Chambers Ireland welcomes Government Recovery Plan

Chambers Ireland today (1 June 2021) welcomes the Government announcement on its Recovery Plan.

Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot said,

“The pandemic and its consequences are still very much with us. Confirmation by Government that it will extend key COVID supports for businesses and employees impacted by the pandemic has been needed and will come as a relief to those who continue to experience significant uncertainty.

Chambers Ireland has been a continuous advocate for the ongoing support of businesses and the announcement today is broadly positive in providing assurances in the short term. This will allow employers to plan for a return to trading and help restore the economic health of their businesses.

The recent eligibility extension of the Small Business Assistance Scheme (SBASC) is welcome, but clarity on application criteria for this scheme, and other restart grants must be made public as soon as possible.

The €915 million we will receive through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility will also be an important avenue for rebuilding our national and local economies. Sustainability must be at the centre of this process. This will help to develop social and economic resilience and put Ireland in a better place to face future challenges.

While the announcement today understandably addressed the recovery on a national level, we continue to urge Government to support towns and cities across Ireland with targeted policy and schemes. A strategy for urban Ireland must be at the heart of how Government delivers a sustainable recovery. This “Town Centre First” approach, which is a pillar commitment of the Programme for Government, should not only support the recovery of our high streets, but also prioritise making more liveable cities and towns, through the incentivisation of urban living, brownfield development, and sustainable transport.

As we focus on renewal and the rebuilding of our economy, ambition must be evident in delivering a recovery that is balanced and provides for all parts of the island.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Jonathan Baxter, communications and media executive at Chambers Ireland on 086 608 1605 or jonathan.baxter@chambers.ie.

Notes to Editors

The Chambers Ireland submission on the EU Economic and Resilience Facility is available here.

On May 10, Chambers Ireland issued a letter to An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar on the subject of COVID-19 stimulus and supports for local economies. This letter is available here.

About Chambers Ireland

Chambers Ireland is Ireland’s largest business network, with 41 member Chambers across every major city, town and region of the island. Aligning our strategic priorities with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, our aim is to make places better to live, work and do business.

Chambers Ireland is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, branded locally as ICC Ireland. The International Chamber of Commerce is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries with a mission to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere. Follow Chambers Ireland on Twitter.