County Tipperary Chamber welcomes the "Housing for All" update, but is concerned about the financial viability of projects in the pipeline.
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Following the Housing for All update this morning (7 April 2022) County Tipperary Chamber CEO Michelle Aylward.
“We are glad that the issue of housing is receiving the highest priority in government and look forward to Croí Cónaithe Cities and Towns funds, which will support urban development and the refurbishment of vacant properties being launched in the coming weeks.
“Even with the soaring energy costs that businesses are experiencing, housing remains one of the most critical issues for Irish businesses.
“County Tipperary Chamber,  welcomes the achievements that have been made as part of the Housing for All Strategy, as the shortage of available affordable housing is a key concern of our members.
“The cost of housing is the single largest expense for workers, and the increasing costs of housing are driving wage claims and reducing our national competitiveness.
“High housing costs also significantly reduce the discretionary spending of the public and depress our domestic economy. This concentrates our potential for growth into the internationally traded sector and leaves us vulnerable to geopolitical risk."
CEO Michelle Aylward, went on to say
“Inflation in the housing sector has been higher than the rest of our economy for decades. Putin’s war is making it even worse, with inputs such as timber and steel becoming harder, and more expensive, to import.
“This will lead to the cost of delivering housing, at the scale which we need, climb even higher.
“Unadjusted for inflation, Government plans to spend €2 Billion on housing construction by 2025 (up from €500m) and expects the private sector to finance €10 Billion in spending (up from €6 Billion in 2025). We are very concerned about how this level of funding can be supplied to the market.
“With rising costs and considerable volatility in the commodities markets likely to persist this will undermine the commercial viability of many projects that have yet to commence, and many that are underway but have yet to be completed."


 

Dear Members,
You will recall that earlier this year County Tipperary Chamber, ICC Ireland and UNICEF worked together to highlight the importance of an equitable distribution of vaccines across the world and to support UNICEF’s ‘Get a Vaccine, Give a Vaccine’ campaign. Our collective efforts generated significant success but recent events, particularly the emergence of the Omicron variant, provide a stark reminder highlighting the need for a re-invigoration of those efforts.
There is significant social and economic risk in not maximising our efforts to provide vaccines to all those who need them globally or the hard-won gains to which we have all contributed are not guaranteed to last. This is an urgent call to action to support vaccine equity.
The scale of the issue remains enormous. Right now, only 7% of people living in low-income countries have been fully vaccinated. That leaves a population of billions which remain vulnerable to COVID-19. With more room for the virus to spread, it also creates a huge risk of new variants emerging, potentially devastating societies and economies once again.
 
Vaccination has been proven to help limit virus transmission, protect vulnerable groups and reduce the risk of new variants appearing. In the fight against COVID, it remains our most important and pragmatic tool to restore global health and maintain our strong economic recovery.
 
UNICEF is currently leading the largest-ever vaccine procurement and supply operation as part of the global COVAX Facility. Through COVAX, UNICEF and partners are working to deliver 3 billion COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable families, health workers, and high-risk people worldwide. UNICEF has been coordinating vaccine delivery to communities globally since 1948 and as a result has the cold chain and other critical infrastructure in place which make it uniquely placed to deliver. As we write to you, we can confirm that, under the COVAX Facility, UNICEF has already delivered 653.8 million vaccines this year and expects to reach 800 million by the end of the year. The target next year is 3 billion vaccines.
Vaccinating the entire world can only be done with the scale UNICEF and its partners offer. However, this scale comes at a high cost. Throughout 2021 UNICEF has been working with the private sector in developed nations to mobilise resources for this huge global effort. Business and the private sector have a huge vested interest in vaccinating the world and it is in this context that UNICEF has approached County Tipperary Chamber to request our support.
 
 
 
What you can do to help:
 

1. Highlight and promote the UNICEF ‘Get a Vaccine, Give a Vaccine’ campaign. The simple request is for a donation to UNICEF to support its ongoing work as it leads the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. This is a particularly timely opportunity as Ireland rolls out its booster campaign across the population during the next few weeks. It is also incredibly effective with COVAX being able to deliver each individual vaccine for just €2.24. For donations, use this link.

