Issuu

ISSUE 5 - MARCH 2022

INSIDE THIS ISSUE IN THE HOT SEAT WITH BRIAN KAVANAGH, CEO OF THE CURRAGH RACECOURSE

EMPLOYMENT TAXES – CURRENT STATE OF PLAY

THE MAN BEHIND MERITS

GOLF SOCIETY OUTINGS 2022

Corporate Partners 2022

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

C o nt e n t s 02

Lilywhite News Snippets

Golf Society Outings 2022

Sweetspot Celebrate 10 Years in Business

Chamber Committee Profile

Movers & Shakers

NEW Public Affairs Manager

Local Enterprise Week 2022

The Man Behind MERITS

KPMG Employment Taxes – Current State of Play

In the Hot Seat

Adare Human Resource Management Profile

National Broadband Ireland

New Chamber Members

Membership Listing

Upcoming Chamber Events

Sweetspot Sourcing & Development Celebrate 10 years in Business

11 18

New Public Affairs Manager Chamber welcome new team member

In the Hot Seat with Brian Kavanagh CEO of the Curragh Racecourse

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER 2022 promises to be a buoyant year for both business and the Chamber. For business, with restrictions now eased, we can all plan and project with more clarity. Supports available from Government are easing and for many that will be an issue. Coupled with the continued challenges many face with Brexit and the continued labour shortages we are challenged with, our members in many sectors will need the continued support from both the Chamber and also from Government agencies. Our work programme in the Chamber is further enhanced by the addition to the team of our new Public Affairs Manager, Sinead Ronan. This appointment comes at a crucial stage as we enhance our offering to our membership. The upcoming County Development Plan for Kildare needs the engagement and attention of the Chamber as the plan is critical for the future development of the county. It is a testament to our growing membership that we are able to make this appointment. Save the date! On May the 12th, I look forward to meeting our growing membership at the Chamber’s Presidents Lunch. As always, reach out if I can be of any assistance and stay safe.

Luke Hanahoe President, County Kildare Chamber

The Chamber continues to reduce our print run of the Chronicle in line with our Sustainable Goals – Read online at issuu.com

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Clark presents annual Salary Guide for 2022. The purpose of this guide is to provide detailed, accurate information about salary levels across Ireland with specific emphasis on the M7 corridor. We believe it will be a useful go-to tool for both employers and employees for planning purposes in 2022. Our guide gives information across specific job sectors including Human Resources, Accountancy, Sales, Marketing, Business Support, Environmental Health & Safety, Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics and IT and includes salary information for over 209 roles. Check it out at https://clark.ie/news/clark-salary-guide-2022/.

Aldi to recruit 600 new store staff in 2022 Aldi Ireland has continued its Irish expansion and investment drive opening its new state-of-the-art corporate office in Naas, Co. Kildare, and confirming it will recruit 600 new store staff this year. Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, officially opened the new 41,000 ft² Birch House, Millennium Park facility which will house Aldi’s National Buying and Marketing teams. The move reflects Aldi’s continued expansion over the past several years, which has seen its workforce grow to over 4,650 staff, supporting 149 Irish stores. Aldi has committed to a €320 million three-year (2022-2024) investment programme that will see it open a further 30 new stores across the country.

Olympic athlete and World Cup Silver Medallist on what makes a great team. Nicci Daly, Irish hockey player and motorsport data engineer, recently joined Jigsaw Better Business to share her wealth of experience on how to develop a high performing team and maintain an effective culture. These learnings are transferable to the world of business; For example, encouraging each team member to have a voice and a clear purpose in the team, and the expectation that everyone will be held accountable to a uphold high standards. This was the first session of ‘Never Mind the Buzzwords’, a new community network initiative led by Julie O’Sullivan (C.Psychol., Ps.S.I.), the new Head of People Development with Jigsaw Better Business. The group hosts online events where they tackle a topic that’s relevant to personal and professional development. This community will combine psychological research with practical realworld examples and strategies to improve businesses. It’s free to join and is open to anyone who wants to get food for thoughts and connect with others.

Chamber member launches Family Business Book Family businesses are all around us. More than 75% of all business in the world are family owned. Walk down any street in any town or village in Ireland and you’ll see family businesses everywhere. The Family Business Book was written by Chamber member Paul Keogh (Paul Keogh & Associates) for anyone working in a family business, either a family member or an employee. It gives practical advice on how families and family members can work together in business and not kill each other! Paul Keogh has worked all his life in family businesses, the likes of Guinness, JCB and Ballymore to name just three. Paul believes that when a family puts the right structures in place, family businesses can be very successful. However, if you get it wrong, the family business can break up families. The tips in the book will help family business have the right conversations.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Former Chamber president launches new company in Athy Former Co. Kildare Chamber President and architect, Vivian Cummins, has launched a new company with Civil and Structural Engineer, Cormac Dooley to offer a seamless delivery of design and project management consultancy services to clients in the construction sector. The Athy-based company will trade as Dooley Cummins Architects & Engineers and offers a countywide service. The firm’s focus is on residential development. This includes multiunit housing and apartment schemes to one-off high end bespoke homes. Both partners have an established track record in obtaining successful outcomes with complex planning applications. Full details may be obtained at www.dcae.ie The firm’s focus is on residential development. This includes multiunit housing and apartment schemes to one-off high end bespoke homes. Both partners have an established track record in obtaining successful outcomes with complex planning applications. Full details may be obtained at www.dcae.ie

Cleere Life open Naas office Following the great success at both of their Kilkenny offices, Cleere Life have expanded their services within Leinster, and have opened a new office in Naas. Cleere Life intend to grow their business over the next number of years and believe Naas is the ideal location to facilitate this future growth. Their highly experienced staff look forward to providing the people of Kildare and surrounding areas with a friendly and jargon-free financial planning service in the areas of Pensions, Protection, Savings, Investments and Mortgages.

Malone & Co. 8 years in business Accountants and Tax advisors Malone & Co are celebrating its 8th year in Business. The Dublin and Kildare based firm have grown from its founder managed origins in 2014 to establishing itself as one of the fastest growing and progressive multi-disciplinary firms, with a team of over 35 professionals on three continents across their international business, accounting, and taxation service offerings.

Essential Health and Safety Training and Consultancy Ltd announce the launch of their new website

New restaurant to open in The K Club This March, The K Club will open South, their latest food adventure! South is a place that doesn’t stand on ceremony. A feast of taste and colour, it’s bold, buzzy and fun and perfect for get-togethers, a Saturday night family treat, a long lazy breakfast, or beer post golf. In terms of style, nothing takes a back seat. An impressive statement bar for drinks and cocktails, relaxed open plan seating for every occasion and a fabulous outdoor terrace with gorgeous views across Palmer South. South’s menu is generous, with that undeniable K Club flair. If you like laid back and fun, you’ll love South.

Essential Health and Safety Training and Consultancy Ltd have announced the launch of their brand-new website at www.essentialsafety.ie. Essential specialise in the provision of health and safety advisory and training services. Saving lives and the prevention of workplace accidents is their ultimate goal and to do this they work alongside all levels of an organisation to ensure a full understanding of their needs.

Character Print Solutions win award Character Print Solutions have been selected as an award winner in the recent Public Sector Magazine Annual Awards. Based in Naas where its print management and direct mail teams are located. Character are delighted to have been awarded the Print Management Excellence Award for 2022 for the Public and Private Sector. Founded over 20 years ago by Warrick Bowden and Fiona Corcoran they have developed the business into one of Ireland’s leading Print Management Companies. “We are delighted to have been selected as a worthy winner of this award especially by our peers. Recognition of the team is fantastic, we are fortunate to partner with so many fantastic Clients who we have developed long term relationships with.”

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Golf Society Outings 2022 The Chamber are delighted to announce our 2022 outings for the Chamber Golf Society; interested in getting involved? Email jennifer@countykildarechamber.ie to *book your slot at any of the below events. Thursday

14th April

Millicent Golf Club

Tee Times

1pm – 2.30pm

€25pp

Thursday

26th May

Kilkea Castle

Tee Times

1pm – 2.30pm

€30pp

Friday

17th June

Palmer North (The K Club)

Tee Times

8am - 1pm

€75pp

Thursday

22nd September

Palmerstown House Estate

Tee Times

12pm – 1.30pm

€40pp

SAVE THE DATE!

Annual Chamber Golf Classic This year’s Annual Chamber golf classic will take place in the K Club (Palmer North) on Thursday the 1st September with a 2pm shotgun start and a fee of €595 per team. Bookings will open in the coming weeks.

*Only County Kildare Chamber members can play in the Chamber Golf Society.

