Minutes of the Louth Economic Forum meeting Wednesday 15 th July, 2015 4pm, d Hotel, Drogheda Attendance: 1. Padraic A. White Chair, Louth Economic Forum 2. Grainne Ward Project Officer, Failte Ireland 3. Jim Mulcahy Chairman, Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Forum 4. Joan Martin County Manager, Louth County Council 5. Mary T Daly Louth County Council 6. Peter Egan LMETB 7. Miriam Roe Louth County Council 8. Ray Carroll Chair, Tourism & Heritage Forum 9. Paddy Malone Dundalk Chamber 10. Paddy Matthews President, Dundalk Chamber 11. Anne Caldwell Enterprise Ireland 12. Emer Higgins PayPal 13. Eddie Phelan Drogheda & District Chamber 14. Denis Cummins DkIT 15. Graham O Rourke Drogheda & District Chamber 16. Cormac McCann Louth LEO 17. Barry Woods Sustainable Energy Unit, LCC Apologies: 1. Padraic Kierans Drogheda & District Chamber 2. Gavin Duffy Chair, Age-Friendly Business Forum 3. Paul Cumiskey Dundalk Chamber 4. Dr. Edel Healy DkIT 5. Jim Malone Ardee Business Community 6. Declan Meally S.E.A.I 7. Niall O Lamhna Teagasc 8. Frank Pentony Louth County Council 9. Padraig O Hora Louth County Council 10. Simon McCormack President, Drogheda & District Chamber 11. Joe English Local Enterprise Office (LEO) 12. Anne Keeley Department of Social Protection 13. Deirdre Craven IDA
Agenda: d Hotel, Drogheda 1. Minutes of the meeting of 29 th April, 2015 2. Matters Arising 3. Status of Foreign Direct Investment Action Plan 4. Action Plan updates: Tourism & Heritage Sustainable Energy Education & Training 5. Other Action Plans 6. Communications 7. Re- Scheduling of Meetings for 2015 8. A.O.B. Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting of the 29 th April, 2015 were taken as read and agreed. Padraic White congratulated Eddie Phelan on his presidency of the Drogheda. Matters Arising: None FDI Plan Action Plan Update: This plan was previously approved by the LEF members and included submissions from the various members. Mary T explained that the plan was then brought before the Economic Development and Enterprise Support SPC in June where it was approved. It will be now be brought to full Council on 20 th July for information and noting. It is hoped to then launch this revised plan quickly after this. Draft Broadband Action Plan Update: Padraic extended his thanks to John Lawrence, Cormac McCann (LEO) and Graham O Rourke for their input and work on this plan. This has been the most difficult to write because of the constant changes in the market. Two issues, in particular, which need to be made clear:
Where high speed capacity services are/ will be available and when they will be available and secondly the differentiation between Wholesale and Retail providers. Cormac McCann from the Louth L.E.O went though the plan with the members indicting where changes were made. Items discussed were: Focus on what Louth has to offer Provision of a Roadmap Inclusion of two additional points in the Challenge element of the plan Important to make a distinction between the different types of providers and the provision of a diagram to show this. Whether the table on page 12 should remain can we stand over the information? 9 Actions set out in the plan As with the FDI plan this has been before the SPC and was agreed in principal. Following these proposed amendments it will have to go back to the SPC before going to full Council for information and noting Sustainable Energy Action Plan Update: Barry Woods, Sustainable Energy Unit, updated the members on the work of the group to date. Action 1 Group has applied for BEC and has received a letter of offer for grant funding of all work package elements. The Council is the grantee and is in the process of responding for the partnership. The offer is for grant funding of 983190.24 (maximum grant payable) for energy works by 10 beneficiaries around the county. Action 2 Two energy interns are engaged and are working on a list of 27 SMEs who have expressed an interest in the energy efficiency programme. The Energy Interns are likely to complete reports for energy saving opportunities for 20-22 of those companies during the 9 month Job Bridge programme for which they are engaged. Thus far the interns through their energy auditing process have recommended significant savings of 27% of total energy consumed in companies and businesses participating in the scheme. Actions 3,5 - The Council s energy team is building on existing collaborations and developing new collaborations to progress these actions - with DkIT to develop the Smart Eco Hub Project (funding now expired), Dublin Green IFSC and Dublin Greenway and Northern Councils. Action 4 IDA and wind turbine, no further information available. Action 6 - This is being developed by the BEC application and by work on Indicate Smart Cities with DkIT and by the Council s work with OPW to improve energy efficiency at one of its public buildings for use as a template for extension to all its public buildings. Progress on this action has a longer delivery time. Education & Training Action Plan Update: Emer Higgins updated the forum starting with the 3 min video which was made by interns in DkIT, in conjunction with LMETB, DSP. This was played for the members who approved it unanimously. Congratulations were extended to all involved, in particular Catherine & Tim