                                                                                   

1. Encourage everyone  to join the UNICEF Corporate Vaccine Alliance which supports the global vaccine rollout by mobilising funding in Ireland. Chambers Ireland has joined the Alliance on behalf of our network as we believe it is a course of action that supports our members and the businesses they represent. It is an investment in the health of people around the world – and the future of Ireland. Visit unicef.ie/alliance.

While it is up to governments to decide who to vaccinate and when, it is critical that the private sector join in the effort to bring the pandemic to an end. In the process, we can ensure the communities in which we are based – and the economies on which we are so interdependent – are provided with the best opportunity to succeed.
 
If you or any companies would like to join the effort, UNICEF Ireland will be happy to connect over a call to further discuss the Alliance with you, and answer specific questions you may have.
We look forward to hearing from you.
 
Michelle Aylward
CEO
County Tipperary Chamber
 

Chambers Ireland, the voice of business throughout Ireland, is concerned about the challenges businesses are experiencing due to coronavirus uncertainties.
In light of the reintroduction of restrictions, it is clear that we are not in the recovery scenario that underpinned Government decision-making regarding Covid-19, and Budget 2022.
However, above-profile Exchequer returns demonstrate how fortunate we are that the parts of our economy which continue functioning under restrictions are maintaining employment and sustaining the income of their workers.
The clearest signal that a business is struggling is not the sector they are involved in but the devastating effect that Covid-19 has had to their business model and their revenue.
That decline in revenue, against historical profile, should be what is used to assess where help is needed as business supports are reintroduced. Previous attempts at finessing which businesses could get supports saw large numbers of vulnerable businesses excluded, often for months, only for Government to respond much later with further legislation. This delay in receiving supports caused unnecessary harm to those businesses and the people who worked there.
County Tipperary Chamber continues to call on government to introduce multiple scenario contingency planning. Businesses need to have foresight of what the Government responses will be should our Covid-19 levels not improve, and also what to expect if they disimprove.
Speaking earlier today, County Tipperary Chamber Chief Executive, Michelle Aylward, said:
“We are not where we hoped we would be with Covid-19 even three months ago. All of us; Government, business, and society, are struggling to manage that uncertainty. Government can however reduce some of that uncertainty if they can give clarity to businesses about what we can expect if the New Year is challenging.

County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce is calling on the public to get involved in the Tipperary Business Awards this year. There are thirteen categories to choose from and businesses can enter as many as they like. Chamber membership is not required, in fact the only requirement for entry is that the business must be based in County Tipperary and demonstrate excellence in their category of choice. For the first time, the County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce is offering the public a chance to get involved by nominating your favourite Tipperary businesses to take part in the awards.

There are lots of ways to nominate your favourite Tipperary businesses like sending them an email, giving them a call or mentioning it when you're in the store or at the business premises. Essentially, you are nominating them to encourage them to apply online to enter the awards. It is simple, quick and free to enter and the awards are independently judged. If the business is fortunate enough to be shortlisted or win a prestigious Tipperary Business Award, it offers them incredible media exposure, free publicity and promotion and ample PR opportunities!

To nominate by phone, email or in-store, simply encourage them to log on and submit an application on the County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce website. You can also tag them on any of the County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce social media posts about the awards stating 'I nominate you' and tag the business you would like to see enter an application for an award this year. This will give the administrator of their social media page a notification and all the info they need to find out more about the awards and how to enter.

Commenting on the roll out of the inaugural public nominations campaign, Chamber CEO, Michelle Aylward said “Businesses can enter the awards online themselves like in previous years but this year we have shaken things up and added the nomination campaign to get the public involved and reduce the barriers to entry. Our research identified that the greatest barriers to entry for a Tipperary Business Award include a lack of confidence and/or a lack of time. With that in mind, we have engaged the public to give their local business owners and managers a nomination to show their belief in them and to give them the confidence to enter, that’s what the nominations campaign is all about and we have also really simplified the application process so that it’s a quick and easy online application to solve the time obstacle too.”

The closing date for entry is Friday, 4th of June so start nominating today and for businesses who wish to crack on and enter, visit www.countytipperarychamber.com.

As previously mentioned but important to reiterate, membership of the Chamber is not a prerequisite for entry, the only requirement to enter is that the applicant must be a County Tipperary based business. With no less than thirteen categories to choose from, businesses can enter as many as they like, provided they meet the criteria set out in the award descriptor available online. The Tipperary Business Awards offer a unique opportunity for businesses across the entire county to gain free publicity and deserved notoriety for their entrepreneurial efforts and excellence in their field.

