Business
2020 will see Galway set for €45m windfall
Galway is set to be on the receiving end of a €45 million windfall to prepare the city and county for its tenure as the European Capital of Culture in 2020.
That’s according to Galway Government backbencher Hildegarde Naughten, who urged that the development of a world-class convention centre in the city should be a priority in advance of Galway’s reign.
With 2020 expected to attract an additional one million tourists to the city, Deputy Naughton pinpointed the convention centre as an infrastructural priority, which she claims would be an ideal legacy of the Capital of Culture year.
“Something that we’re missing in Galway is a large-scale concert and convention centre, evidenced by the fact that the largest such facility in the west is located in Co Mayo,” she said.
“We have an opportunity to address that deficit now, and an iconic convention centre would be a fantastic legacy from Galway’s year as the European Capital of Culture.”
Such a centre could be developed as part of a new cultural quarter on council lands adjacent to the Black Box theatre on the Dyke Road, where a €25-million library and cultural centre is already planned, she said.
“The possibilities for such an amenity are clear,” continued Deputy Naughton. “The fact that the Galway International Arts Festival requires a temporary arena in the form of the Big Top each year suggests that something is missing here.
“Aside from the potential for its use as a concert venue; conferences and conventions constitute a high-value sector where there is a significant demand at present.
“The economic value of a conference delegate is two to three times higher than a leisure tourist, and there is a multitude of professions and industries that would love to hold conventions in Galway if an appropriate venue was available.
“The development of a concert and convention centre as part of the 2020 preparations, therefore, should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense.
“It would be a great addition from the perspective of the arts, tourism and industry; and would be a lasting and iconic legacy from this historic celebration of Galway’s excellence as a Capital of Culture,” she added.
The new President of Local Ireland, the association representing local news publishers around the country, is Head of Irish Times Regionals Dan Linehan.
Mr Linehan takes over the presidency from Declan McGuire of the Connacht Tribune. His appointment was confirmed at the recent Annual General Meeting of Local Ireland at Bloomfield House Hotel near Mullingar, Westmeath.
Mr Linehan, who has served as Vice President of the organisation for the last two years, said: “The coming years are a very important time for local publishers with many important issues to be addressed, including the implementation of the Future of Media Commission recommendations, defamation reform, the role and support for local publishers in public service reporting and helping publishers develop commercial digital offerings.”
Speaking at the AGM, Mr McGuire acknowledged the work done by the Executive in the past two years under the direction of Executive Director, Bob Hughes, on several projects related to the publishing industry but most especially the successful conclusion of the long-running campaign for the abolition of VAT on newspapers.
He also wished Mr Linehan the very best in his new role as President of the association for the next two years.
Mr Hughes thanked Mr McGuire for his leadership and support during his term of office and said he looked forward to working with Mr Linehan on the key policy priorities for the association, including Government supports, Government advertising, fair remuneration for content from the tech platforms and the reform of the legislation for defamation.
Local Ireland members also elected Seán Mahon, Managing Director of the Southern Star, as Vice President for the next two years.
The shortage of affordable housing is the single biggest impediment in attracting and retaining workers in the West, according to business group Ibec.
At a ‘Regional Insights Series’ meeting in the Galmont Hotel in Galway last week, employers were told that capacity constraints and labour supply are the key challenges facing business growth in the region.
Ibec Head of Regional Policy Helen Leahy said: “There must be greater focus by government on enhancing quality of life issues such as housing and infrastructure which are driving labour shortages in the region.
“Ibec’s vision for the West is to realise its potential to become a globally competitive location. An inadequate supply of affordable housing is now the single largest impediment to attracting and retaining talented workers, without whom business investment and expansions are not possible.
“Labour shortages are a real concern for businesses in the region. People decide where to live and work based on quality of life and access to high quality services and amenities. Industry tends to follow talent, and in this regard, the region needs to have all the building blocks in place as the attraction and retention of world-class talent becomes increasingly competitive on a global level,” said Ms Leahy.
Amongst Ibec’s priorities for the West are:
- Addressing housing and infrastructure challenges
- Transitioning towards a new growth model with Net Zero energy powered by Atlantic offshore wind resources
- Adapting businesses to the new economic realities
- Enhancing capacity and skillsets to achieve sustainable development objectives
- Investment in people and skills
- Creating competitive advantage through digitalisation
- Innovation as a key driver of productivity growth
One in five Galway businesses want to go fully cashless, as the move towards card payments and tapping continues unabated post-Covid.
In all, 22% of Galway businesses would like to be fully cashless, according to a survey carried out by BOI Payment Acceptance (BOIPA), a provider of payment technology solutions, which asked Irish businesses about the current payment landscape as well as business confidence and concerns.
Over one-third (36%) of Galway businesses were unaware there is no contactless limit on mobile wallets – just below the national average – while 54% believe the increase in card over cash transactions has helped them run their business.
Six out of ten Galway businesses expect to grow this year despite the cost-of-living crisis and running costs dominating as key concerns; 62% believe their business will grow over the next twelve months despite global economic uncertainty.
Unsurprisingly cost-of-living increases and running costs were the main concerns the majority of businesses had.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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