Sheehy Motor Group Leasing A modern fleet creates a valuable first impression and presents your business Thinking of a career as an Automotive Technician? professionally. Sheehy Motor Group Leasing gives you the ability to renew your Then let Sheehy Motor put youhave in thethe driving seat of your ownthe future fleet regularly. This means youGroup will always latest technology, highest with our Apprenticeship PLUS Programme. quality safety features andAutomotive the most efficient engines on the road. For business, is designed provideperform. you with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to pursue it’sOur theprogramme agility you need totoreally a dynamic career in this fast paced and evolving industry.

Join us for an fit information evening at Sheehy Motors Naas where we will demonstrate our comprehensive The right for your business training & development programme and explain the great opportunities for those looking for a rewarding career in the motor industry.

Wednesday 20th March 7pm - 8.30pm. If you are currently enrolled or thinking about an Apprenticeship, then this is the event for you. To register please email hr@sheehymotors.ie

We look forward to meeting you.

Sheehy Motor Group Newbridge Road, Naas, Co. Kildare Tel: 045 906 600

www.sheehymotors.ie

Audi Naas

Volkswagen

Commercial Vehicles

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

PAID

Celebrating 10 years in Business Founded in 2012, Sweetspot are a team of sourcing specialists, based in Kildare. Co-owned by Fiona Craul and Susan Dempsey, they work with start-ups, brands and retailers on creating new products through their strong network of manufacturers worldwide, with particular expertise in Asia and Europe. We work across all areas of the product sourcing journey, right from developing new products, to understanding where in the World a product should be made, through to prototyping, manufacturing, certification, and importation into the relevant markets. We offer a consultancy service for new and existing brands. This is suitable for those that would like to outsource the manufacturing of their product and therefore allows them to focus on Sales and Marketing. We also advise on product sourcing, product viability and material selection. 06

We love what we do and will always go above and beyond to make sure that our clients’ expectations are met and, wherever, possible exceeded. We started our journey about a year before we had the nerve to leave our secure jobs. The recession was in full swing and we pursued the dream of owning our own company. We knew we wanted to set up a business, and we knew we wanted to work together, but doing what? We were waiting for some fantastical idea or product in order to start, but then we realised we just needed to start! We both had experience in importing and exporting from Asia, and it was an obvious decision to use this combined knowledge to set up Sweetspot. Our first office space was in the local chamber offices, as a start-up and with tight cashflow we both shared one desk for the first couple of months. We had

huge support from Allan and his team right from the start, getting to know the other members was fantastic, both for moral support and for the networking opportunities. Many of our very early clients were from these connections. The first few years were spent traveling, we needed to visit the factories we wanted to work with and create strong partner relationships with them. Finding new factories, and suppliers meant trawling the halls of trade shows all over Europe, Turkey & Asia. But these years have meant we have a solid foundation of suppliers to work with across a wide variety of product and materials, allowing us to react quickly to client requirements. We still travel to factories and trade shows, but in 2013, we established our China office, and this supports us in our dayto-day operations in China. Making It a little easier for us when we are over.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022 biggest milestone! And we are very proud of what we have achieved so far, we are very lucky in the support that has been available to us throughout the years, The County Kildare Chamber, The Local Enterprise Office and Intertrade Ireland have all been instrumental in our success to date. We learned many lessons in our ten years, and certainly this is one of them. The supports that are available for start-ups and SME’s in Ireland is incredible, sometimes it’s just about being aware of what’s out there, and applying for it. Another lesson we have also learnt is that when adversity hits, this is the best opportunity to show our customers and suppliers how good we are at dealing with problems and coming up with a satisfactory solution. In 2021, we decided the time was right to re-brand. We had changed and grown, and felt it was time that our language and visual representation did too. We’ve had a great response to this, and we have found the most growth in our product development side of the business. There are so many amazing new products being developed in Ireland, and we love being able to get involved at the start with these brands. We hold workshops in our office in Naas, and these are real exploratory days that can be useful at many stages of a sourcing journey. In a typical session we get into the nitty gritty of the product, the stage it’s at, rough samples, sketches, pricing, materials, certifications required, all the elements that need to be considered at early stages in development. Or for some clients, they already have a product range, but would like to expand and add to this range, and we brainstorm here to come up ideas and designs for this. These workshops can be booked online directly through our website Half Day Exploratory Session - Sweetspot. Starting off we knew we needed to grow quickly in a very competitive market-place. Our strategy was to work with the larger retailers and brands from the beginning, and thankfully this was one that worked well for us. We were surprised at how open and accessible brands are to start ups, and also, flexible on their payment terms, especially in the beginning when we were establishing ourselves. In 2017 we expanded to a premises in Ladytown Business Park, this facilitated our growth further and we are still here today. Our team consists of Sue, Fiona, our operations manager Eleanor Cronin, our book-keeper Elaine Byrne, and Alan Chen in China.

The 6th of February 2022 marked the official date of our 10 years in business and we are full of pride and very thankful for every friend, family member, customer, supplier and fellow business owner for their continued support and encouragement.

We have continued to build a reputation and Global presence that guarantees we deliver the best-in-class customer service to our valued clients. Like most businesses, the past two years have been extremely challenging. In the early months of 2020, we offered our sourcing services to clients involved in the provision of personal safety equipment. We are now seeing huge changes in supply chain that have been a direct result of both the pandemic and Brexit. Many of our clients are considering manufacturing closer to home, and some of the projects we are working on now are looking at relocating manufacturing from Asia to Europe. Looking back over the years there are many monumental things that we are very proud of, most notably, we won the Small Firms Association Award in 2017, for “Outstanding Small Business”, and in 2018 we won the Kildare Chamber “SME Business of the Year Award”. Turning ten is now our 07

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

CHAMBER COMMITTEE PROFILE LUKE HANAHOE

MAIREAD HENNESSEY

Luke is the President of County Kildare Chamber and the Managing Partner of Hanahoe & Hanahoe Solicitors. Luke has been a member of County Kildare Chamber for 11 years and was honoured to be elected as President 2019. Luke has also been a solicitor in Hanahoe and Hanahoe for the last 11 years and has been managing partner for the last five. Hanahoe and Hanahoe is a general practice law firm, with a particular emphasis on property law and commercial litigation. Hanahoe & Hanahoe operate offices in Naas & Dublin, with their primary office located at 16 North Main Street, Naas. Luke is always delighted to be involved with any Chamber initiative, but is particularly excited by the Policy Advisory Council and working with some of the most influential business leaders in the county . Luke acts for a number of Developers and Builders and as such he as a keen interest in the Local Area Plan, the County Development Plan and any other policy initiative effecting the county. Luke is married to Kate and has two boys, Charlie and Elliott. He is born and bred in Naas and has finally persuaded his wife after 11 long years to move from Dublin. Luke is also an avid rugby fan, whose happiness can sometimes be irrationally attached to the fortunes of Ireland and Leinster.

Mairead is Vice President of County Kildare Chamber. She represents the Chamber on the Kildare Local Community and Development Committee (LCDC) and the International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Taxation. Mairéad is a member of the Chamber’s Policy Advisory Council.

RONAN TWOHIG

KEITH TRAYNOR

Ronan commenced his Business Career in Financial Services with Sedgewick Dineen Insurance Brokers and spent a number of years there before he progressed to Bank of Ireland. Here, Ronan worked with a small project team to launch the first Bank Life Assurance Company in Ireland which was named Lifetime Assurance Company. Ronan then moved to A.I.B. who had plans to launch their own Life Assurance Company which they later named ARK Life Assurance Company.

Keith is currently the Treasurer of County Kildare Chamber and has been a member of the Committee for a number of years. He is also a member of the Chamber’s Audit and Remuneration Committee.

Ronan has also since worked for brokerage Company ‘House of Finance’ where he remained for six years in a Business Development role and The Gannon Group as Business Development Director. In 2021, Ronan joined H.T.H. Accountants as their Chairman and is looking forward to working with the team there into the future.

Mairéad is the owner of Taxkey, a specialist tax practice that provides SMEs with proactive and practical tax advice on matters such as retirement planning business succession, company sales and property transactions. Mairéad is a member of TALC (Indirect Tax) which is the main forum for tax advisors to make representations to the Irish Revenue. Mairéad is a director of Terra NutriTECH, an award winning agtech company based in South Kildare, and treasurer of Rare Diseases Ireland.

Keith is the owner of Keith Traynor Accountants, Certified Public Accountants, Statutory Auditors and Business Consultants, a practice he founded over 20 years ago. They are an international award-winning accountancy practice based in Kilcock and focus on driving efficiencies within businesses and using online accounting systems their services are focused on real-time insights, integrated systems and data driven decisions.

Ronan joined County Kildare Chamber in 2011 and has served on the Board for the last six years.

