More expense for hauliers The four-year National Recovery plan will see carbon tax doubled from its current price of €15 per tonne to €30 per tonne leading to extra expense on the already struggling haulier. The carbon tax was introduced in the last budget, but over the next four years it will double and government officials believe that it will save €330 million to its overall savings. The Government has outlined that the increase will come by the way of a €10 increase in 2012 and a further €5 in 2014 bringing it up to the level that they want. The haulage industry have suffered a number of setbacks already this year and while the carbon tax is a blow, so to is the increase in VAT, which will make consumers buy elsewhere.
New road opens in West One of the last road projects of the year was officially opened as the Crusheen to Gort motorway will take half an hour off travelling times between Galway city and Shannon Airport. This latest motorway will be a huge boost to exporters sending cargo from Shannon Airport, while it is also expected to remove up to 10,000 cars from Gort on a daily basis. The new road built by SIAC/ Wills Bros joint venture will remove 8,000 to 10,000 cars from Gort daily and is expected to reduce travel time between Galway and Limerick by 20 minutes during peak hours. Transport Minster Noel Dempsey said the new road scheme "is a very, very good example of the positives in the country that we don't hear half enough about on a day-to-day basis".
New deal boost for Irish exports Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe has revealed that a new deal to lift trade barriers could benefit Irish exports by as much as Eur16 billion. The Irish government is currently in the process of signing of regulations that will give effect to the services directive here in Ireland, which will make it easier for businesses and consumers to buy services in the single market. Last year alone, Central Statistic Office figures state that Irish exports were Eur67 billion and through the new law this could rise by Eur13-16 billion a year. The Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe objective of the directive is to release the untapped growth potential of services markets in Europe by removing legal and administrative barriers to trade in the services sector. The simplification measures in the regulations will facilitate trade between businesses and for consumers in the single market by removing administrative and legal barriers.
Quarry firm goes into liquidation A provisional liquidator has been approved and appointed by the High Court to a quarry firm in Co Roscommon. The current economic climate is still playing havoc within the construction industry and other sectors connected to it including quarries and this is certainly not the first to go down this route, while unfortunately it probably won’t be the last. Hanly Brothers Ltd operated a quarry in Elphin, Co Roscommon where 45 people were employed, but following their failure to keep up with their repayments, the High Court Judge Ms Justice Mary Laffoy appointed Mr Tom Kavanagh of Kavanagh Farrell as provisional liquidator. The company with a registered address at Laragan, Drummullin Elphin Co Roscommon has carried out quarrying at the site since 1972. It provided materials mainly to local authorities and contractors in counties Roscommon, Longford, Leitrim. At is peak in 2007 it employed some 125 people and had a turnover of more than Eur17m.
NI firm wins shipping contract A company based in Co Antrim has announced that it has signed a deal with a shipping firm believed to be worth in the region of £6.5 million. Mivan specialises in construction work and it also have a cruise ship division where it concentrates on fitting out and upgrading the vessels. The company's director of business development, Stephen Mills, said: "We also have some repeat business with Princess Cruises, involving a major refurbishment on the Grand Princess, also in the Bahamas. It's a very demanding schedule, with a lot of work to be carried out in a two to three week period."
Danone contract win creates 15 jobs at PRL Group PRL Group today announced that it has added 15 additional jobs to its Irish logistics business having recently won the contract for the distribution of all Danone Group fresh dairy products to retail outlets throughout Ireland. The €45 million turnover PRL Group is one of Ireland’s leading distributor of frozen, chilled, ambient food and pharmaceutical products to retail outlets nationwide. Headquartered in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, PRL Group, currently employs 260 people at warehousing and distribution centres in Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork. The contract, which will see PRL Group distribute Danone products, including Irish consumer favourites Actimel, Activia, Danacol and Vitalinea, establishes PRL as the largest provider of chill supply chain solutions in Ireland. Company owners Michael Brannigan and Jack O’ Riordan say; “Despite the current environment we have successfully grown the business by providing very efficient and competitively priced supply chain solutions. Last year we appointed Eoin Stapleton, formerly managing director of Breeo Foods, as managing director. Having conducted a major re-organisation since then, we are now poised to expand and we anticipate significant further growth in our business in the year ahead.
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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS