During a meeting in Dublin with The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D., and Peter Fitzpatrick T.D for Louth, Newry Chamber, Dundalk Chamber and Drogheda Chamber vowed to work in collaboration to represent the border business community along the M1 corridor.
Speaking at the meeting, Newry Chief Executive, Mary Meehan told the Minister that Newry,Dundalkand Drogheda Chambers have a long standing history of joint trade cooperation and have adopted a much unified approach showing strong positive leadership in the wake of Brexit.
“This region benefits from an active partnership approach on both sides of the border and every business profits from joint North-South cooperation. Every week, more than £1 billion of trade is conducted between theUKandIreland, sustaining more than 400,000 jobs directly,” she said.
“Chambers along the Border will have an active role to play to help InterTradeIreland to provide the platform for trade development and addressing the many similar challenges and opportunities facing member businesses on both sides of the Irish border. It is crucial that both Governments must work together to ensure sufficient funds are in place for bodies such as InterTradeIreland to promote SME cooperation and continued collaboration”.
Mrs Meehan also reflected to the Minister on how much the region had benefited from EU Interreg and Peace funds not only to promote SME cooperation and job creation but also large capital infrastructure projects. As a result of Brexit, flagship EU projects such as the provision of a new road link between the A2 Warrenpoint and the A1 Belfast-Dublin key transport corridor was already under threat.
President of Dundalk Chamber, Michael Gaynor said “Chamber members on both sides of the Border have common concerns on the practicalities of what a hard border would mean for their business. Our region is unique and we must explore all avenues possible to ensure that our industries that we have worked so hard to attract remain here as well as work with our partners inDroghedaand Newry Chamber to ensure that trade development and SME collaboration remains a key priority”. His sentiments were echoed by representatives of Drogheda Chamber, including President Eddie Phelan who said that important areas such as research and innovation must continue to be prioritised if the region is to keep its large employers.
Speaking about the tourism potential of the region, Dundalk Chamber PRO Paddy Malone said “Carlingford Lough offers tremendous tourism potential and is within 90km (60 MINUTES) to over 2.5million people, a figure which cannot be surpassed on the island. It is vital that closer collaboration in this area be developed”.
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