PAUL KEOGH

ADRIAN MOONEY

Paul Keogh has worked for a number of prominent International entrepreneurial business-owning families in senior management positions. He has worked in a diverse range of industries from alcoholic beverages, the music business, construction equipment and property development.

Adrian Mooney has over 20 years commercial/ sales experience having worked for The Football Association of Ireland, The Curragh Racecourse and The K Club in senior sales roles.

He has also worked throughout the world having been based in the UK, USA, Australia, France, South America, and Ireland. Paul now puts this experience to use as a practitioner in advising family businesses, specialising in family governance, business planning, leadership development and secession planning. Paul has recently written a practical guide to help family businesses called “The Family Business Book” which was published on February 3rd.

Adrian is currently Director of Sales at Kilkea Castle Hotel & Golf Resort, Leinster’s premier Castle Hotel and leads the sales team as the business expands, in a post-pandemic environment. The role is multi-faceted and encompasses marketing, revenue management and PR whilst he also maintains key stakeholder relationships with Failte Ireland & Tourism Ireland, amongst others. With his colleagues on the senior leadership team at Kilkea, he looks forward to a stellar year for the property since it was re-imagined and opened its doors in early 2018. Now encompassing 140 bedrooms, a stunning boutique spa and championship golf course the property is set fair for 2022 and beyond. A sports fanatic, Adrian coaches an u15 boys and an u18 girls’ team at the club where he is also secretary, Kill Celtic FC.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

MARY FENNIN

EVAN ARKWRIGHT

Mary is an experienced Hotel professional and a busy mother of four, she holds a BA in Hotel Management and during lockdown completed many associated courses through Shannon School of Hotel Management and Cornell University.

Evan is currently employed by The Curragh as Racing and Sponsorship Manager, having worked at the racecourse since 2002. As Sponsorship Manager, Evan is responsible for all sponsorships, sourcing and managing over 60 national and international sponsors and partners representing a variety of business categories.

Mary spent many years travelling where she gained valuable international hotel experience before returning home to settle in Ireland. Mary opened the Clanard Court Hotel, a family business in 2005 having seen a gap in the market and has developed it over the years to become an award-winning wedding venue with a thriving Leisure and Food and Beverage business. Mary has a passion for interior design and loves to get stuck into a new project, she recently oversaw the interior fit out of a new Bedroom Block, Spa and Bar.

Previously to joining The Curragh, Evan was employed as Commercial Manager with Weatherbys Ireland in Naas and before that, he was based in the United Arab Emirates working for the Emirates Racing Association and Dubai Racing Club. Evan lives near Rathangan with his wife and three children.

PAT SUTTON

JOHN HURLEY

Pat Sutton is the managing partner O’KellySutton Chartered Accountants, Auditors, Chartered Tax Advisors and Business Consultants, a firm he founded over 27 years ago.

John has over 25 years experience in operations leadership and is self employed. As an operation manager he has worked across the financial, legal and software development industries. John has extensive experience in all aspects of Credit Control and is currently contracted to a Property Management Company in a Finance role.

He leads a team of 20 professional staff from their headquarters in Kildare Town. Pat has lectured extensively in Financial Management and Auditing and is a qualified Business Trainer with Maynooth University. He is a member of the Revenue Commissioners panel of experts for valuation of private companies. He is an Enterprise Ireland appointed Business Advisory Consultant. O’KellySutton is a member of Xeinadin, an expert network of Accountants in Ireland and UK.

He is also a Director of North Kildare Leisure Company which runs a DSP Community Employment Scheme in Maynooth, Kilcock, Rathcoffey area. Away from work John who lives in Maynooth is heavily involved in North Kildare Rugby Club. He is married to Hilary and has two adult children Kate and Jack.

BRIAN PURCELL

LINDA GILL RYAN

Brian Purcell is the owner/founder of Big Picture Communications and has over 25 years experience as one of Ireland’s foremost PR and Media Relations consultants.

Essential Health and Safety was established by Linda Gill Ryan in 2009. Linda along with her team of safety advisors and trainers assist business owners and their employees manage their health and safety compliance obligations on a day-to-day basis.

He devises and implements communications plans for global plc’s, commercial semi-states, large private companies and SMEs and is extremely well connected in the Irish media sector at a senior level and he has worked with and media-trained many leading Irish business leaders, broadcasters and politicians. Brian has worked with companies such as Glen Dimplex, VitHit Drinks, UPMC, Aldi, Tattersalls, Curragh and Fairyhouse Racecourses, Ladbrokes, Choice & Clarion Hotels, Epic Museum, Irish National Stud, Lottoland, Nua Healthcare, Irish Red Cross, Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, Clark Recruitment, Superpedestrian, Clongowes College, Cistercian College Roscrea and the County Kildare Chamber.

Workings include the drafting of Safety Statements, Risk Assessments, and associated Policy documents. Health and Safety Training is also a service Linda can assist with noting examples as Manual Handling Training and First Aid Training delivered in person and on a virtual platform. Working alongside Linda and the team at Essential Health and Safety Training and Consultancy will allow you peace of mind knowing that your legal obligations are being addressed and compliance is thus in order.

Brian is a huge fan of horse racing and has represented his native county of Kerry in hurling and internationally for Ireland in amateur showjumping.

RAY CUNNIFFE - Jigsaw Better Business Jigsaw Better Business welcome Ray Cunniffe as our new Head of Digital Transformation. Ray is qualified in software design and development and has an Executive MBA, which allows him understand the business needs of digital tools. Ray will be responsible for assisting our clients to re-imagine their business and map out their digital roadmap which complements their underlying business strategy. Ray is looking forward to working in partnership with our clients and understands that “For some, Digital Transformation is bringing robotic automation to your factory floor. For others it is having bots answer FAQ’s or even Lead Forensics on your website. For many though, it’s moving from docket books to software systems, maybe even replacing that shoebox full of receipts with a simple expense tracking app”. Overall, he enjoys introducing often simple technology to improve our business processes, making better use of the data we have, finding new revenue streams for our business, and improving the customer experience.

RONAN TWOHIG - HTH Accountants and Business Advisors HTH Accountants and Business Advisors are pleased to announce that Ronan Twohig has been appointed as Chairman of the Company. Ronan has extensive Business experience over many years in Banking, Financial Services and Distribution. Ronan presently serves on the board of County Kildare Chamber.

LOUISE GARGAN – Schneider Electric Schneider Electric have announced the appointment of Louise Gargan as Life Science Key Client Account Manager for Ireland with responsibility for major Pharma and MedTech clients. A NUI Maynooth Music and Geography graduate, Louise lives in Co. Meath. She has previously held senior commercial roles across EMEA in MedTech and Pharma consultancy and brings this experience to Schneider as it continues to drive electrification and digitisation as inseparable and critical paths to achieving sustainability. With customer experience at the fore Louise also has a keen interest in how data and analytics can accelerate efficiencies across the Life Science segment.

LESLEY MAC CORMAIC - Malone & Co. Malone & Co are delighted to announce the appointment of Lesley Mac Cormaic as Director of Client Services. Lesley will be responsible for the development and management of one of our teams ensuring the consistent delivery of quality service and advice to a large portfolio of local and international businesses. A fellow of the Association of Certified Public Accountants of Ireland, Lesley has a wealth of experience in dealing with a diverse range of owner managed companies, professional firms, regulated entries and the notfor-profit sector. She prides herself on her excellent client relationships skills and her “can do” attitude.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

PUBLIC AFFAIRS Manager Profile

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sinéad Ronan as our new Public Affairs Manager. Sinéad has been in the role since January 2022 and has over the last number of weeks been meeting a number of our stakeholders and members. Sinéad was the Parliamentary Assistant to Minster for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney TD who is also Deputy Leader of Fine Gael for the past 6 years. Sinead’s time in this role has provided her with an immense understand of the issues directly affecting businesses, and regions at a Local and National level.

Allan Shine, CEO of County Kildare Chamber said; “We are delighted to welcome Sinead to the team at a time that the Chamber continues to increase its membership. We will leverage her wealth of experience in public affairs and with our extensive policy and lobbying work, County Kildare Chamber is committed to representing its members on key business issues in the economic debates at home and in Europe. Public Affairs has a key role to play in this regard by ensuring that we fully maximise our potential by aligning our communications and public affairs strategy with our business objectives, to enhance our effectiveness and the services we deliver to our membership. Locally, we are now further resourced to support our members with effective engagement with all key stakeholders in the region.”

