. Did she deliver as you'dexpected or surpass those verysame expectations? Looking onfrom London, the internationalmedia coverage of QueenElizabeth's historic state visit toIreland took me by somesurprise. There was front pagecoverage from the Britishbroadsheets as well as the redtops. The Financial Times, TheIndependent, The Guardian,Daily Telegraph, The Times, DailyMirror and Daily Express allfeatured Queen Liz's visit withprominence on page numerouna In fact, the Dublin Chamberof Commerce announced thatmore than 5,000 articles werepublished in nearly 100countries within one day of herarrival to the Irish shore.

And deservedly so. It wasclearly a groundbreakingoccasion and ultimately ahugely successful four days.

Gerry Adams, Sinn Feinleader, admitted that while hestill harbours disdain for the ideaof monarchies in principle, hedidn't in fact hold any ill feelingsagainst the Queen herself. Hehoped the visit would accelerateall sides towards the day when anew and better relationshipcould be formed between thetwo islands. He noted that a lotwould ride on what exactly theQueen said. And boy did shedeliver.

In her speech, which theQueen kicked off in Irish (a welladvised idea), she raised eye

| brows by tackling the elephant

in the room head on in herspeech that was surprisinglyfrank. Not beating around thebush, she said: "With the benefitof historical hindsight we can allsee things which we would wishhad been done differently, or notat all." A stunning sentence thatstops just short of a full apology.We all know that saying sorry isoften the hardest word to saybut her hinting at an apologywas effective. Her tone was justright. And her words werehealing. Overall, a massivesuccess. Kudos Queenie. AndBarack Obama didn't do badly asa second act.

THANKS A€BILUON

GemmaO'Dohertysays thatthe boostto ourbusinessand tourismafter the bigvisits isalreadybeing felt

Nanotechnologists aremeant to be nerds; dry,bookish types whodevote their lives tomaking things small-er. They don't do big,especially when it

comes to shows of emotion.But drop into the cutting-edge

Tyndall Institute in Cork, where someof the country's finest scientists work,and you'd be forgiven for thinkingthere'd been a helium leak.

Julie Dorel calls it happy dust —the sense of euphoria that has takenhold since Queen Elizabeth dropped bylast Friday week.

"It's as if she came in with a magicwand and sprinkled it all over us," shesays, "and even though it's a weeksince her visit, it shows no sign ofgoing away. The mood is just electric.We're all on a total high."

As marketing manager, Julie's officehas been flooded with queries fromaround the world about the work theresearch centre does and whether it

could take on more."The impact was almost immediate,

literally from Saturday. We've had callsfrom foreign multinationals who sawfootage of the institute on the BBCand wanted to know if we could doresearch for them.

"The enquiries are in the dozens atthis stage. Already this week we'veshown a team around as a direct resultof the publicity from the queen's visit.A lot of people didn't realise that Ire-land had such a hi-tech facility."

Back in the capital, the lofty corri-dors of Trinity College are still bristlingwith excitement since their royalencounter, and queues to see the Bookof Kells are unseasonably high.

"We've been out the door," saysAngie Kenny of customer services.

"We've had emails from as far asAmerica from people saying they sawthe footage of Queen Elizabeth view-ing the book, but what's really interest-ing is the sudden surge in Irish peoplecoming in to see it for the first time."

Now the convoys of black BMWshave left our streets and the manholesare unsealed, boffins in the business ofselling Brand Ireland have been buriedin their calculators trying to quantifythe economic windfall that couldaccrue from the visits of the mostfamous man and woman in the world.

The fact that, since their depar-tures, both President Obama and thequeen have been singing the praises ofthe country has helped to sustain thesebadly-needed good news stories.

At Chelsea Flower Show this week,Her Majesty hailed her trip as "bril-liant" while Moneygall's most famousancestor has been hawking tales ofthe black stuff and his new hurl toanyone who'll listen.

At this early stage, it's impossible toput a precise figure on the countlessways in which their resoundingendorsement of Ireland could boostour beleaguered economy, thoughsome estimates have soared beyond thebillion-euro mark.

What is certain is that it was a badly-needed tonic for a nation on its knees.After three years of gut-wrenchingheadlines, there is an undeniable feel-good factor in the air. Economists havetheir fingers crossed that it mightresult in householders dipping intotheir pockets and spending again.

The Dublin Chamber of Commerceestimates their combined visit could beworth €150 min pro-bono advertisingfor the nation alone, a theme picked upby US magazine Time, which wasgripped to learn of their president'saffection for stout.

"Celebrities, step aside," goes anarticle which now tops their website'smost-read list A presidential endorse-ment can be the most lucrative of all.

"President Obama downed a pint ofblack brew in four sips on Monday. Callit the luck of the Irish, but Guinness isrejoicing — and seeing green. Theendorsement — dozens of photos ofObama slurping down the pint anddeclaring it 'delicious' afterward — isthe best type of advertising for thecompany: candid and cost-free."

The LA Times carried a headline:'According to Obama, the Guinness inIreland is much better than the stuffthey sell in the US'.

Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland's topman in the US, was at his New Yorkgym when he turned to the TV and sawthe crowds who had gathered to wel-come the president in Dublin.

"I looked up from my exercise bikeand saw a sea of people on CollegeGreen and a big broad smile onObama's face beaming out from threeTV screens. It was just incredible.

"I'm not going to pretend that itwas covered as a 15-minute item. Itwasn't but it featured on all of themajor channels and the tenor of thecoverage was universally positive.

"I have no doubt the way the USmedia covered the Irish visit will real-ly help our cause. It sent out a signalthat Ireland is very pro- American andthat we know how to run a great partyand how to look after our visitors."

For the millions of Americans whohave yet to visit, there was a reassur-ance that the old-fashioned Irelandof their dreams still exists as picturesfrom Offaly of quaint villages, cosypubs and red-haired women clutchingObama like a long-lost son werebeamed into their homes.

"We're putting a package togetherright away," says Ciaran Barry of Scep-tre Tours, New York, which specialis-es in travel to Ireland. "There are stilllots of Irish-Americans who want toexplore their roots just like Obama

did and meet cousins they didn t knowthey had and that's what we're goingto focus on, on foot of his visit."

Those eyeing up the country asa place to do business tookhome a different message.Images of smiling Irish faces

lapping up the words of their newleader portrayed a picture of a stablenation willing to put its best foot for-ward despite the hardships ahead.

