Large attendance for Mallow Chamber breakfast briefing
A LARGE crowd of more than 70 people from the local business community attended a breakfast briefing last Friday at the Hibernian Hotel in Mallow.
Organised by Mallow Chamber in conjunction with the North Cork Business Alliance (NCBA), the event also offered a team from Irish Water to give an overview of their activities at both national and local level.
The briefing commenced with a short address from Chamber President Pat Hayes followed by a presentation by Colin Higgins of the NCBA. He spoke about how the referral group works, the benefits it brings to members and the role it has played in promoting local business and tradespeople.
Cathal de Baróid, assistant head of enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), gave a very informative talk on the new EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which are due to come into force on May 25. He warned businesses about the importance of preparing for the new regulations, saying that both the LEO and the Chamber would be prepared to run workshops on the issue depending on demand.
A number of speakers from Irish Water took to the floor, giving a comprehensive rundown of their remit, focussing in particular on the numerous water and waste water treatment projects in the pipeline for the North Cork region.
Speaking after the briefing Mr Hayes said the event offered attendees a welcome opportunity to learn about the business opportunities that a robust water infrastructure will bring to the region.
“The adequate provision of water has been a challenge facing the business community. I am pleased to see that Irish Water has made progress in addressing the infrastructure needs at a local and national level and has ensured that vital infrastructure projects have commenced,” said Mr Hayes.
“Continued improvement to our water infrastructure will be crucial in the coming years as the economy grows and businesses expand. The briefing offered us the opportunity to learn about the work currently being undertaken and about plans for the future,” he added.
Darragh Murphy, Irish Water business communications manager echoed those sentiments.
“This was a great opportunity to update Mallow Chamber members and the business community on the investment in water services at a national and local level,” said Mr Murphy.
“It was also an opportunity to connect with businesses to inform them of improvements to service and supply and the proposed regulatory changes in the sector,” he added.