Sinead’s vast political experience coupled with her knowledge in regard to Local Government, National Governmental, Economic, Foreign Affairs and Environment policies such as the UN Sustainability Development Goals will enable and expand the expertise, extensive lobbying and representation currently provided by the Chamber. “I am really excited to be taking on this role. I understand the challenges faced by businesses and communities currently, and I am looking forward to meeting and working with the members, to promote Kildare and the region as a leading place to do business.” “My immediate priorities are the upcoming County Development Plan, which needs the engagement and attention of Kildare Chamber, as this plan is critical for the future proofing of Kildare. Engagement with both National and Local Government going forward will to be increased, and representation with all of the region’s stakeholders will be further enhanced. The UN Sustainability Development Goals are becoming an ever-present part of business life and need to be promoted and ingrained into modern day industry.” Businesses are constantly challenged with new legislation, the complications with Brexit and of course with the Covid pandemic. Sinéad will be on hand to support and assist our membership as they navigate, survive, and thrive through an everchanging business environment. 11

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2022 EVENTS GUIDE

Please note: ‘Spotlight’ events are highlighted with

Mon 7th March

Optimise proficiency in Costing, Pricing and Cashflow to Maximise Profit

Mon 7th March

Create Engaging Social Media Content to increase visibility of your brand

Tues 8th March

How to make a Video for your Business – DIY Smart Video (Smartphone Video & Photography)

Tues 8th March

The Food Export Journey – Learn to action an export food plan

Tues 8th March

From Good to Great: Using Lean for a Competitive Edge

Wed 9th March

Lunchtime Series with Blaise Brosnan – Where to from here?

Thurs 10th March

Understanding the Grant Process and Preparing Financial Projections for Funding Applications

Thurs 10th March

LinkedIn for Business - increase followers, engagement and generate leads

Thurs 10th March

Retail and Foodservice 2022 - Expert Views – Learn from experts in Retail and Food Service

Thurs 10th March

Driving Business to your Website: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Thurs 10th March

Trading Online Voucher Seminar - Trade more online to boost their sales and reach new markets (50% of eligible costs up to the maximum of €2,500)

Fri 11th March

Exploring Exporting Workshop – find out more about TAME Grants covering 50% of eligible costs (net of vat) to a max of €2,500

#MakingItHappen for Co.Kildare 07-11 March Find out what supports and programmes are the best fit for your business. Book your place at an event today at LocalEnterprise.ie/Week In partnership with

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

The man

behind MERITS

MERITS is a phenomenal new addition to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the county. The brainchild of Kildare County Council’s Economic Development team, the project has evolved over the past few years under the strategic guidance of the board of a Company Limited by Guarantee. The board is chaired by Cllr Rob Power, your good self as CEO of Kildare Chamber, Jacqui McNabb, Head of Economic Development at Kildare County Council, Sonya Kavanagh, Acting Chief Executive, and number of other public representatives and local business leaders. The project received funding from the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Enterprise funding programmes. Allan: Joe, tell us about MERITS and the opportunities it offers businesses in the region Joe: MERITS is a phenomenal new addition to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Mid East Region as part of the overall Mid East Regional Plan for the creation of Jobs in the Tech Sector. The concept for MERITS originated in Kildare County Council’s Economic Development Department and funded by Kildare County Council the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Enterprise fund. Operations within the building evolved over the past few years under the strategic guidance of the board chaired by Cllr Rob Power, and supported by directors such as your good self CEO of Kildare Chamber, Jacqui McNabb, Head of Economic Development at Kildare County Council, Sonya Kavanagh, Acting Chief Executive, Cllr Brendan Wyse, Cllr Seamie Moore, Paul Murtagh, Paul Keogh, Joe Moore (MU), 14

Cathal Beale (Irish National Stud), Eileen Cullen (KWETB), Regina Dempsey and Kevin Kelly. MERITS is one of several centres that are being developed in the county by Kildare County Council through its Innovate Kildare Brand and it will focus specifically on Digital Technology companies. The initiative centres around a new 1,200 sqm building at Devoy Park anchored by the Local Enterprise Office and Economic Development Department of Kildare County Council but is much more than just a building. The building itself incorporates hot desking and co-working facilities, private offices, meeting rooms, a large conference facility, a broadcasting studio complete with best available audio and video technology, a Mixed Reality Lab which will be used to expose local businesses to the opportunities presented by augmented reality (“AR”) and virtual reality (“VR”) technologies, a large video wall and networking spaces. We envisage the building being the epicentre of digitisation and digital innovation in the region and look forward to hosting many events for local companies. Allan: For businesses in the tech space, what support be that financial or advice do you provide? Joe: In addition to the physical infrastructure, MERITS runs ideation workshops, Innovation Challenge Days and Hackathons, and a series of programmes in partnership with the Local Enterprise Office. Having Kildare LEO based in the building is a real advantage and really allows us to work hand-in-hand to ensure local entrepreneurs and businesses get the optimum

ISSUE 5 - March 2022 We have had 40 companies on our programmes so far and a number of these have taken up residency at MERITS. There are many exciting companies with us, from MedTech to AgTech, involving digital platforms, eCommerce, medical devices. We have companies doing a range of mind-blowing things such as: monitoring crop development in small holdings in Africa; developing dispatch and logistics management and tracking systems; air and surface sterilisation systems; sleep consultancy through digital platforms; employee engagement platforms; skills gap identification and job matching platform; pet care, pet monitoring and pet owner community platform and a host of other activities. suite of financial, training, mentoring and networking supports and a direct route to Enterprise Irelands High Potential start up R & D and Export supports

The creativity and ingenuity of these locally based entrepreneurs is startling and gives the team (Eshna Gogia and Alan Joyce) and I a great boost every day.

The programmes we run are: • Genesis, targeted at people that have an idea and want to tease it out on a 6 week programme with like-minded individuals. •

TechHatch, which is for founders that have already incorporated a business and want to get their business plan into an investor-ready format

•

GoGlobal, aimed at revenue generating businesses, is a bespoke programme of activities and supports designed specifically for each company.

Allan: What tenants have you in place in MERITS to date, are we looking at the next Stripe coming out of Kildare soon? Joe: Everyone wants to breed the next Unicorn for sure but I think Billion Euro value status needs a rebrand as what was once extremely rare is now becoming far more common in recent years! Recent Irish companies to reach Unicorn Status, such as Intercom, Workhuman, Fenergo, LetsGetChecked, Flipdish and Wayflyer all have digital technology at their core. Stripe isn’t strictly an Irish Unicorn having been headquartered in the US when its valuation hit the €1 billion mark. Now coheadquartered in Ireland and valued at €90 billion, it is close to becoming a Hectocorn! What we are trying to do is create the right conditions in which companies can emerge, develop, and internationalise. Yes, physical infrastructure helps as the garage / spare bedroombased StartUps of previous years would never get through a Health & Safety audit nowadays! But it is more about the ecosystem – we are curating an ecosystem in Kildare and the mid east in which bright people can access all the critical inputs to give their ideas the best possible chance of success. This will involve: • Founders • StartUps • ScaleUps • Development Agencies • Mentors/Advisors • Investors such as Halo Business Angels Network, High Net Worth individuals, Crowd Funding Platforms, Private Equity and Venture Capitalists • Universities • International partners such as EIT Digital • Multinationals and Large indigenous companies

Allan: What are the main challenges faced by Tech StartUps? Joe: Recent analysis by ScaleIreland has confirmed our assumptions that access to capital is the key concern for StartUps. Seed and Growth finance are essential for local digital business and lets face it, despite the adverts to the contrary, debt funding through main street banks is not readily available for pre revenue businesses without offering up real estate, liquid assets, a vital organ or your first-born child as collateral. Family, Friends and Fools are normally the first port of call for seed investment, but that source tends to run out quickly for rapidly scaling businesses. Availing of supports from LEO is advisable as it effective leverages any personal or seed investment by 100%. The forthcoming €90m Innovation Equity Fund is a very welcome development and will be administered by Enterprise Ireland. EIT Digital’s Innovation Factory is also an option. We will work with each member of the MERITS ecosystem to find them the right partners, be that suppliers, partners, cofounders, investor, beta customers or mentors. Hopefully we can host a Chamber networking event in the near future and showcase the facility to the wide business community in the near future.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

EMPLOYMENT

TAXES Current State of Play Claire Davey of KPMG

Head of employment and personal tax compliance

At the time of writing this article, there is a strong sense of positivity that an end to Covid-19 is on the horizon, and with it a renewed sense of optimism that we can once again imagine a world without social and economic restrictions.

These Covid income support schemes have been instrumental in serving to keep many businesses operational whilst also supporting job retention and income protection for employees.

Such restrictions fundamentally changed our daily lives and routines unlike we have ever witnessed before, and Irish employers who were required to adapt quickly to these changes and respond nimbly to a constantly evolving employment tax landscape, were no exception.

