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Newry Chamber members held a meeting last week with Sinn Fein Representatives, Mickey Brady MP, Liz Kimmins MLA and Sinead Ennis MLA at the ThinkLab WIN Business Park, Newry.
The focus of the meeting was the cost-of-living crisis but discussions also included a range of business challenges and opportunities. This is part of a series of meetings with political representatives.
Julie Gibbons, President of Newry Chamber who led the delegation said “We welcome the opportunity to engage with political parties. We have a diverse range of members covering multiple sectors. We feel it is important that our members are given a forum to speak directly with elected representatives.”
“We obviously stressed the need for a functioning Executive as the Assembly’s ability to intervene in the cost-of-living crisis is limited at the present time. We saw during the Covid crisis how government could support businesses and consumers with innovative ideas and targeted action.”
“Some businesses are going to need intervention to help them survive. Some members have reported doubling of their energy prices and other costs are rising weekly. This is set to continue in the Autumn.”
Other issues discussed included housing need in the region, planning reform, infrastructure investment and staff shortages.
Chamber President, Julie Gibbons concluded “We thank the Sinn Fein Representatives for meeting our members and we plan to engage further in the future. We have given them a clear view on the issues faced by businesses and their staff. Through continued dialogue we can come up with solutions to address the challenges.”
