Committees

As our membership is very diverse and there are many issues demanding attention Sligo Chamber has formed committees to cater for the different needs of its members. Committees have been set up to concentrate on the following areas:

City Centre Planning and Parking Committee

Infrastructure Committee

Membership Committee

Retail Committee

Infrastructure Committee

Chairperson:

Tom Ford - Roads
              

Committee Members:

Gerry McCanny - Harbour

Feargus Callagy - Gas
Ann Gallagher - Air Transport
Joe McCann - Rail
Mike McGrath - Broadband
Jamie Grant - Water

Road: Priority for this year is to lobby further to have the Eastern Bridge re-instated into the development plan as well as lobby for funding to advance the project with the Dept Of Environment. We will lobby for funding to allow the CPO process proceed with the Western Distributor Road. We will lobby to have the Hughes Bridge widened and the road improvements continue beyond the Borough Boundary on the Donegal Road.

Harbour: We will continue to lobby to have a development plan completed for the Harbour area and to try and identify a sustainable future for the harbour.

Gas: We are currently liaising with chambers in Ballymote, Tubbercurry, Charlestown, Knock and Claremorris to try and get a spur connection from Claremorris to Sligo.

Air Transport: We are supporting Sligo Airport in their application to have the existing runway extended to facilitate larger aircraft access Sligo. We have made a submission to An Bord Pleanala in this regard. We continue to assist Knock Airport in their lobby for improvements to the infrastructure at the airport.

Rail: We are constantly lobbying to have the carriages improved on the Sligo/Dublin line as well as trying to get a dining carriage added to the service. In addition we are lobbying Iarnrod Eireann to put on a morning and evening commuter service from Longford to Sligo and some progress has been made in this regard.

Broadband: We will be announcing a series of seminars this year where we will offer educational sessions to members where they can see examples of how the internet can improve their business.

Water: We will continue to lobby for the development of the water supply infrastructure for the city and county of Sligo.

Membership Committee

Chairperson:
Michael Monahan

Committee Members:
Brenda Crowley

Isobel Cassidy

Tony Henry 

Objective of Committee:
The Sligo Chamber Membership Committee's overall aim is to recruit and retain members for Sligo Chamber. To achieve this, the committee hosts a number of social and networking events throughout the year. The Membership Committee endeavours to meet with as many members as possible to gain feedback on the Chamber's products and services. Feedback from members and/or potential members is crucial in order to attain strong membership satisfaction.

Current Projects:
The focus for this year is to run networking events in member's premises, benefiting the member with new contacts and the members attending with networking opportunities between themselves. The Membership Committee has also co-hosted a number of events with other established groups in the area such as the Sligo Women in Business Group and the local chapter of the BNI - again increasing networking opportunities for our members.

The Membership Committee has also focussed on using Social Media to promote business, generate new customers and keep existing ones. A beginner's guide to Social Media was held last year and more advanced courses are scheduled for this year.

Retail Committee

Chairperson:
Joe McCann

Committee Members:
To be assigned

Objective of Committee:
The Sligo Chamber Retail Committee represents the retail community at large, lobbying on their behalf on all issues concerning the retailers of Sligo town and county. For issues of local and national relevance, the Retail Committee are committed to working effectively in addressing and pursuing issues of relevance to retailers and to help Sligo grow in a positive and constructive manner towards a city where one can enjoy the ultimate shopping experience.

Current Projects:
The following projects are a priority for the Retail Committee in 2010:

• Innovation Scheme
• Community Loyalty Programme
• Retail Map
• Town Signage

If you would like further information on the activities of any of the above committees, please contact the Sligo Chamber office.