For employers already availing of EWSS on 31 December 2021, the scheme is due to close on 30 April 2022 with a phased exit scheme.

Whilst this new environment set forth many challenges for employers, it also provided many opportunities for employers to reshape their existing work practices, employment tax models and attract a broader talent pool. Understanding the many employment tax changes, including temporary Covid concessions introduced at the early stages of the pandemic, was important and necessary to help employers manage their compliance obligations effectively during the pandemic and minimise the cost impact to their business. As Ireland reopens and restrictions are eased it is imperative for employers to keep abreast of any employment tax updates in the area and to ensure they are not relying on Covid concessions which are no longer available in practice. This article aims to bring employers up to date on the most recent employment tax developments in the area, as employers look ahead to the future, including recommended actions they should consider in a post Covid environment.

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS)

Central to the government’s response to the serious impact of the pandemic has been the EWSS and its predecessor, the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), which has provided much needed cashflow assistance to employers, amid difficult trading conditions. 16

Principally, following the recent Finance Act changes, the enhanced wage subsidy rates have been reduced for February and further again for March and April to a flat rate subsidy of €100 per week per qualifying employee, with a return to full rates of employer PRSI, with effect from March 2022. Helpfully, in response to the Public Health Regulations (PHR) in place between 20 December 2021 and 22 January 2022, Revenue announced some variations to the phased exit for employers directly impacted by these restrictions. This typically includes businesses in the hospitality sector, e.g., hotels, restaurants, bars, wedding venues etc. For such employers they should review their situation to determine whether they qualify for the enhanced rates for an additional month to 28 February 2022, and also for an extension to the conclusion of the scheme to 31 May 2022.

Benefit in Kind (BIK) Covid Concessions

The taxation of BIKs has seen some temporary Revenue concessions being applied “for the period of the Covid-19 restrictions”. Until recently it was unclear precisely when these concessions would be withdrawn. Following a Revenue announcement in December 2021 some clarity has now emerged, and so employers need to be aware of these details in order to ensure accurate and timely operation of their payroll going forward. A brief summary is provided overleaf:

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Employer-provided vehicles

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was necessary for Revenue to introduce some temporary measures in relation to the operation of BIK on employer-provided vehicles. The business mileage performed by an employee each year is paramount to the determination of the taxable BIK which can range from between 6% and 30% of the Open Market Value of the vehicle (OMV) provided. Under the Covid-19 concessions available, Revenue allowed the BIK to be based on the business mileage performed in January 2020 in order to determine which percentage of the OMV is subject to BIK taxation. Without this concession, there would almost certainly have been a significant reduction in business mileage performed during that period and as a result, a higher BIK charge on the employee. In their most recent update, Revenue has confirmed that this measure will apply for the 2020 and 2021 years of assessment. For 2022, Revenue have agreed that the measure will only apply for the period where there is a public health guidance requirement for all employees to work from home, unless it is necessary to attend the workplace in person. As such, from 1 January 2022, where public health guidance no longer requires an employee to work from home, the BIK charge on an employer provided vehicle should be calculated based on actual business mileage performed.

Covid testing/flu vaccination Under the recent update, where an employer incurs an expense in the provision of Covid-19 testing and facilitation of flu vaccination, there will be no taxable BIK arising in 2022, and subsequent years will be provided for on a statutory basis. Taxi fares

Revenue also agreed that a charge to tax will not arise where an employer provides a taxi or pays for a taxi to transport an employee to or from home and the workplace due to health and safety concerns arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. This concession is due to continue until 30 June 2022 but will be subject to further review before that date.

Small benefit exemption

The tax rules have traditionally permitted employers to provide a voucher or incentive to an employee without giving rise to a charge to tax where certain conditions are met. This is commonly referred to as the “small benefit exemption.” Following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Revenue has in certain circumstances concessionally waived the requirement that only one voucher issues per year for the 2020 and 2021 tax years. It applies where the additional award is related to an employee’s exceptional efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic and where the employee continued to work during the restricted period. Provided the maximum cumulative value of incentives does not exceed €500, under the concession, it is possible to provide more than one tax free voucher per tax year. This concessionary treatment will continue to apply for 2022.

Remote working at home and cross border

Covid-19 has significantly altered the way in which we work and indeed from where we work. With the steep rise in

remote working over the last couple of years, with effect from 2020 Revenue now permit a tax deduction for a proportion of employee home utility bills to be deducted against employment income. Alternatively, Revenue allows employers to make a flat rate tax free payment of €3.20 for each day worked at home. Revenue also permits employers to provide the necessary equipment for remote working (e.g., computer equipment and office furniture) without tax consequences, so long as the equipment provided is primarily used for work purposes and private use is incidental. It is important to note that the employer must provide the equipment to the employees. Employees incurring the cost of the provision of such equipment and then seeking reimbursement from the company will not qualify for tax-free treatment. The trend of home/remote working seems set to continue as the government is currently introducing legislation providing greater rights for employees who wish to work remotely. Aside from the need for employers to stay aware of the inevitable employment law matters about to surface, they need to stay aware of Revenue tax rules regarding home working. In particular, where employees seek to base themselves outside of Ireland for extended periods, this can carry foreign employment tax risks as well as other issues beyond employment taxes, including personal taxes, social security, corporation tax and even immigration. Advice should be sought before agreeing to employees spending extended time working remotely outside the jurisdiction.

Real Time Reporting (RTR) for PAYE…. a final word

The introduction of RTR from 2019 has fundamentally changed the PAYE landscape, in particular the way employers interact with Revenue. Revenue is now accessing taxpayer data in real time to reduce the risk of under reporting and non-payment of tax. Revenue was lenient during 2019 to allow employers to get to grips with the new system but had promised a harder approach thereafter. Covid-19 has no doubt deferred this intention, and it would now seem an opportune time for additional Revenue scrutiny in the form of PAYE audit and interventions. Indeed, at a Revenue branch meeting held in late 2021, Revenue announced that they continue to identify errors in PAYE reporting and will be focusing on data quality in this area through 2022. Underpinning this intention, Revenue released a new Code of Practice for Revenue Compliance Interventions on 11th February. The revised Code will come into effect on 1 May 2022 and replaces the current Code of Practice for Revenue Audits and other Compliance Interventions 2019. This update reflects Revenue’s new Compliance Intervention Framework (the Framework) which will come into operation on 1 May 2022. The Framework introduces changes to Revenue’s long-standing approach to compliance interventions with consequential changes to disclosure opportunities. Given this renewed Revenue compliance focus, the progressive nature of employment taxes and of course the many challenges brought about by Covid-19, now is an ideal time for employers to undertake a self-review of their PAYE operation including processes and procedures to ensure they are fully tax compliant.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

IN THE HOT SEAT with Brian Kavanagh

The Curragh is Ireland’s premier international horse racing venue staging all 5 Irish classic races including the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. The 5,000-acre Curragh Plains are one of Europe’s oldest grasslands. In September last year, Brian Kavanagh took over the reins as CEO of the famous racetrack following 20 years as CEO of Horse Racing Ireland. Brian was one of the main movers behind the redevelopment at the Curragh and indeed was formerly manager of the worldrenowned track between 1994 and 1999. Allan: What we can expect from Brian Kavanagh, the new CEO of The Curragh, your reputation precedes you as one of racing’s most knowledgeable and capable figures I am really looking forward to the start of the Curragh racing season on Saturday 26th March. The Curragh has always been recognized for the quality of the racetrack, but for many years the facilities for the racegoers did not match up. That was rectified with the new development, but of course Covid intervened in meantime, so come March we have a practically brand-new racecourse for people to enjoy. The Curragh is a special place for Kildare people and is synonymous with the County. I want the Curragh Racecourse to be a friendly place where people can come to meet up 18

and enjoy a day’s racing in a high quality, safe, outdoor environment. Allan The new stand and facilities are world class, a great addition to Kildare and I presume one challenge will be ensuring that people from Kildare and from across Ireland come to enjoy the new Curragh. Not an easy task when racing is competing with so many other sports and attractions who are all trying to attract visitors. Irish horse racing has proven itself to be very resilient during the Covid pandemic and apart from an 11-week period in early 2020, it was able to continue uninterrupted since then. While most of those race meetings were run without spectators, this is a fortunate position compared to many other sports and businesses and is not taken for granted. It also coincided with a period of great success on the track for Irish horses, trainers, and riders. In that time, interest levels in Irish horse racing grew significantly across all measures including ownership levels, numbers of horses in training, TV viewing figures and demand for the media rights (pictures) of Irish races. As we emerge from the pandemic, there will be a significant demand for people to get out, socialize and meet other people in safe environments. Horse racing is perfectly positioned to offer that environment - one thing we are not short of on the Curragh is fresh air!