They were in stark contrast to thescenes of protests and worker walk-outs from our bailout partners Portu-gal and Greece, where the public arerailing against austerity measures.

And as the world watched a Britishqueen receive a warm welcome on oldenemy soil, from Sydney to Seattle,stereotypes of cold Anglo-Irishrelations were banished as out-of-date.

"I was at the tennis club," says Byrne,"and an Italian-American with no Irishconnections I was playing against said,'that was a great welcome you guys inIreland gave the queen'.

"That is the sort of comment thatwarms my heart because he had a pre-conceived notion about the relation-ship between Ireland and England.That perception was changed by theimages of the extraordinary welcomeshe received, which is much warmerthan anywhere else in the world."

From his office in Paris, BillyCondon, Byrne's counterpart in France,has been poring over the morningpapers. In the last week alone, almost400 articles from Cherbourg to Canneshave appeared in the press recordingthe queen's visit to Ireland in glowingterms.

Coverage of Obama's visit is expect-ed to pull in similar amounts. OnWednesday, a picture of him drinkinghis pint in Moneygall was splashedacross the cover of Le Monde. "To geta picture of President Obama slug-ging back a pint of Guinness on pageone of a serious paper like Le Monde isjust incredible for us," he says.

"There was another of a T-shirt with

What s the craic, Barack?'."This all reinforces the idea that

Ireland is a land of welcomes, which isvery important to the French, whodon't always feel welcome when theytravel abroad, but it also portrays it asa place of fun synonymous with pubsand music and stout, and all the thingspeople want when they go on holiday."

For President Obama, a round of golfis on the itinerary when he returns, butit is the Irish horse that will bring ourroyal visitors back.

"Their visit has been a fantasticboost to the whole industry," saysAnne-Marie O'Brien, wife of Bally-doyle trainer Aidan O'Brien, who metthe queen last week.

"The fact that she visited threeequine centres during her short stayspeaks volumes. Her great affection forthe Irish horse will no doubt raiseawareness for the racing industryaround the world and remind peoplethat Ireland is at the pinnacle of thesport."

Capital idea to become city of designWhat are the chances of Dublinbeing named World Design Capital2014? Today, a determined group ofdesigners, architects and otherprofessionals launches its bid

INCREDIBLE AS it may seem, Dublin isbidding to be designated World DesignCapital 2014. Given the unfinished stateof the city, and its current penury, the bidis audacious and insouciant.

Nearly two years ago, after hearing that Hel-sinki and the relatively small Dutch city of Eind-hoven had been shortlisted for the title WorldDesign Capital 2012, City architect Ali Grehanfloated the idea in casual conversations withother designers after a Pecha Kucha night inthe Sugar Club on Earlsfort Terrace. (PechaKucha night is when designers get together todiscuss "small ideas with big impact".)

"Dublin? A design capital?" was the imme-diate response. Although it's a city of manydesigners and some design achievements,Dublin hasn't been known as a design city.

But what about its international profile inanimation, computer games and graphicdesign? Not to mention its renownedarchitects?

Not only is Dublin the birthplace of interna-tionally known businesses with strong designidentities such as Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Guin-ness, Jameson, and home to many more, it isalso where James Joyce "located his re-designof the modern novel" and is now a hub for"smart city" collaboration, according toGrehan.

Dublin is emerging as the new-media capitalof Europe, according to the bid promoters.Decisions by Google and Facebook to locatetheir headquarters here yvere aided by thetransformation of Dublin into a multi-national,multi-lingual city.

Una Burke and Sorcha 6 Raghallaigh haveboth designed outrageous outfits for LadyGaga, even though the flamboyant pop divadidn't quite get 6 Raghallaigh's name right onthe Graham Norton Show (she pronounced itas O'Reilly). "So we realised there was a story

This is a chance to reinventthe city, to make theundervalued valued, theordinary extraordinary

to tell, but it was one we needed to tell our-selves, as well as the world," Grehan recalls,adding that the bid was an opportunity to dothat.

It drew together a variety of designers aswell as representatives from Government, localauthorities, the education and business sectors.

Some 100 designers met in Wood QuayVenue in March last year to discuss their hopesand fears. "It was an intense, animated after-noon of discussion, debate and dissent,"Grehan says.

Last month, a feasibility study to mount abid for the designation set out a bold plan ofaction. The idea of "Pivot Dublin" was born,articulating the role Irish designers could playin meeting the fundamental challenges of asociety at such a pivotal point.

The initiative attracted the support not onlyof the four local authorities and the Depart-ment of the Environment, but also designbodies ranging from the Crafts Council of Ire-land to the Royal Institute of the Architects ofIreland and many in between, includingfashion designers and advertising practi-tioners.

"We looked for fresh eyes and new voices,"says Grehan. "Pivot was Maria Hinds's idea.Maria - a young graphic designer workingbetween Dublin, New Orleans and New York,with Dublin colleagues Keith Nally and RoryMcCormack - offered pivot as a word that bestexpressed Dublin's unleashed potential."

The group also designed the website,pivotdublin.com, which thrust the bid into aworld of bloggers and spread the word onlinethat Dublin was serious.

The lavishly illustrated bid document,designed by Areaman Productions, Red & GreyDesign, architect Emma Curley and Dr LindaKing, is a masterpiece in itself.

"All this happened against abackdrop of unprecedentedpolitical and economicupheaval," saysGrehan. "Thatlevel of prepa-ration, ofdedica-tion,underpinseverythingwe have doneto create this bidand everything wewant to achieve as Dub-lin's World Design Capital2014. Pivot Dublin will turndesign on its head."

Dublin is described as a paradox."It's high and low, pristine and well-worn

playful and intense. Dublin provokes andengages. It's absurd and serious, shambolicand sharp. It's divided yet connected ... asocial city; one that is vibrant, chaotic andquirky . . . built on relationships, open to con-versation, full of ideas and always ready fordebate."

The "pivot" idea is to use design as thevehicle to "turn things inside out, to becomesomething else". It's also "a declaration of ourintent to offer Dublin as a test bed for designsolutions to local, national and global chal-lenges . . . It's a chance to reinvent the city, tomake the undervalued valued, the ordinaryextraordinary."

The bid is focused on four themes: Con-necting Cities, Making Cities Lighter, MakingCities Flow and Making Cities Smile.

Work on each of these themes starts with aseed project that takes a specific angle on thetheme, such as how digital technology could be

used to network isolated communitiesand resources.

