​As President of County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce it’s with alarm that I received the news of an outbreak of Covid19 at Walsh’s mushroom farm in the village of Golden, Co. Tipperary.

Our thoughts are with the owners and employees of Walsh’s Mushroom Farm in Golden who have suspended business in light of the recent outbreak on their premises.

Public safety is our number one concern and I have the utmost confidence in the tracking system that the Government formulated. Such an outbreak is a huge concern for all businesses in the county and we want to ensure the safety of ALL employers and employees in Tipperary.

As Tipperary is one of the largest counties in Ireland I would urge the Government to take a more nuanced and targeted approach to this situation. 

It is entirely possible to contain this virus and to simultaneously allow certain towns and villages within the  to stay open for business.

The strict Covid19 controls that Walsh’s Mushrooms had in place since March and the quickness which they responded to a positive case is proof that measures local businesses had taken are effective.

It is with this in mind that I would urge NPHET and the Government to refine their lockdown strategy and not to exclude an entire county from working but to target the Covid cluster within the affected community.

Business restrictions will put a stranglehold on our local economy which is only slowly emerging from the devastating effects of the national lockdown.

Paula Carney-Hoffler
President County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce

​It is with a heavy heart that we announce that he 2020 County Tipperary Business Awards have been postponed until Oct 2021 with an exact date to be confirmed. This postponement which is unavoidable is due to the current Covid 19 situation, currently being experienced throughout our County.
Date for opening of applications for the 2021 County Tipperary Business Awards will commence from April 2021.
Please keep an eye on our weekly newsletter & social media channels to be advised of the application process closer to the time.

​After reviewing the most recent survey prepared by Chambers Ireland - I am sure it does not come as a shock to anyone reading it - times are exceptionally difficult for businesses with 25% of all who participated in the survey now expecting revenues to decline by 90% in the next 3 months. This is very alarming when you consider that a further 84% of business expects to decline of 25% in the next 3 months.
 
There has never been a time in history when an “Economic Recovery Plan” needs to be set in place more than now. Reassurance is needed now for businesses who have been so drastically impacted. This is an opportunity for the Government to show some light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a package that consists of at the very least a Grant to get the doors open again and an extension of the deferral of Commercial Rates to a minimum of 12 months.
 
These are very stressful times for everyone and it is difficult to stay positive but this will not last forever, it is a passing situation that we will come out of and life will eventually return to normal, if not perhaps even better than it was before with lessons learnt and new ways to do business having being discovered.
 
Stay Safe, Stay Home, Stay In
 
County Tipperary Chamber Board of Directors.