ISSUE 5 - March 2022 Allan It’s obviously hugely important The Curragh gets back to significant attendances for the major weekends. Covid aside, how achievable is that in the short to medium term? I believe that is very achievable and will happen quite quickly provided we remain free of Covid restrictions. The racing and the facilities at the Curragh are now first class and other racecourses are seeing significant latent demand for their major fixtures following the lifting of restrictions. The key to this will be local support and we can assure all racegoers a friendly welcome at all race meetings.

Allan Finally, Brian, sponsorship is critical for horseracing. The Curragh is very fortunate to have the support of Dubai Duty Free for the Irish Derby the past number of years along with several Kildare businesses. What opportunities are available for Kildare businesses for the 2022 season?

Allan The conference meeting facilities are truly top class, how important is engaging with businesses in Kildare for the Curragh? This is a game changer for us and the Curragh now has an extensive range of conference rooms, meeting rooms and exhibition space which can cater for business meetings of all sizes. The location is attractive for nationwide businesses or for companies who wish to avoid traveling to Dublin and is readily accessible from most parts of the country. With our catering partners, we can satisfy any requirements in relation to food and beverage in a unique and very safe setting. We are already seeing strong demand for the facilities from both local and national businesses.

Sponsorship in horse racing has been very strong in recent years and pleasingly the Curragh has been to the fore in this trend. Most of our major races are fully sponsored and this year we are working towards having 100% of our races sponsored. I am glad to say that many Kildare companies are long standing and valued partners at the Curragh, including Bord Na Mona, Finlay Volvo, Weatherbys Ireland, Rathasker Stud, Sentinel Ireland, Kildare Village, Airlie Stud, Sheehy Motors, TRI Equestrian, Mongey Communications, Anglesey Lodge and Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital, Goffs, Moyglare Stud, Hanlon Concrete and Manguard Plus together with a number of hotels including Barberstown Castle, Westgrove and Killashee There are always opportunities for more and with sponsorship offering extensive media coverage, including Irish and international television and a wide range of hospitality and promotional opportunities, we would be delighted to explore options for partnerships with fellow Chamber members which meet their business needs.

Allan How important is it to The Curragh commercially for the venue on non-race days to host conferences, meetings, trade shows etc? While the training center is open 365 days a year - there are approximately 1000 horses trained on the Curragh gallops, given the scale of investment in the facilities at the Curragh, it is imperative that they are operating on more than just the 23 race days held each year. Non race day business is a particular area of growth in our business plans and the early signs are very positive. It is also a great way to showcase the Curragh to a new audience and also broaden our relationship with sponsors.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022 tailored HR model to support achievement of the organisational goals. Given her business background, Michelle has a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses in our region so she can advise on the most suitable HR supports. Chamber members can contact Michelle to explore the Key HR Services available for Members at preferential rates as follows:

The HR Partnership Programme provides members with: • Contracts of Employment for all staff • An Employee Handbook including all legally required and best practice policies • A dedicated Client Account Manager to advise, guide and support members on all aspects of HR • Access to Linea, the most comprehensive online HR resource • Representations in the WRC or Labour Court

PROFILE

MICHELLE MCDONAGH As part of the Greater Dublin Chamber Alliance, County Kildare Chamber formed a strategic partnership with Adare Human Resource Management, one of Ireland’s leading HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety consultancies. The partnership supports over 2,000 businesses and provides Chamber members with access to expert human resource management advice and supports businesses focus on adapting to new ways of working safely. Michelle McDonagh MSc. HR Strategies, Chartered MCIPD, PGDip Employment Law is an experienced Human Resources and Employment Law practitioner with a proven track record in driving strategic HR initiatives for businesses. Michelle joined Adare Human Resource Management last year after successfully running her own HR consultancy here in Kildare, Aspire HR Consulting, for seven years. Advising and supporting a wide variety of organisations across the private, not for profit and public sector Michelle uses her expertise and strategic focus to analyse organisations and build a

The Health & Safety Partnership Programme provides: • Onsite Safety Compliance Review • Production of a Report and Safety Paperwork including a Safety Statement with associated Risk Assessments and control measures to assist with ongoing safety management • An Experienced Chartered Consultant to give solutions focused support and guidance • Occupational Safety and Health Newsletters and Updates, our online OSH Webinars and our Breakfast Briefings, Seminars and Training on key OSH topics • Representation to the Health and Safety Authority

Linea forms part of the HR Partnership Programme but is also available as a standalone offering at special promotional rates starting from €195 ex Vat for Organisations with up to 20 employees in year one for Chamber members only. Linea provides immediate access to the latest information on any HR matter as and when you require it to be available. www.countykildarechamber.ie/linea/

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Benefits to Chamber Members Michelle works with County Kildare Chamber to deliver a calendar of complimentary events to benefit members with guidance and advice on HR topics of interest, such as managing New Ways of Working, addressing Recruitment and Retention Challenges, supporting Conflict & Dispute Resolution and a deep dive into the latest HR & Employment updates – all delivered by our expert speakers. These events are supported by weekly communications on our website and through our newsletters and other publications, keeping members ‘In the Know’ about developments such as the announcement of a new public holiday this year and the introduction of Statutory Sick Pay.

Michelle and the team regularly attend our weekly networking meetings and are available for one-to-one meetings to support in understanding what your legal obligations are as Employers and how they can support you to meet your HR needs aligned to the number of employees you have turnover revenue and stage of development. Arrange a call For more information on any of the services above or to arrange a Linea demonstration, contact Michelle McDonagh at adarechambers@adarehrm.ie or on (01) 561 3594. www.adarehrm.ie www.countykildarechamber.ie/hr-support/

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Proudly connecting Ireland, community by community

sets us on a path to be the leading country in the provision of high speed broadband to 100% of the population, providing equal access and equal opportunity to every home, farm, school and business.

Kildare resident TJ Malone is heading up the build programme for the National Broadband Plan. In this interview, he discusses progress on the State’s “biggest investment in rural Ireland ever” Q. The National Broadband Plan is the largest infrastructure project the State has ever undertaken. What do you think the impact of the project will be? TJ: Connectivity has quickly become a vital part of our lives. For work, education, entertainment, and even socialising, we all have a growing demand for reliable, high speed broadband services. In most urban areas, this is taken for granted. But for over 1.1 million people living in more rural parts of Ireland – myself included - it can be an everyday struggle. We’re not alone. Across Europe the European Commission is on a mission to ensure every household has gigabit connectivity by 2030. It’s a bold and transformational move, but one that will propel every nation in the right direction to take on everything the future holds and it’s an exciting prospect that Ireland will ultimately lead the rest of Europe in this regard. Ireland’s National Broadband Plan is the Government’s ambitious policy to meet this European-wide goal, and it 22

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly underlined the criticality of reliable, high speed connectivity, which has become essential for so many aspects of our lives. Such is the demand for bandwidth, that internet usage has grown by over 40% compared with pre-pandemic levels. Q. What’s the size of the challenge? TJ: Conveying the size, scale and complexity of an infrastructure project of this nature can be challenging to articulate. It can only be likened to rural electrification, but with arguably far more complexities. Taking on the challenge, our team at NBI is deploying fibre on approximately 1.5 million poles – many of them new, over 15,000 km of underground ducts, using up to 142,000 km of new fibre cable, and will run along almost 100,000 km of the road network. Stretching across 96% of the country’s land mass, we’re laying enough fibre to go around the world nearly four times. This is about radically changing the broadband landscape across the country to ensure every single person has access to high speed broadband, no matter where they live or work. In only two years, our team has grown to have over 1200 people working on the rollout of the National Broadband Plan – either directly with NBI or through our network of specialist contractors.

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Q. The National Broadband Plan takes in all 26 counties. To what extent will Kildare benefit? TJ: In Kildare, there are 14,849 premises in the Intervention Area, which includes homes, farms, businesses and schools. This equates to over 46% of all premises in the county, so the impact is really significant. Under the National Broadband Plan, Kildare will see an investment of €53M in the new high speed fibre network, which will make a big difference to people’s lives. As a Kildare resident, I’m very familiar with the need for the new high speed network and can’t wait to see the benefits that it will bring to communities across the county. For too long, modern-day technologies that offer huge advantages to our lives have not been accessible for rural communities, whether that’s to allow e-learning, e-health initiatives, better energy efficiency in our homes, being able to work remotely, or even remote monitoring of livestock in farming. We’re going to be enabling people to consider these for the very first time in many cases. Right now, we have surveys underway for nearly 5,000 premises across Ballylinan, and Curragh Camp including Athy, Ballitore, Narraghmore, South Kildare, the Curragh and surrounding townlands – which is a critical first step in rolling out the network and involves our crews physically walking the routes where fibre will be laid. We have the network under construction for over 2,000 premises across Blessington, Carlow, Dunboyne and Clonee including Ballymore Eustace, Brannockstown, Castledermot, Celbridge, Johnstown, Kill, Naas, Newbridge and Straffan. We also have over 900 premises available to pre-order their connection. In advance of our fibre to the home roll out, we’re also delivering Broadband Connection Points nationwide.