Making Cities Lighter isabout making them more

environmentallysustainable, andthe seed project inthis category will

focus on water,looking at its con-

sumption, produc-tion, its place in our cul-

ture and its connection toa global ecology of water. It

will bring together citydwellers, designers, those

involved in supplying water andnew technologies.Making Cities Flow will look at rede-

signing the market for locally producedgoods in Dublin, with the aims of stimulating

micro-producers, reinvigorating local culturesof making things, and

reducing wasteful distri-bution networks. It will

also connect designers and craftmakers to new technologies to

stimulate innovation.

Making Cities Smile will explore how we can"reinvent" housing in Dublin by bringing diffi-cult central urban sites into use, even by self-builders, and develop new housing models thatare more sustainable, more easily achievableand more desirable. This is something Grehanis particularly keen on doing.

The design capital bid has impressive sup-port from such people as the Dublin-born presi-dent-elect of the Royal Institute of British Archi-tects, Angela Brady, the Government's chief sci-entist, Prof Patrick Cunningham; the provost ofTrinity College Dublin, John Hegarty; and thedirector of the National College of Art andDesign, Declan McGonagle.

Others batting for it include the chief execu-tive of the ESB, Padraig McManus; Live NationIreland's chief executive Mike Adamson; theState architect, Pat Cooney; chief executive ofthe Dublin Chamber of Commerce Gina Quinn;Intel Ireland's head of corporate affairsBrendan Cannon; Irish Architecture Founda-tion director Nathalie Weadick; and TaoiseachEnda Kenny.WE WILL LEARN NEXT MONTH if Dublin hasbeen shortlisted from 55 cities competing to beWorld Design Capital 2014, by grace of theMontreal-based International Council of Socie-ties of Industrial Design. Its representativeswill visit the shortlisted cities during thesummer and the name of the winning city willbe announced in the autumn.

Dublin's lord mayor, Gerry Breen, will for-mally launch the Pivot Dublin bid at a breakfastin the Mansion House this morning. The fourlocal authorities intend to develop the seedprojects and implement the Dublin bid immedi-ately - even if Dublin is not shortlisted,according to Grehan,

Win or lose, there is no doubt that theextraordinary effort being put into the bid hasforged new relationships between Dublin-based designers of every hue and type - andgiven them all something worthwhile to aim forin these hard times. None of them would havehad the time to do it during the boom.FRANK MCDONALD

Pivot Dublininvited 30designers andcreative professionalsto design a cover fortheir bid document. Some ofthe 10 shortlisted include(clockwise from top left), ConorSwanton (DDFH&B); Bob Grey(Red & Gray Design); DavidJoyce (Language) and TheStone Twins

Queen's visit will generate€2 billion in British tradeBy Nicola CookeIndustry Correspondent

Irish exporters and busi-ness leaders anticipatethat Queen Elizabeth'svisit to Ireland - and the

associated media coverage and'feelgood factor' - will result in€2 billion-worth of extra tradewith Britain this year.

A new British Irish Cham-ber of Commerce waslaunched by British foreign se-cretary William Hague lastTuesday, and membership hasalready reached more than 50companies. The new associa-tion was formally establishedlast February, and some found-ing members include Aviva,AIB, Diageo, Fyffes, SmurfitKappa and CRH.

Fergal Naughton, executivedirector of Glen Dimplex, is in-terim president, and Peter By-rne, chief executive of southDublin Chamber of Com-merce, is interim chief execu-tive. Byrne said the conceptwas first proposed almost ayear ago by the Council of Brit-ish Chambers of Commerce inEurope (COBCOE).

"I was approached to set upa new chamber for the twocountries and met officials inthe British Embassy. Last Sep-tember, we invited a number ofbusiness people to give us theiropinions on it, and in Novem-ber, most came on board. Themost common perception was'does this not already exist?'.

"We hired two people tohelp generate membership andlast February, 21 companies

agreed to becoming foundingmembers and form the interimboard. Enterprise Ireland andthe IDA gave us huge support,as did Irish ambassador BobbyMolloy and British ambassa-dor Julian King. PwC mana-ging partner Ronan Murphytook on the job of treasurer,"Byrne said.

Within two months, a newchief executive will be ap-pointed to the organisation,and Byrne has received dozensof applications for the role. ESBdeputy chief executive JohnShine has started work on pol-icy for the new chamber, and a

policy group will be appointedfor this.

A London office is alsoplanned and Byrne said hehoped a chief executive wouldbe appointed to the Britisharm within six months, aheadof the opening of a base there.He said the body would benefitSMEs, corporations and otherbusinesses in several ways.

"If you are an SME, for ex-ample, you will be able to con-nect with real business peoplewith experience of trading inboth countries. What we willoffer is different from stateagencies, in that it can be one-

to-one partnership, or maybea firm could piggyback onsomeone's current business tiesor further develop an idea thata member has developed.

"Larger companies like tohave a voice, and we will repre-sent them on a range of issuesand lobby the governments,when required, on both sides.We will be running seminarson the taxation differences be-tween the two countries, andalso working to develop trademissions.

"We will be contacting otherbusiness organisations in Brit-ain to boost membership. Thishas to be two-way traffic.

"Something as simple as anSME being offered the adviceto enter the Manchester or Li-verpool market ahead of Lon-don, from someone withexperience in their sector -that is what we are aiming for- not to replicate any of thesupports already there."

The value of Irish exports toBritain last year increased to€27.8 billion, after several yearsof decline. The value of ser-vices, at €14 billion, super-seded goods - at €13.8 billion

-

for the first time in 2010.lEA chief executive John

Whelan said the "boost in con-fidence" from the queen's visitwould increase that by €2 bil-lion this year, to put it on a parwith 2007, when there was a re-cord €30 billions of exports toBritain.

"I think the hugely success-ful visit, and all the positivecoverage of Ireland in recentdays, will put trade with Ire-land back on the agenda inBritish boardrooms." he said.

The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth examinethe hurley and sllotar they were given at Croke Park

Wall-to-wallcoverage putsus all back inshop window

SHOPOWNERS have sufferedshort-term pain for long-termgains of over €150 m. Salesslumped by up to 50pc inDublin city centre shops as thestreets emptied and some out-lets closed, while gardai mount-ed a major security operationfor the queen's arrival.

But they picked up later afterretailers decided to open lateand crowds surged into the citycentre yesterday ahead of theEuropa League final.

