Ireland has been named the "best destination in Europe" by the 18th annual Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards.

This marks the seventh year in a row that Ireland has been named the "best destination in Europe" by the awards.

Ireland beat off competition from the rest of Europe to take the number one spot in the "best destination in Europe" category. Read more 

The Department of Agriculture Food and Marine have sent Chambers a document that includes information about SPS checks between UK and NI for products arriving into NI. Click here to download

​The EI Brexit Unit has put together a Top 20 Brexit FAQ document with guidance and signposting to relevant information, articles, recorded webinars and links to additional information. Topics include:

• Customs procedures,
• Customs declaration forms,
• Commodity codes,
• EORI in Ireland and the UK,
• Incoterms,
• Trade with Northern Ireland,
• The UK Landbridge
• VAT. 

Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020 extended to 9th June 2021
Continuation of virtual general meetings
Threshold at which a company is deemed unable to pay its debts remains at €50,000
Extension of examinership to 150 days remains in place
The interim period of the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020 has been extended to 9th June 2021 following Government approval this week. The Act makes temporary amendments to the Companies Act 2014 and the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1893 to address issues arising as a result of Covid-19.  Read More

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's Retail Roundtable have issued the following updates:
 
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) document
A Brexit Notice in relation to storage, distribution, traceability, labelling and identification of food from the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland, which you can download:
CLICK HERE

This document is aimed at food businesses storing or distributing food from the UK, (excluding Northern Ireland) and sets out the requirements of food legislation for the storage/distribution of food as well as the requirements for traceability, labelling and identification of foods.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has sent through customs advice in relation to Irish Ports

Please see below for information:
PDF: Customs Advice from the Revenue Commissioners for Drivers using Dublin Port: CLICK HERE
PDF: Customs Advice from the Revenue Commissioners for Drivers using Rosslare Europort: CLICK HERE
PDF: Six key messages for hauliers from the Dublin Port Company: HERE
WEBINAR: The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine hosted a webinar on 10th December: A Step to Step Guide on how to bring your consignment through Dublin Port which is available to watch on YouTube - CLICK HERE

​Munster Vales will be running a Community Engagement Pilot Programme beginning in January 2021 and you are welcome to participate. The programme will be delivered online in a series of interactive community engagement workshops using Zoom. The workshops will run from January to November and will be facilitated by Cillian Murphy Consulting.
The workshops are designed to:

• raise awareness of tourism, both in general and within the Munster Vales regions,
• identify the vision for each community as to what tourism should deliver for them,
• identifying and discussing the suitability of potential local assets to support the delivery of that vision,
• to identify opportunities to either create tourism businesses themselves or to invite appropriate external partnerships to maximise the community benefit of those assets

• to guide the tourism industry locally as to what developments are considered to be appropriate and will have the support of the wider community

The outcomes for this work should include:

• engaging with wider non tourism communities in each region of the Munster Vales (MV) tourism destination,
• building relationships,
• opening clear communication channels,
• building trust,
• identifying potential opportunities, and risks, for both the tourism and non tourism communities,
• raising awareness of the potential of tourism,
• empowering community groups/clusters and creating an atmosphere where everyone is comfortable and confident in discussing how tourism can be best used to create a sustainable future for where they live

In short, this process will deliver a clear sense of local ownership with regards to tourism for the communities involved and a toolbox that will equip Munster Vales, and the industry, to make more community focussed decisions for the future.
Please register your interest via email triona.omahony@tipperarycoco.ie or phone 087-1189206 for more information.