These facilities – which include GAA clubs, community centres and tourist sites – will provide free public access to high speed internet in the Intervention area, paving the way for rural communities to receive the benefits of broadband directly to their door. Locations of Broadband Connection Points in Kildare include Back Gate Lodge at Kilkea Castle, Cookstown Further Education, Training and Community Centre, Bigstone Community Hall, and Lullymore Heritage Park. Q. What’s the status of your national rollout plans and what can we expect? TJ: Work on the National Broadband Plan continues at pace with our teams working in every county across Ireland. Over 298,000 premises – 55% of the entire Intervention Area - have now been surveyed nationwide. Over 252,000 of these premises are already designed or progressing through detailed design work. Collectively, these are critical components which pave the way for fast and effective construction work. As of today, construction work is underway for over 150,000 premises across the country and approximately 55,000 premises are now able to order services via their preferred Retail Service Providers (RSPs), with minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second on offer. With around 50 RSPs ready to sell services on the NBI network, this is going to be game-changer, bringing significant benefits directly to consumers and businesses where competition between RSPs will ensure quality bundled packages offer choice around voice, broadband, TV and mobile at competitive prices. Visit www.nbi.ie for more information, including to find out if you’re in the Intervention Area and to receive Eircode specific updates on the rollout progress. 23

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Barberstown Castle A 13th Century Medieval Castle and Country House, Barberstown Castle is set on 20 acres in Straffan, County Kildare. Under new management with Ted Robinson at the helm the hotel offers 55 spacious bedrooms, award winning dining, excellent conference facilities, and a variety of unique event spaces available to accommodate 2 to 250 delegates.

Chamber New Members

www.barberstowncastle.ie

Bibby Financial Services

Blasco Solicitors & Notary Public

Bibby Financial Services are an independent financial services partner to Irish business with over 35 years’ experience funding SME. We deliver tailored financial solutions that meet clients’ working capital needs. We’re a relationship-based funder, we offer a flexible, committed service to all our clients with our team of experts

The leading Spanish law firm in Ireland, is located in Maynooth and has great experience submitting visas under Investment Immigration Programme. Their experience and in-depth knowledge of both the Irish and Spanish legal systems ensure that all their clients receive professional and personal service. Notary Public services are also provided.

Cill Dara le Gaeilge is a non-profit organisation focused on the advancement of the Irish language in County Kildare. Through our Gnó Chill Dara programme, we support Co. Kildare based companies that would like to use the Irish language to differentiate their brand and improve customer experience. Visit our website to learn more.

www.bibbyfinancialservices.ie

www.blascosolicitors.ie

www.cilldaralegaeilge.ie

Cleere Life

Dooley Cummins Architects & Engineers

LiCrann CCTV Processing and Redaction

Established in 2015 and following great success at both Kilkenny offices, Cleere Life has opened a new office in Naas. Cleere Life prides itself on the professional one to one service it provides its clients in the areas of Protection, Pensions, Investments, Savings and Mortgages. With 160 years combined staff experience in these areas we have the expertise to help you!

Former Co. Kildare Chamber President and architect, Vivian Cummins, has launched a new company with Civil and Structural Engineer, Cormac Dooley to offer a seamless delivery of design and project management consultancy services to clients in the construction sector. The firm’s focus is on residential development. This includes multi-unit housing and apartment schemes to one-off high end bespoke homes.

At LiCrann CCTV Processing and Redaction, we provide the following services: The Processing and Analysis of CCTV footage, Incident Isolation, Redaction of People, objects and any other identifiable features, Cloud-Based fast and secure data transfer, Data Protection Consultancy, providing businesses with advice on policy requirements, policy development and implementation, in line with current GDPR guidelines.

www.cleerelife.ie

www.dcae.ie

www.licrannsolutions.com

Malone and Co.

Matheson

Off Your Grid

Malone and Co. are the accountants of choice regionally and nationally, whether you are an SME owner looking to grow your business or an overseas business looking to establish operations in Ireland - our team of accountants can help with the preparation of financial statements, bookkeeping & payroll or help with tax advice and compliance.

The law firm of choice for internationally focused companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland. Established in 1825 in Dublin, Ireland and with offices in Cork, London, New York, Palo Alto and San Francisco, more than 775 people work across Matheson’s six offices, including 105 partners and tax principals and over 530 legal, tax and digital services professionals. Our clients include over half of the world’s 50 largest banks, 7 of the world’s 10 largest asset managers, 7 of the top 10 global technology brands and we have advised the majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

Off Your Grid is the official Irish distributor for EcoFlow, the world’s fastest charging clean energy portable power stations. From domestic to industrial needs, we stock their full range of power stations and solar panels, allowing you to power devices anytime anywhere. Contact us today on 087 7495498.

www.maloneaccountants.ie

www.matheson.com

www.offyourgrid.ie

Powell Electronics Limited

SISgate Pro

Turas Nua

Powell Ltd is part of Powell Group Headquartered in New Jersey. For over 75 years Powell has supported the electronics industry with connectors, cables and switches from leading suppliers such as Glenair, Amphenol, Honeywell and many others. Powell supports agriculture, defence, renewables, transit and industrial sectors.

SISgate Pro a leading business support providing administration, skills & technology previously only available to larger firms. For the cost of your current Accountant you can achieve much more giving you and your team the time & money to get back to doing what you do best. Debt management, bank supports, Skilled SME accountants, HR, payroll, Insurance, IT supports including systems, Revenue and tax, affordable solicitors and more including your own dedicated business manager.

Turas Nua works on behalf of the Dept of Social Protection to secure employment for the long term unemployed. We work on a one-to-one basis with our participants, provide bespoke and tailored training solutions to overcome barriers to employment, and progress into full time, sustainable employment. We offer a free recruitment service to local employers from retailers to hospitality to industry.

www.powell.com

www.sisgatepro.com

www.westgrovehotel.com

Cill Dara le Gaeilge

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

County Kildare Chamber Membership 2021

Accountancy & Tax Services

Grant Thornton KPMG Brennan & O Reilly Accountants Conway, Conway & Co HTH Accountants John P Greely & Company Kealy Mehigan Accountants Kildare Audit & Accountancy Services Malone & Co Accountants Mark Graham & Co. O’Kelly Sutton Chartered Accountants O’Neill & Brennan Quinlan and Co Accountants Resolute Advisory S. C. Dunne & Co Taxkey The Leinster Partnership Truway Accounting Limited Wallace O’Donoghue

Agri Tech

Car/ Van Hire/ Lease/ Sales Sheehy Motor Group Go Rentals Joe Mallon Motors Toyota Naas

Catering Supplier

Catering Innovation Agency Ltd

Demesne Architects Vivian Cummins Architects

Arts/ Theatre/ Cinema Odeon Cinema Moat Theatre Riverbank Arts Centre

Bank

AIB Bank of Ireland KBC Bank Ireland Permanent TSB

Bookkeeping

Premier Accounts Assist Ltd

Corporate Gifts Balloon HQ NearlySisters Ltd

Credit Union

CRM Systems Provider

Caterclean Ecokem Premiere Catering and Hygiene Products

Cold Storage Solutions

Dawsongroup TCS Ireland Ltd

Conference and Accommodation

Construction

Architecture

CarveOn Limited Magma Design

Cleaning and Hygiene Provider

Agriculture

Crystal Air

Corporate Branding

Croi Laighean Credit Union Life Credit Union People First Credit Union

Maynooth Campus Conference & Accommodation

Air Conditioning

Rafferty Writes

Barretstown KARE

Charity

Terra Nutritech

Conrow Ltd Robinson Farms

Copy Writer

Ballymore Group Boston Access Limited Crylock Developments Ltd Glenveagh Homes Homes By Design Mick O’Shea Heating & Plumbing Ltd Quattuor Ventures Ltd Tradecraft Building Products Ltd

Consultancy

Amberley & Associates Apex Evolution Auxilia Consultants Bruce McCormack Consulting CiviQ Complinet Enable Me Coaching En-Route Consulting Eolas Managed Solutions Ltd Galileo Energy Services JAH - Business Operations Specialist Jigsaw Better Business Organic Trust CLG Paul Murtagh Business Consulting Platform Energy Solutions Ltd. SAR Consultancy Sontai Data Solutions TW Performance Solutions Ltd Vulcan Consulting Ltd