The biggest boost for theretail and tourism trade, though,is predicted in the months tocome due to free back-to-backpublicity, courtesy of the worldmedia. Some 9,000 articles havealready been published acrossthe globe about the queen's trip,of which 5,000 appeared in 95countries within 24 hours of herarrival here.

Dublin Chamber of Com-merce estimates the combinedvisit of the queen and PresidentBarack Obama could be worthas much as €150 min advertisingterms for the country.

The cost of a single page ad inone of the big UK newspapers is

worth over €113,000 alone, andthe visit has enjoyed continuouscoverage on Sky News.

"This is one of the biggestinternational media stories ofthe year to date involving Ire-land and, significantly, it is anoverwhelmingly positive one,"said Stephen CLeary, managingdirector of O'Leary Analytics,which is carrying out researchon media coverage of the visit.

Failte Ireland is also offer-ing journalists covering MrObama's visit next week itiner-aries for their "down time".

"We are extremely lucky tohave the eyes of the world'smedia upon us over the nextfew days and this presents uswith a priceless opportunity topresent a positive, warm andwelcoming image of Ireland,"said Failte Ireland CEO ShaunQuinn.

He said the images beamedaround the world would boostthe tourism industry, whichemploys 190,000 people.

Meanwhile, Richard Guineyof the Dublin City BusinessImprovement Districtsaid although the officialfootfall figures were expected toshow an initial drop whenreleased later this week,retailers expected long-termbenefits.

Queen makes headlinesTHE Dublin Chamber of Commerce said that Ireland has receiveda huge amount of publicity since the queen's visit, with over 5,000articles published in 95 countries within the first 24 hours.

Analysis by O'Leary Analytics for Dublin Chamber outlined thatover 9,000 articles have been published in May to date across theglobe about the historic visit. The firm said it is one of thebiggest international media stories of the year involving Ireland.

Dublin Chamber'ssurplus at €1.6

m

ACCOUNTSTHE Dublin Chamber ofCommerce boosted its annualsurplus to €1.6 mlast year,according to accounts justfiled with the CompaniesOffice. The business grouptook in €I.Bm over the year.

Chamber suggestsjobs initiativesDublin: The Governmentshould stimulate jobgrowth through smallchanges to VAT, PRSIrebate scheme and stampduty, Dublin Chamber ofCommerce has suggestedin its submission to theMinister of Finance on theupcoming jobs initiative.

Dublin Chamber chiefexecutive Gina Quin said:"Small and medium-sizedenterprises are a centralcomponent of the jobsinitiative.

"These businesses canbe helped to survive andgrow by tax changes whichimprove credit flow —changes that will increaseexchequer receipts asthese firms expand andgenerate employment."

She said cash flow hasremained a significantproblem for manybusinesses.

"By shifting the paymentof VAT until cash isreceived, the burden on asmall business's cash flowwill be reduced.

"This will then a Howthem to put more focus ongrowing their businessrather than worrying howthey will pay the tax man,"she said.

Master plan for PortTHE Dublin Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the announce-ment of the public consultation process to devise a master planfor the long-term development of Dublin Port.

Gina Quin, chief executive of Dublin Chamber said that for toolong there has been a lack of certainty and clarity on future devel-opment of Dublin Port. "This has resulted in the capacity needsfacing the Port suffering," she added.

Business body opposes planfor Metro as threat to tradeOLIVIA KELLY

A DUBLIN business organisationhas decided to withdraw its sup-port from the Metro North railproject, despite having theRailway Procurement Agency(RPA) as a member.

The Dublin City Business Associ-ation said it can no longer supportthe project because of the damageit believed the construction phasewould do to city businesses.

Outgoing association chairmanDavid McCormick said the associa-tion had a long-standing policy ofpromoting public transportprojects in the city and had origi-nally supported Metro North, butit was no longer the right projectfor Dublin.

"In the good times we saw themerit of the Metro, but we havebecome more and more convincedthat the effect on the host commu-nity will be devastating. Thisproject will destroy the city."

The economic climate hadchanged utterly since the projectwas mooted, he said.

While it would have been pos-sible during the boom for busi-nesses to survive the expectedlevel of disruption, the city couldno longer support a five-year con-struction project.

"There comes a stage where youhave to weigh the amount of painagainst the gain. We have to bemindful of the changed economy.Jobs will be lost if this goes aheadand, once they are gone, it will bevery difficult to get them back."

There were more practical andcost-effective alternatives to theMetro, including the extension ofexisting rail lines to Dublin air-port, and these needed to be givenproper consideration.

The Metro, which has had plan-ning permission since October,has yet to be sanctioned by thenew Government yet was alreadycausing problems, Mr McCormicksaid.

Business people were afraid toinvest in their premises and build-ings were being left vacant, partic-ularly in the Westmoreland Streetarea, because of the fear shoppersand tourists would abandon thecity when construction was underway.

"There has been an increasinggroundswell among members andthe consensus has been reachedthat Metro would be the straw thatbreaks the camel's back," he said.

The RPA, the State agency withresponsibility for the Metro, is amember of the association andhad been made aware of the

change in position, Mr McCormicksaid.

Agency spokesman TomManning said he objected at theassociation agm last week to thechange in position being madewithout discussion among mem-bers. However, he said the associa-tion's support for the Metro hadalways been "conditional at best".

The agency would continue towork with the association and indi-vidual members, he said.

Lorcan O'Connor, of O'Carroll'sIrish gift shops, which led the "noto Metro North campaign" waselected chairman of the associa-tion at the meeting.

He said he intends to ensurethat businesses are educated inrelation to the project. The Govern-ment needs to make a decision onMetro as soon as possible to endthe stagnation of investment in thecity, he said.

A spokesman for Minister forTransport Leo Varadkar said hewas still familiarising himself withhis brief and a decision on Metrohad yet to be made.

The Dublin Chamber of Com-merce said it remains in favour ofMetro North.

€80m boostexpectedfor tourismindustry

ShaneHickeyVISITORS flooding in for StPatrick's Day are expected togive the beleaguered tourismindustry a €80m cash injection.

The combination of the StPatrick's Festival and Saturday'srugby international betweenIreland and England will be amajor boost for the sector.

Around 120,000 visitors -mostly from the United States,UK, France and Germany - are

expected to spend well over€50m during the festivities.

Tourism chiefs are hopingEnglish visitors will stay on forthe crunch Six Nations matchon Saturday, contributing evenmore to the local economy.

Final touches were yesterdaybeing made to the St Patrick'sDay procession in the capital,which is expected to attract500,000 people.