(DkIT Interns) and Fiona Oster for all their hard work on this project. This video will be launched in September and tied in to the lead-up to JobsWeek. Emer has arranged for it to be featured in the All About Jobs weekly bulletin edition of Friday 18th September. Two actions have been submitted for consideration under the Action Plan for Jobs Border region: 1. To initiate collaboration between education and training bodies, the Department of Social Protection and employers in the Louth region to ensure that education and training courses are reflective of local industry needs. (Enhancing Skills and Talent theme) 2. To execute a communications strategy that promotes the Department of Social Protection and local education and training bodies as recruitment pools for growing companies in the Louth region. (Improving the Business Environment theme) The Committee is actively identifying new blood and are, in particular, interested in bringing on board another engineering company (as this was identified as a key area in relation to education and training) and someone from the hospitality sector. DSP approaching companies in these areas. Denis Cummins then mentioned a number of items regarding the Regional Skills Forum and DkIT. A key component of the Regional Skills Forum will be a focus on attracting students and workers from Northern Ireland to Dundalk and the North East region. Already, there has been a 100% increase in the number of students from Northern Ireland. 11 of the Springboard courses DkIT applied for look set to receive funding and be approved. Work placement is an element in all the courses. These Springboard courses will be a major boost locally. Promotion and help in recruiting students to these courses would be appreciated. Peter Egan also spoke about Dual Model Training being offered by LMETB, which is similar to an apprenticeship which is a 2 year programme which would be the equivalent of a Level 6 qualification. There has been a change in dynamic in recent times and these new training models are to help fill the gaps in certain areas. Tourism & Heritage Action Plan Update: Mary T advised the forum that a number of items were discussed at their meeting on 29 th June. These included: Irelands Ancient East: Mary T. Daly spoke on the Irelands Ancient East workshop held by Failte Ireland in Dublin. Signage Tender appointed for signage to increase awareness of the destination. Proposed 100 locations. Capital Grant Scheme available to all businesses/public bodies etc. Photo and Video Shoot This will be finalized in July and available to local authorities, businesses etc in September
Ongoing promotion of the destination overseas focussing on the Culturally Curious and Great Escapers. Tourism and Heritage Action Plan It was agreed that the Council would identify and make contact with key tourism providers in the county and invite them to attend the proposed Tourism and Heritage Workshop. This will be held in September to review the existing Plan with focus on the Irelands Ancient East Branding. It was agreed to hold the workshop before the next LEF meeting on 23 rd September. Gráinne Ward then spoke about the Capital Grants Scheme, the closing date for which was 13 th July. There were approx 200 expressions of interest and 86 applications received. Evaluation begins immediately with projects needing to be completed by June 2016. Letters of offer should issue September 2015. Agriculture, Food & Fisheries Action Plan Update: Jim Mulcahy informed the members that Cormac McCann (Louth LEO) would be assisting with the work of the implementation group. A list of new members has been drawn up and they have shown commitment to attending meetings and contributing to the AF&F forum. Indigenous Industry Action Plan Update: Anne Caldwell advised that they were looking at revising the membership of the group and that a meeting would be held in early September. N.B: The next meeting of the Louth Economic Forum will be held on Wednesday 23 rd September, 2015