Cloudtech Monread CRM Team Project

Distillery

Powerscourt Distillery Limited

E Commerce

ModusLink Otals Pangea Media Ltd

Education

KWETB Maynooth University Faculty of Capacity Development Leah Moran Stage School and Productions LTD Leinster Senior College

Electrical Services

Schneider Electric Ireland Netherbrook Ltd RGN Electrical & Communications Specialist

Engineering

Endress+Hauser Powercomm Engineering LTD

Enterprise Park

Millennium Park Clane Project Centre Ladytown Business Park

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Equine

Godolphin Ireland Irish Equine Centre BBA Ireland Ltd Centrepiece Rosettes Horse Racing Ireland Irish National Stud & Gardens

Equipment Supplier/ Hire E&G Cutting Blades Ltd Haven Hire Hireco Trailer Rentals/Sales Loading and Lifting Solutions Off Your Grid Pumpwatch Southern Machinery Ltd Superior Pipeline Products Ltd The Buggyman Ltd

Estate Agents

Brophy Farrell Real Estate Alliance Coonan Property Jordan Auctioneers O’Neill & Co Remax Partners ¦ Bryan Little Remax Platinum Sherry Fitzgerald Brady O’Flaherty Sherry Fitzgerald O’Reilly - Naas

Events

52nd Street Band/ John Forde Piano Man All Events Audiovisual Follow Fox Events (VEMS) Mondello Park Mongey Communications Pop Up Races Ltd

Facilities Management

Advanced Workplace Solutions Elite Maintenance

Family Tree Design

ADOS Genealogy & Design

Finance

Bibby Financial Services Close Brothers Commercial Finance Grenke Tameric Investments

Financial Advice Cleere Life House of Finance Lifegoals Financial

Financial Services

Brink’s Cash Services (Ireland) Ltd FACE Credit Consultacy Finance Ireland Leasing SISgate Pro Traction Finance Verity Financial Consultants Ltd

Fitness

Infinity Hot Yoga Ltd K Leisure

Food & Beverage

Hospitality

Bergin Family Butchers Coghlans Artisan Bakery Ely Wine Store Firecastle Indie Spice Grill Kavanagh’s Bar Lemongrass Lock 13 Brewpub Rustic Kitchen Urban Kitchen Wine Lab

Hotel

33 South Main Street

Palmerstown House Estate & Golf Club

O’Brien Fine Foods Queally Group

Osprey Hotel The K Club The Westgrove Hotel Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort Barberstown Castle Clanard Court Hotel Court Yard Hotel Glenroyal Hotel & Leisure Club Kildare House Hotel Kilkea Castle Killashee Hotel Maudlins House Hotel Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort The Keadeen Hotel

Funeral Directors

Human Resources

Food Producer

Murphy Brothers Funeral Directors Oliver Reilly Funeral Directors

Gambling/ Bookmaking Lottoland Services Ltd

Garden/ Outdoor Area Supplier Sanctuary Synthetics

Gas Networks

Gas Networks Ireland

Government Agency

Eirgrid Plc IDA Ireland LEO Kildare Cill Dara Le Gaeilge Local Employment Service Network covering Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Leixlip & Athy

Health & Safety

Dulann Kildare Essential Health and Safety Training and Consultancy Ltd SeaChange Ltd Simplicity Technology Ltd. Zehnacker Ireland Healthcare Ltd

Healthcare

Adare Human Resource Management Albatel Ltd Kala Management Solutions Limited MHR Global Peninsula

Information Technology

Intel Kendlebell Naas Bokfink Hereworks Technology Limited INIT iPing IT Services ITM LeaconBI VEI Global Zinon IT Solutions

Inspection and Verification SGS Ireland Limited

Insurance

Arachas Corporate Insurance Brokers J F Dunne Insurances Dooley Insurances Murray Spelman Insurance & Finance

UPMC Kildare Hospital Elm Hall Nursing Home Homecare Solutions

Locksmith

Home/ Office Interiors

Elsatrans Ltd

Gannon Office Solutions Wall to Workstations Alena C Design T&I Fitouts Ltd Vyvyan Byrne Interior Design

KC Security Locksmiths

Logistics

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Maintenance

Action Chimney Escalator and Lift Services

Manufacturing

American Fruits and Flavors Ireland DAC Etex Group KDP Ireland MGS MFG Group Ash Technologies Atlantic Bitumen Labplan Lanogreen Minch Malt Profile Systems Rampower Ventac and Company Limited

Marketing

Elevate Marketing Salt Marketing

Mediation

Browne and Co Mediation

Medical

Blackberry Hearing International Medical Information Limited Magnet Medical Solutions

Mortgage Provider

EBS - Drumcondra Gerry Cuffe Financial Services Ltd

Office Space Provider Business Barn

Opticians

Crowleys Opticians

Pharmaceutical Pfizer

Photography/ Videography Frame It Productions Annalee Delaney Photography Celtic Photography Green Road Media & Film Media Milk Tadhg Nathan Photography Tony Gavin Photography

Print Solutions

EMS Copiers Managed Print Solutions Character Print Solutions Printscan Support Services Ltd Punctual Print

Product Sourcing Made Personal Sweetspot Sourcing

Property Management

HouseLet Property Management Naas Property Management

Public Relations

Big Picture Communications

Quantity Surveyor

Lambert Surveyors Limited

Racecourse

Solicitors

Hanahoe & Hanahoe Solicitors Moloney & Co. Solicitors Osbornes Solicitors Patrick J Farrell and Company Solicitors Stephen Walsh & Co. Solicitors

Sport

Kildare GAA Millicent Members Golf Club Naas Driving Range

StartUp Support MERITS

Steel Stockholders RFL Steel

Punchestown Racecourse The Curragh Racecourse Naas Racecourse

Taste and Nutrition Solutions

Recruitment Services

Telecomms

Clark Recruitment Flexsource Solutions/ CPL ISS Recruitment Osborne Recruitment Sparktel Teamworx

Removals

Oman-BeverlySmyth

Renewable Energy Green Generation Ltd

Retail

Colourtrend Kildare Village Newbridge Silverware Aldi Cross Retail Group Dalys Pharmacy Diamonds & Pearls Grey Cuckoo Farm Johnstown Garden Centre Larkfield Pellet Products Monread Fare (Lidon Group) Powell Precision Coatings SCÓN Vodafone

Security/ Security Systems

LiCrann CCTV Processing and Redaction Manguard Plus Safewatch Security Systems

Kerry

LogMeIn Ireland Ltd

National Broadband Ireland Ltd (Deployment)

Tourism

Celtic Horizon Tours Fairways and FunDays

Training/ Coaching/ Mentoring ActionCOACH Blue Sky Training Cenit Group Choice Training & Consultancy Ladybird Driving School Martinstown Lodge Rugby Academy Ireland Soft Skill Success Turas Nua

Travel Agency Freedom Travel

Voluntary group Naas Tidy Town

Warehouse Solutions Jungheinrich

Water Testing The Waterlab

Web Design

Signage Provider Element Creative

Excytech Fusion Marketing Graphedia

Solicitors

Wellness

Blasco Solicitors and Notary Public Coonan Cawley Solicitors Coonan Morgan Solicitors

Deep Health TherapyXperts

ISSUE 5 - March 2022

Upcoming Events Business Networking Lunch with guest speaker Eoghan Ryan, Director of Planning and Strategic Development at Kildare County Council

Ambassadors Lunch

at Kilkea Castle Corporate Partners Event June (Date tbc)

Wednesday 23rd March @ 12:30pm

Dáil Dinner

Social Evening

Tuesday 29th March @ 7pm

Wednesday 22nd June @ 5pm

Corporate Partners Event

Business After Hours event

HR Support Webinar

at the Irish National Stud & Gardens

‘Conflict & Dispute Resolution’

Thursday 21st April @ 5pm

Tuesday 6th September @ 9:30am

HR Support Webinar ‘Recruitment & Retention’

Tender Training Excellence Programme

Tuesday 10th May @ 9:30am

Thursday 29th September @ 9am

Chambers President Luncheon

at Naas Racecourse

HR Support Webinar

with guest speaker Bertie Ahern

‘HR & Employment Law Updates’

Thursday 12th May @ 12:30pm

Tuesday 29th November @ 9:30am

Hi-rel interconnection from Powell Electronics in Europe

Connectors, cables, value added assembly

Glenair Harwin Amphenol AB Connectors Positronic Quell Lemo Conesys and more… www.powell-electronics.eu