Last year, the festival pulledin €50m from overseas touristsand another €9m from peopleliving in Ireland, during whatwas perceived as being a pooryear for the travel industry.

Yesterday, a spokesman forFailte Ireland said it hoped thisyear's spend would be lOpe upon the 2010 figure.

The festival is usually seen asbeing the starting gun for theIrish tourist season.

"This year we are alreadyexperiencing a pick-up," thespokesman said, adding thatSaturday's rugby match was a"fortunate occurence".

The game will decidewhether England will returnwith the Grand Slam title and isexpected to bring about €18m tothe economy, according to theDublin Chamber of Commerce.

The average rugby fan spendsabout €920 during a three- orfour-night stay, said the cham-ber's chief executive Gina Quin.

It is estimated that 7,500 willtravel to Ireland for the matchand more are expected to traveldown from Northern Ireland.

"Our estimates, based on his-torical data, indicate that the SixNations match this weekendwill generate significant gains tothe Irish economy," said MsQuin.

Smiles aroundthe world forPatrick's Day

by Evelyn Ring

SAINT Patrick's Day isnow rated one of thefriendliest days of theyear, not only in Irelandbut throughout the world,

a new global study reveals.Eight out of 10 people

in the United States,Australia, Germany,Britain and Ireland believethe Irish holiday is one ofthe friendliest days of theyear, according to theGuinness-commissionedsurvey.

The day seems to bringout the best in us, withone in five saying it is theone day of the year whenthey can look forward tobeing greeted with asmile.

According to Ireland'sCensus Bureau, there aremore than 80 millionIrish men and womenthroughout the world, yetonly 4.2 mlive in Ireland.

Guinness estimates thatat least rOm glasses of itsstout, available in morethan 150 countries, willbe drunk today.

A survey of Irish-Amer-ican attitudes found thatthe day is not all aboutparades and drinking beer,with 25% intending to goto Mass.

The Amarach Re-search/Irishcentral.comsurvey of more than 1,000people found that 90% ofIrish-Americans will cele-brate the day. Almost halfwill do so with friendsand family, with 70%enjoying a special dinnertogether. Two out of fivewill celebrate with drinksin an Irish pub and 43%will attend a parade intheir local town or city.

In addition, the physicalties to Ireland remainstrong, with seven out of10 having visited thecountry.

One in five planto visit Ireland this yearand almost two thirdshope to make the tripnext year. Of those travel-ling to Ireland this year,65% will visit Dublin,55% Galway, 44% Corkand 31% Donegal.

One in three believethat Riverdance is themost symbolic of modernIreland and actor LiamNeeson is the person thatIrish-Americans are mostproud of.

Meanwhile, anothersurvey suggests that almosthalf of Irish people arefluent in Irish, withyoung adults having thegreatest command of theirnative language.

According to a surveyconducted by traveland leisure website,lastminute.com, 47% saidthey could speak Irishfluendy, while 75% said

they spoke the language atsome point last year.

Younger people appearto have the greatest com-mand of the languagewith 56% of 18 to25-year-olds stating theycould speak it fluendy.

A little less than 20% ofthe 1,000 people surveyedcould not rememberwhen they last spoke Irishand 5% admitted they lastspoke it for their LeavingCertificate.

Meanwhile, DublinChamber believes that€18m will be spent byout-of-state sports touristscoming to the city thisweekend for the final SixNations clash betweenIreland and England inthe Aviva Stadium.

It is expected that manyfans without tickets willcome just to experiencethe atmosphere.

€18m bonanza as20,000 Englandfans hit DublinSIX NATIONS: Pubs and hotels to cash inas supporters arrive for rugby showdownBy Michael lawery

DUBLIN is set to score a €18mbonanza from thousands ofrugby-mad English fans.

They will arrive in the cityover the next few days forSaturday's Six Nations clash atthe Aviva Stadium.

They're expected to bring aspending boost of at least €18m- but it could be even bigger,Dublin Chamber of Commerceestimate.

"It's like having the wind atyour back for businesses inhospitality and tourism," chiefexecutive Gina Quin said.

ATMOSPHEREThe game has a sell out atten-dance of 51,700.

"It's a highly importantmatch to the visiting team.

"This weekend could do evenbetter than we expect," sheadded.

Hotels, restaurants and pubsreport a significant boost insales during the Six Nationswhen England come to Dublin,she said.

"This will be more signifi-cant now that the final matchagainst England is a key decider

for the Grand Slam, which willserve to further increase thenumber of fans without ticketsthat just come to experiencethe match atmosphere," MsQuin said.

While Dublin will take thelion's share of the bonanza,corporate hospitality business-es in Kildare, Meath and Wick-low will also get a boost.

The chamber's Patrick Kingsaid that based on past experi-ence, around 14pc or 7,700

England fans will go to thegame. But thousands more willtravel to Dublin for the atmos-phere and will watch the gamein nearby pubs.

The hotel and pub sectorsare expected to pick up €5meach from the rugby match.

The French and Englishtraditionally send the biggestnumber of fans.

The St Patrick's Day celebra-tions may also add to the num-bers of those staying for the

game. A spokesman for theIRFU said the English RugbyFootball Union had been allo-cated 5,500 tickets and therehad been no returns.

UK airline Flybe is replacingsome of its propeller-drivenplanes with jets to cope with thenumber of fans who want to flyto Dublin.

Turbo prop Bombardier0400 planes with 78 seats arebeing replaced by Brazilian-built Embraer 195 twin-enginedjets which can carry 118 pas-sengers on some flights.

FIXTUREFlybe said it would operate 26flights between Southamptonand Dublin this weekend andhad also added an extra flightfrom Dublin on Sunday after-noon for those returning toEngland from the big match.

Flybe's chief commercial offi-cer, Mike Rutter, said: "Whenthe Six Nations fixture list waspublished, we knew there wouldbe increased demand on ourSouthampton to Dublin route inparticular and we acted swift-ly in order to fulfill this need."

BIGGAME: Upto 20,000Englandfans likeJennyWoodandKristinaCaxtonwill hitDublin forthe SixNationsclash thisweekend

€80m boostexpectedas touristsflock in

ShaneHickeyVISITORS flooding in for StPatrick's Day are expected togive the beleaguered tourismindustry a €80m cash injection.

The combination of the StPatrick's Festival and Saturday'srugby international betweenIreland and England will be amajor boost for the sector.

Around 120,000 visitors -mostly from the United States,UK, France and Germany - areexpected to spend well over€50m during the festivities.

