Waterford Chamber

Waterford Chamber, which represents over 700 businesses in Waterford City and County has called on local authorities to reduce commercial rates charged to businesses in 2010.

President of the Chamber Paul McDaid commented, “In addition to increasing costs for water, commercial rates have been continually increased at levels that bear no relation to the rate of inflation. Commercial rates in Waterford City increased by 4% in 2008 and by 0.6% in 2009 while rates in Waterford County increased by 3% in 2008 and by 2.5% in 2009. We are now asking both Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council to reduce the current commercial rate in 2010 to reflect the current negative rate of inflation.”

In June 2009 the President of Waterford Chamber Paul McDaid wrote to the Higher Education Strategy Group as part of the Chamber's ongoing lobbying for the designation of University status to Waterford Institute of Technology. The Strategy Group are currently engaged in formulating a comprehensive strategic policy framework that will ensure that national objectives for the sector are achieved in the coming decades. Below is the submission made by Waterford Chamber. Further submissions can be viewed here: http://www.hea.ie/en/strategy-for-higher-education

June 18, 2009.

To: Members of Higher Education Strategy Group

Waterford Chamber was pleased to see your advertisement in mid-May requesting inputs on the future structures in Ireland’s higher education system which will be centrally important to economic recovery and building the knowledge economy.

The re-designation of Waterford Institute of Technology as University of the South East has been a strategic objective of Waterford Chamber for some years now and the 700+ businesses that we represent are united as one behind this campaign in a way that has seldom been seen in the Chamber’s history going back to 1787.

Waterford Chamber welcomed the recent news that WIT has been awarded Institute of Technology of the year by the Sunday Times newspaper. This award follows on from the award that WIT received in 2005. To receive two awards in the space of five years is remarkable in light of the huge competition that WIT faces.

The Tramore Branch committee recently met with the newly elected Tramore Town Councillors and Waterford Co. Councillors from the Tramore electoral area. At the meeting, we were told that work on the Tramore Road would finally go ahead the week beginning Monday, 13th July.

The Tramore Branch committee has since met and following our meeting have written to the Waterford County Manager and Councillors regarding the continued delays to work on the Tramore Road as well as addressing other issues of concern. Click here to view a copy of this letter. Click here to view the letter of reply from Waterford Co. Council.

Also following from our meeting with the Councillors, they committed to implementing a one-way traffic system before year end. We would like to take this opportunity to request town centre businesses to encourage their staff not to park outside their premises if possible, so as to free up parking for potential customers.