Participation in the awards programme offers Tipperary businesses the opportunity to promote their brand, recruit new customers and retain existing ones and build team morale. Awards recognise excellence in the following categories; Employer, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Retail, Marketing, Micro Business, S.M.E, Large Business, Not for Profit, Technology and Innovation, Start-Up or Emerging New Business, Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture and Food, Beverage and Hospitality.

The County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce Business Awards would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of so many who are proudly supporting local businesses and awarding excellence via the awards programme. CEO Michelle Aylward, continued “We are most grateful to our main sponsor Boston Scientific for their commitment and ongoing support of the Tipperary Business Awards. We are also so appreciative of each of our valued category sponsors; MSD Ireland, ABP Food Group, O’Gorman Brannigan Purtill & Co., The Showgrounds Shopping Centre, AIB, Camida, Medite, C&C Group, Sepam, Tipperary Local Enterprise Office, County Tipperary Skillnet, our Educational Partner, Limerick Institute of Technology and our Wrap Party sponsor Red PR.” ​

Tipp Business Awards online applications now open!
Today, County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce launched their Business Awards online. This year the Business Awards will take place virtually at 3pm on Thursday, 4th November and from today applications are being sought at www.countytipperarychamber.com.
It is important to note that membership of the Chamber is not a prerequisite for entry, the only requirement to enter is that the applicant must be a County Tipperary based business. With no less than thirteen categories to choose from, businesses can enter as many as they like, provided they meet the criteria set out in the award descriptor available online. The Business Awards offer a unique opportunity to businesses across the entire county to gain free publicity and deserved notoriety for their entrepreneurial efforts and excellence in their field.
Awards include excellence in the following categories; Employer, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Retail, Marketing, Micro Business, S.M.E, Large Business, Not for Profit, Technology and Innovation, Start-Up or Emerging New Business, Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture and Food, Beverage and Hospitality.
Completion of a simple online entry form on the County Tipperary Chamber website offers businesses from all across the Premier County the opportunity to engage in complimentary promotional and PR activities for their business.
The closing date for entries is on Friday, 4th of June. Business owners and managers from all four corners of Tipperary are encouraged to embrace this incredible opportunity to promote their business, build brand awareness, recruit new customers and retain existing ones through participation in the awards programme.
Speaking of the County Tipperary Chamber Business Awards, Chamber President, Paula Carney-Hoffler said “To win a County Tipperary Chamber Business Award is a great honour for anyone in business. Past winners regularly reach out to share their experiences with us reporting growth in sales, valuable media exposure and increased brand awareness and recognition as a result of their win. It is exciting to think that there are thirteen businesses out there right now considering entry, who will enjoy all of that and more this November and it’s wonderful to play a small role in making that happen. All it takes is a quick entry form online and you’re in with a chance so after what has been a tough year in business for so many of us, I encourage all Tipperary businesses to consider taking the leap of faith this year and entering the awards, it won’t cost you a cent but is worth its weight in gold!”
An independent judging panel has been appointed to adjudicate the awards on behalf of the Chamber to ensure the integrity of the process and that the very best winners are chosen in each category. They will thoroughly review all applications, shortlist the finalists in each category and from there they will deliberate and ultimately decide on the winners. It is important to note that shortlisted finalists and award winners will enjoy ample media exposure and the chance to align their brands with those who are deemed remarkable in their field throughout this process over the course of a six-month campaign.
Chamber CEO, Michelle Aylward said “We are so fortunate here at County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce to have so many local businesses willing to support others in business across the county through sponsorship of these very special awards. We’re most grateful to our main sponsor Boston Scientific for their commitment and ongoing support of the Business Awards. We are also most grateful to each of our valued category sponsors; MSD Ireland, ABP Food Group, O’Gorman Brannigan Purtill & Co., The Showgrounds Shopping Centre, AIB, Camida, C&C Group, Sepam, Tipperary Local Enterprise Office and County Tipperary Skillnet and our Educational Partner, Limerick Institute of Technology. The team at County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce are very much looking forward to working with each sponsor over the coming months to activate their sponsorships and ensure they enjoy all the associated benefits and return on investment for their goodwill and support of Tipperary businesses.”