Tourism chiefs are hopingEnglish visitors will stay on forthe crunch Six Nations matchon Saturday, contributing evenmore to the local economy.

Final touches were yesterdaybeing made to the St Patrick'sDay procession in the capital,which is expected to attract500,000 people.

Last year, the festival pulledin €50m from overseas touristsand another €9m from peopleliving in Ireland, during whatwas perceived to be a poor year.

Yesterday, a spokesman forFailte Ireland said it hoped thisyear's spend would be lOpe upon the 2010 figure.

The festival is usually seen asbeing the starting gun for theIrish tourist season.

"This year we are alreadyexperiencing a pick-up," thespokesman said, adding thatSaturday's rugby match was a"fortunate occurence".

The game will decidewhether England will returnwith the Grand Slam title and isexpected to bring about €18m tothe economy, according to theDublin Chamber of Commerce.

BroadbandimportancestressedThe chief executive ofVodafone Ireland hastold businesses thatdevelopment of nextgeneration broadbandmust be a key priorityfor the newgovernment, and thatprivate sector fundingwill be available tomake this happen.

Addressing a DublinChamber BusinessBreakfast last week,Jeroen Hoencamp saidhe believed the newgovernment shouldprioritise delivering onthe ambitious targets -30 megabit per secondbroadband for everyhome in Europe by 2020- set by EC vice-president for the digitalagenda Neelie Kroes.

"The governmentsimply cannot make thisinvestment on its own,"said Hoencamp. "Wemust all work together,and I can assure thegovernment thatVodafone will be at theforefront in terms ofsupporting and helpingto drive this."

New Dublin Chamber of Commerce PresidentImelda Reynolds has beenappointed to the positionof President of the DublinChamber of Commerce for2011.

Ms. Reynolds is aPartner of BeauchampsSolicitors, where sheserved as ManagingPartner from 2001 to 2008.She holds several qualifi-cations from UniversityCollege Dublin, includinga Bachelor of Civil Law,and a Diploma inEuropean Law. Mostrecently, she has been

awarded a Diploma inCorporate Governancefrom the UCD MichaelSmurfit Graduate BusinessSchool. Imelda was admit-ted as a solicitor in 1987and practices in the areasof commercial property,banking, franchising andcorporate governance.

She is a member of theGoverning Body of DublinInstitute of Technology,and a member of theRegulation of PracticeCommittee of the LawSociety of Ireland.

With Dublin Chamber,Imelda has chaired theCommunicationsCommittee and theCompetitive DublinCommittee. During 2009she chaired theGovernance Taskforce,resulting in the adoptionof a new Code ofGovernance in January2010. A member ofCouncil since 2003 and ofthe Executive Committeesince 2005, she was electedVice-President of theChamber in 2010.

Chamber calls for changeTHE Dublin Chamber of Commerce says it wants the aboli-tion of upward only rent reviews, modernisation of bank-ruptcy laws and 'root and branch' public sector reform aspart of the next programme for Government.

It's also calling for a commitment to invest in key infrastructureprojects including the swift delivery of the DART undergroundand Metro North; sustained investment in next generation broad-band; a new runway at Dublin Airport; an upgraded water distri-bution network; a waste-to-energy facility in Poolbeg; and thedelivery of the Grangegorman Campus.

President of Dublin Chamber, Imelda Reynolds, believes thenew Government will need a resilient business sector to assist inrebuilding the economy.

"In order to grow and generate employment, business needsleadership in Government to affect change," she says.

How to makeDublin a farbetter placeThe next government must listen toviable strategies and seek counselin a bid to further improve thestandard of living in the capital

Gina Quin

As we face the mostsignificant generalelection of ourgeneration, it is

time for businesspeople, whohave a strong vested interestin this country's wellbeing,to work actively with thenext government to restoreconfidence and regenerateenterprise and employment

It is too easy to sit on thesidelines and criticise thegovernment We cannot ex-pect it to deliver in isolation.The government will not, ofitself, create a recovery, butit has a vital role to play bycreating a clear and decisiveframework within which en-terprise can grow and busi-nesses can create value.

The Dublin Chamber ofCommerce has called uponall political parties contestingthe election to respond to aselect number of pro-busi-ness measures that have beenproposed to help existingenterprises survive and grow,to promote entrepreneurshipand create jobs.

The Dublin Chamber isproposing initiatives whichhave the aim of meeting threebusiness needs which wewant the government to im-plementCreate anenvironmentwhich supportsgrowth andemployment

Number one is quite simplyan environment whichenables an enterpriseculture, and supports thegrowth of domestic andexport trading businessesand employment.

Central to this are mea-sures to reduce unsustain-ably high wage costs andrents, access to cash andcredit, and root and branchproductivity reforms to im-prove the cost and servicedelivery of the public sector.

Make Dublin'sInfrastructureattractive forenterpriseWe must continue to makethe Greater Dublin area'sinfrastructure attractive forenterprise. The GreaterDublin area is the engine ofgrowth for the Irisheconomy, accounting for 47per cent of Ireland's servicessector and nearly half of taxrevenue.

Last year saw the comple-tion and opening of the A vivaStadium, Convention CentreDublin and Dublin Airport'sTerminal 2. These are won-derful additions to our city.

However, we need invest-ment in more key pieces ofinfrastructure, the better toconnect and leverage off ourexisting infrastructure - ourattractiveness and competi-tiveness as a location forbusiness depends on swiftdelivery of Metro North. Wewant sustained investment innext-generation broadband,and we want to see a secondparallel runway at DublinAirport.

We must have first-classconnectivity - not just tech-nically, but physically.

Effectiveleadership forDublinWe need a well-governedregion with an efficient, cost-effective and accountableadministration, which is ledby a strong, directly-electedmayor who will tackle the

strategic challenges facingthe region.

We want a leader who willmarket Dublin internation-ally as a destination fortourism, culture, educationand business.

These business needs,which the chamber has askedeach political party to com-mit to, are accompanied by a

range of initiatives outlinedin our manifesto, which arelisted below.

Reform the bankruptcylaw: Ireland's bankruptcylaw is completely outdated,especially in comparison toour European counterparts.

The Dublin Chamber ofCommerce is calling on thebankruptcy law to be chan-ged in order to encourageentrepreneurship and busi-ness start-ups. Entrepre-neurs learn from theirmistakes and fresh startsshould be facilitated.

