Lobbying and Influencing

Many SME businesses are challenged by the bureaucracy of the state and EU institutions sometimes this is not knowing how or where to engage with them other times it’s the endless stream of regulation and paperwork. The Chamber works with our SMEs to address these issues and enable you to focus on running your business in the most effective way you can. We seek the views of our SME members through focus groups on specific issues such as Brexit, surveys on issues currently affecting your business and through hosting seminars on issues affecting your business and listening to your concerns. These issues then become part of our wider lobbying and influencing agenda. South Dublin Chamber is a registered lobbying organization under the Regulation of |Lobbying Act 2015,

Chamber priorities for 2023 include;

  • Commercial Rates
  • Housing and Rental costs
  • Transport and availability of effective public transport.
  • Wage inflation

As part of the Chamber’s remit we lobby and seek to influence those who are charged with developing our economy locally and nationally.  With the recent elections for Local and European Parliament places the Chamber’s produced a Manifesto for both.  Our Chamber works with all the other Chambers affiliated to Chambers Ireland to ensure the voice of our collective membership of over 9,000 businesses is heard.

Locally we have a strong relationship with all the main political parties and some of the issues we highlighted were:

  • Create more stable revenue models by ending the over reliance on business rates and increasing the proportion of the Local Authority income that comes from local property taxes (LPT).
  • Implement a widespread and accessible charging infrastructure for electric vehicles to accelerate the decarbonisation of our economy.
  • Create local skills censuses and develop complementary training programme which address local skill gaps.
  • Implement a programme of export training for SMEs.
  • Reduce the bureaucracy in engagement with the Council.

On a European level we see the EU as essential to the growth and stability of our business community.  As you will see from our Manifesto, we see greater engagement with the EU as essential.  Some of the points we have highlighted include:

Financial aid for communities and businesses who may be detrimentally impacted in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Increased resources to communicate the funding opportunities available to SMEs and entrepreneurs under programmes like the European Investment Fund and Horizon 2020.
Maintain the status quo of EU Council unanimity on issues of taxation.
Prioritise the “Think Small First” principle across all new regulation so that red tape for SMEs is minimised.
Ensure there are financial supports available that encourage businesses to invest in energy efficiency.

Working together we can address these issues. On our own we cannot. Being a Chamber member empowers us to challenge on your behalf the issues that hold your business back.

Brexit

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD met with our Chamber members in February (2019) and shared insights into how the Brexit situation was evolving and the challenges the country faced as a result of same. The Q&A session was very interesting with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade taking over an hour to converse with members.

In April (2019) we ran a Trade Mission to Scotland. This was a good opportunity to assess what changes are needed to import / export to the UK. The programme provided direct contacts for those taking part with Scottish businesses of interest to them and provided insights from the Scottish agencies and Chambers supporting the trade mission. South Dublin was the lead Chamber on this mission which had businesses from Fingal Dublin, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and Kildare Chambers attending.

Throughout 2023 the Chamber will be supporting members dealing with Brexit through advice clinics, specialist training and ongoing relevant and specific information.