'Root and branch' publicsector reform: necessarypublic sector reforms includeimproving productivity inthe management and opera-tion of the public sector andthe greater use of outsour-cing; taking a proactive ap-proach to privatisation, andcreating an executive mayorfor Dublin who is responsiblefor the cost-effective deliveryof local services.

Requiring Nama to releaseproperty into the market: thechamber is calling for Namato be required to releaseproperty into the market in away which will stimulateeconomic activity.

Abolish upward-only rentreviews for existing busi-

nesses: exceptional measuresto restore our competitive-ness may be required.

Upward-only rent reviewsdistort and delay the correc-tion in the market, drivingmany otherwise viable firmsout of business, with compe-tition from more recent te-nants who can avail of lowerrents and more tenant-friendly leases.

Establish an EnterpriseAdvisory Council: the cham-

ber is proposing the estab-lishment of an EnterpriseAdvisory Council, made upof leading businesspeople, tooffer the government strate-gic advice on public policiesand projects which will leadto the development of anenterprise-focused pro-gramme for government.

Business and the govern-ment must work hand inhand to ensure that we cantake the steps needed to

ensure the return of a vibranteconomy, and make Dublinan attractive destination forinvestment and jobs.

The citizens of Dublin de-serve a city which is a greatplace to work, visit and live; acity which is attractive as adestination for business andfor tourism.

To achieve this, we mustall work together. There ismuch at stake as we move onfrom a year that everyone

will want to forget.We encourage everyone to

vote: this franchise is pre-cious, as it will give the nextgovernment a mandate totake the tough decisionsneeded to restore confidencelevels, and the country'scredibility as a location ofchoice for business.

Gina Quin is chief executiveof the Dublin Chamber ofCommerce

movers &SHAKERS

■ Dublin Chamber of Com-merce has appointed ImeldaReynolds as its president for

Imelda Reynolds

2011. Imelda Reynolds is apartner with Beauchamps Soli-citors, where she also served asmanaging partner from 2001 to2008. She is a member of theGoverning Body of Dublin In-stitute of Technology and theRegulation of Practice Commit-tee of the Law Society of Ireland.

STRIKING A DEAL AND HIGH-ENDHOTELS AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICESTHURSDAY AerLingus CEO ChristophMueller is gratuitouslymagnanimous at theDublin Chambersevening, apologising tocustomers who havehad their lives disrupt-ed by the Impact dis-pute, and saying heunderstands how peo-ple's lifestyle concernshave to be addressed.Rumours of a dealwith Impact are filling the city.

HMDAY White smoke over AerLingus. The deal struck looks sus-piciously like the deal that was onoffer 16 weeks ago when the work-to-rule started. It could have beendecided within 20 minutes of talksresuming, but that is not howindustrial relations works.We fall for the theatrics everytime, without fail. We have fallenfor it again.

Impact saved face and AerLingus got a two-year "peace inour time" clause. Who won?Ryanair, of course. The sight ofRyanair planes in Heathrow andT2 were a shock, but may even bea portent of things to come. Thenew Government needs moneyand sells Aer Lingus. Up popsMichael CLeary to buy the airline.The no-union man says that hewill allow Impact and Siptu to rep-resent the workers and the airlinewill carry on just as before.

SATURDAYRainy night in Ardclough. TheVillage at Lyons has 14 new suitesto show off, for guests at weddingsat the estate's converted mill, nowa restaurant amid gushing foun-tains, a roaring water wheel andcooking chestnuts.

The rain is so heavy one of thetaxis back to Dublin gets strandedin the flood.

The food is late, to the chagrinof the invited tour operators, butthe dancing is good — BoogieNights are giving it socks until2am.

SUNDAY Ryanair threw 100 stu-dents off a plane In Spain. Yetanother reason to travel withthem.

MONDAY The guys at T2 really

don't want you to pickup at the terminal, dothey? DAA says peopleshould park thecar, walk into thebuilding, pick up theirpassengers and thenpay to get out At Tlthere is a place wherepeople can be pickedup. They have built arailing the length ofthe drop-off zone inT2 to prevent arriving

passengers being picked up.

TURSDAY Another epic journeyto the Aviva, a long walk overHerbert Bridge and back along thenarrow Dodder path. Antarcticexplorers have perished on lessarduous trips. The Ireland andWales kickaround is more cheerfulthan the streaker who forgot totake his clothes off.

WRDNRSDAY Northern IrelandTourist Board hosts us in ChapterOne. Two of the best hotel offersof the past 12 months were in theNorth — £60 (€7l) per personsharing for three nights and twodinners. That's half the price ofthe best offers you can get downin the 26 counties.

I'm not sure 2011 will bringoffers like that, but the high-endhotels are still pitching in atthree-star prices.

A wee bit of advice: take theslow road to Enniskillen ratherthan the fast road to Belfast.

KICKAROUND: Ireland andWales at the Aviva

'I'm disappointed thingsseem to be as they were'by Juno McEnroe

COMMUNITY and business groupshave expressed disappointment at thefailure of Labour and Fine Gael tomeet promises after an investigationby the Irish Examiner revealedundelivered pledges made at the localelections.

Former Government coalitionpartners the Green Party also warnedabout the use of "auction politics" bythe opposition parties after the proberevealed a string of unfulfilled pledgesmade to voters.

The Cork mother of a boy with aprosthetic leg said she was angry thatthe expected downgrading of St Mary'sOrthopaedic Hospital was not beingstopped.

Fine Gael had pledged in a keymanifesto launched just daysbefore the 2009 local elections that itwould fight the downgrading of localhospitals, including the north cityhospital. The party went on to win amajority of local seats, effectively tak-ing leadership of Cork City Council.

Margaret Kiely said she was worriedabout the continuity of care for her12-year-old son, Ronan, who lost hisleg in a lawnmower accident when hewas two-years-old, with staff in thehospital telling her facilities were beingdropped.

"I'm disappointed things seem to beas they were. This downgrading wasalways going to go ahead and nobodyseems to have moved to stop it." MsKiely is part of a campaign, calledWalk On, to retain prosthetic servicesin Cork.

The Irish Examiner analysisalso revealed a host of voter-friendlypledges by Fine Gael candidates beforethe 2009 polling day on transport,roads and funds for the city's develop-ment that were never fulfilled.

The analysis also revealed thatLabour, who took control of DublinCity Council after the local elections,have failed to deliver on attractivepromises for voters.

Business leaders in the capital

expressed disappointment at the failureto so far to deliver key pledges.

"It's always disappointing when thesethings are not delivered. The culturalquarter would have had a good impacton business in the area," said DublinChamber of Commerce chief execu-tive Gina Quin.

"I think there's a need for realismamong the candidates going forwardfor the election while also a need forvision and imagination."

Meanwhile, the Green Party yester-day warned of candidates peddling"auction politics" on the doorsteps.

"The Irish Examiner's investigationof what happens to Fine Gael andLabour election promises when theydo attain power is timely and revealing,n 2009 these parties were writingcheques they couldn't cash," said partyfinance spokesman Dan Boyle. .

Ronan Kiely with his mother Margaretin Boherbue, Co Cork. Picture: Dcs Barry

Aer Lingus chief 'confident' roster row will be settledJohn Mulliganand Fergus BlackAER Lingus chief executiveChristoph Mueller said lastnight the airline is "very, veryconfident" that the three-weekcabin crew roster dispute will beresolved.

Addressing the annual gener-al meeting of the Dublin Cham-ber of Commerce, he apologisedto the business community forthe disruption caused.

He spoke as efforts to endthe dispute continued with cru-cial talks at the Labour Rela-

tions Commission going intotheir fourth consecutive day.

Last night sources said thecompany had submitted a"final" position paper whichwas being considered by theIMPACT union.

The dispute over a new workroster is now in its third weekand has disrupted flights forthousands of passengers.

Aer Lingus began cancellingflights more than two weeksago after striking staff refusedto work the new rosters. Morethan 300 IMPACT cabin crewhave been taken off the payroll

and are going through a disci-plinary process that could leadto them being sacked.

Since the dispute.began AerLingus has been hiring in planesand crews from other airlines tominimise disruption to itsschedules but IMPACT said thatstaff remain available for work.

Mr Mueller warned that thefuture of the airline would notbe endangered for the sake of asmall number of employees.

"We cannot endanger thewhole species," said Mr Mueller.

"There are some employeeswho simply cannot agree to-the

new conditions. They cannotfor a variety of reasons. It hasalways been my prevailing prin-ciple, to respect the individualand to honour the individualneeds."

Mr Mueller praised staff foraccepting drastic cuts underhis €97m Operation Greenfieldcost-saving plan.

"What we have achieved inthe last year with our employeesand with trade unions was fan-tastic," he said.

BUSINESS REACTION

Parties challenged on recovery plansSTEVEN CARROLLPOLITICAL PARTIES have beenpushed to outline how, if in govern-ment, they would reduce businesscosts, modernise bankruptcy lawsand improve infrastructure inorder to get the economy movingagain.

The Dublin Chamber of Com-merce has outlined a series of "pro-business measures" in its electionmanifesto that it has called on theparties to respond to ahead ofpolling day on February 25th.

The manifesto says that the abo-lition of upward only rent reviews,the modernisation of bankruptcylaws to encourage entrepreneur-ship, and root and branch publicsector reform must be part of thenext programme for government.

The chamber also says the next

government must push for thebroadening of the Business Expan-sion Scheme to encourage invest-ment and force the National AssetManagement Agency to releaseproperty into the market to stimu-late economic activity.

"The next government needs aresilient business sector that willassist in rebuilding the economyand creating employment," Dublinchamber president Imelda Rey-nolds said yesterday.

"The perception of Ireland as aso-called Celtic Tiger built solelyon an overblown constructionsector must be changed. Thegrowth of domestic and exportingtrading businesses and employ-ment is fundamental to [altering]this perception."

Aebhric McGibney, chamberpolicy director, said each of the

parties has spoken of a need forchange in the public sector.

The chamber has called onthem to commit to "root andbranch" reform of the publicsector, Mr McGibney said. Inorder to do this, it proposes moreoutsourcing, taking a pro-activeapproach to privatisation and cre-ating an "executive mayor ofDublin" responsible for the costeffective delivery of local services.

The chamber is also seekingdelivery of the Dart undergroundand Metro North rail services, theroll-out of next generation broad-band, an upgraded water distribu-tion network and the delivery ofthe Dublin Institute of Technologycampus at Grangegorman.

The full manifesto will beunveiled at the chamber's agmdinner in Dublin tonight.

Mueller togive speechAER Lingus CEO ChristophMueller will lead the speeches atthe Dublin Chamber of Com-merce's AGM Dinner.

Mr Mueller was appointedCEO and a member of the Boardof Aer Lingus in September2009 and prior to his appoint-ment was most recently the Avi-ation Director at TUI Travel pic,a leading international leisuretravel group operating a pan-

European airline with morethan 160 aircraft.

The event will be held at TheFour Seasons Hotel on Thurs-day at 6.15pm.

Chamber calls for local government reformBy Nicola Cooke

Dublin needs to have a singlelocal authority system in areassuch as IT, local planning pro-cesses, budgets and businessrates, according to DublinChamber of Commerce.

The business organisationsaid that this would cut bu-reaucracy and produce sub-stantial savings.

The chamber also wants thepowers of a directly electedDublin mayor, for which legis-lation is likely to be passed nextyear, to be extended so thatthere is more consideration ofshared services.

Aebhric McGibney, the

chamber's policy director, saida mayor could drive efficien-cies on budgets, and that"much-needed" reforms couldbe rubber-stamped morequickly.

"We have met Minister JohnGormley [who published a billon the matter last October] tosuggest a raft of changes we be-lieve should be made to it," saidMcGibney. "Local govern-ment reform is needed, but sois stronger local government.Under the current bill, themayor would have powers inareas such as regional plan-ning, housing, transport, andwaste.

"We believe a directly

elected mayor could promotebetter and more effective ser-vices, tourism and integratedretail planning, and be an ad-vocate for the city."

He said that businesses werepaying rates but that there wasno standardisation of service.

"This needs to change andimprove significantly,"McGibney said.

The chamber also wants tosee an increase in Luas ser-vices and park-and-ride sitesso people have more options toget into town.

The organisation is part ofthe Transport 21 contingencygroup, which is now under theremit of the National Transport

Authority, and it believes amayor could have more directdealings with such a group.

"For example, there are is-sues with the Samuel Beckettbridge that are having aknock-on effect in the IFSC,"McGibney said.

"The fact there is no rightturn once you cross the rivermeans a lot of illegal U-turnsare happening near the con-vention centre, where the Luasalso passes.

"This is dangerous, does notbode well for business andneeds analysis and remodel-ling."

dublin chamber of commerce in the media

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