2018 Awards Issue: Recognising Excellence in association with Construction Ireland

2018

AWARDS ISSUE RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE In association with Construc tion Ireland

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOCIAL HOUSING ENERGY & CONSTRUCTION

Leading The Way in Construction and Engineering Matheson’s Construction and Engineering Group led by Rhona Henry, specialises in the build out of capital projects, significant urban development projects, construction project finance and PPP, drafting and negotiating all forms of construction contracts and related documents. The group is distinguished by its specialism, its industry knowledge, extensive market experience and commerciality.

Matheson. The law firm of choice for internationally focused companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland.

For further information about our legal services, contact Partner and Head of Construction, Rhona Henry at rhona.henry@matheson.com, or your usual contact at Matheson.

Ireland Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year International Tax Review 2018 Winner, Eight Deals of the Year in M&A, Equity Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, Financial Services, Loans and Financing Finance Dublin Awards 2018 Ireland M&A Legal Adviser of the Year Mergermarket European M&A Awards 2017 Ranked Ireland’s Most Innovative Law Firm Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report 2017 Number One Ranked Irish Funds Law Practice acting for 29% of Irish Domiciled Investment Funds by AUM Monterey Insight Ireland Fund Survey 2017

Rhona Henry PARTNER D +353 1 232 2110

Nicola Dunleavy PARTNER D +353 1 232 2033

Garret Farrelly PARTNER D +353 1 232 2074

Peter O’Brien PARTNER D +353 1 232 2462

Kimberley Masuda ASSOCIATE D +353 1 232 2798

Liz McCann ASSOCIATE D +353 1 232 2116

Ruadhán Kenny ASSOCIATE D +353 1 232 2411

Eva Baumgart SOLICITOR D +353 1 232 2026

www.matheson.com

AWARDS ISSUE

the

the magazine for public sector providers & decision makers

In association with Construction Ireland

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SOCIAL HOUSING, ENERGY & CONSTRUCTION AWARDS ISSUE 2018

Public Sector Magazine 1

2016 2018 A Devlin Media Publication

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Contact Details Kerry County Council, Rathass, Tralee, Co. Kerry Ph: 066 7183500 Email: info@kerrycoco.ie

www.kerrycoco.ie 2

OUTRIGHT WINNERS 8%

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 KCC Architectural Architectural Services

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Conference Facility Services

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Croke Park Meetings & Events made it three in a row in 2018 picking up the “Best In-House Event Team” for the 3rd year running at the Event Industry Awards. Recognising the in-house Events Team that best “demonstrated extraordinary teamwork and going the extra mile to wow their target audience”, the “Best Event Caterer” and “Best Conference” awards also went to Croke Park.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Croke Park Stadium

An iconic Dublin landmark, Croke Park is the beating heart of Irish sport, culture and business events. Located in the heart of Dublin city, the venue is just 15 minutes from Dublin Airport and 5 minutes from the city centre.

Croke Park offers meeting and event planners a total solution in a sustainable venue that includes catering, AV, entertainment, HD WiFi, unique time out activities and 4-star hotel accommodation at The Croke Park Hotel.

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Excellence in Conference Facility Services to the Public Sector

remained fairly resilient through turbulent market times.

Despite boasting every possible amenity, Croke Park Meetings & Events started a journey of reimaging their meetings and event spaces including the upgrade of their digital and network infrastructure in 2015 and has since redesigned and relaunched the venue and delivered on ambitious business targets.

As business has developed the venue now attracts more international corporate and association business, so demand is high and sometimes the biggest challenge is securing availability!

With 110 meeting and event spaces, the venue can cater for a board meeting for 10, or a reception for 2,000 and the campus combines more unique attractions, tour and time out options than any other venue including the Ericsson Skyline, rooftop abseiling and stadium tours. 600 free on-site car parking spaces is a huge advantage when catering for a local or domestic audience and for those using public transport, the venue is only 5 minutes from Drumcondra train station and 15 minutes to Connolly rail and LUAS. Croke Park is a recognised trail blazer in sustainability best practice.

It was the first stadium to obtain certification to the international Environmental Standard ISO 14001:2015 and the ISO 20121 for Sustainable Event Management Systems and has maintained 0% waste to landfill for the last four consecutive years. The team continue to innovate with new initiatives including compostable coffee cups, no to single use plastics and their latest call out to event organisers to consider paperless meetings.

Croke Park delivers high density, high quality connectivity to events with large delegate numbers or bandwidth-hungry streaming media.

Clients can host the most tech-intensive event at Croke Park with the assurance of a high-performance internal backbone to guarantee reliability. This ultra-fast HD WiFi infrastructure can support more than 27,000 people or 40,000 devices simultaneously which was a first for venues in Ireland.

The main public sector events catered for at Croke Park are conferences and meetings. The range of event spaces means the venue can cater for large conferences for up to 800 theatre style or smaller meeting or break-out sessions. Onsite catering is of exceptionally high quality with menus to suit all tastes and occasions including healthy options.

Given the size of the sector, public sector business is very important to the meetings industry. The not-for-profit sector is responsible for over 40% of Croke Park Meetings & Events business and has

Sinead Heneghan, Croke Park Meetings & Events

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A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK Global Property Advisors www.savills.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Estate Agency Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Savills Excellence in Estate Agency Services within the Public Sector

At the forefront of the Irish Property market for more than 50 years, Savills Ireland is a full-service real estate advisory firm, with offices in Dublin, Cork, and Belfast.

Through their parent company Savills Plc., the company’s international network extends to 700 offices and associates and over 30,000 staff in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.

Savills Ireland provide a full-service property advisory service to the public sector in Ireland including sales, acquisitions and valuations, in addition to the provision of property management and planning and development advice.

Mark Reynolds, Director, Savills Ireland, says that working with the public sector is an essential part of Savills service offering and has enabled the company to work on some of the most exciting property development projects in recent years.

The Savills Public Sector team consists of leading individuals who have a strong track record and knowledge of working within and for the public sector. Over several decades, the team has built strong relationships with key departments of public office, delivery agencies, housing associations and other regulated bodies.

“We offer first class property and management consultancy advice to the public sector. Our service draws on Savills’ ‘best in class’ expertise and an established market presence in residential, commercial and land markets. Our team also has detailed understanding of the procurement process, and we are associated with several national property advisory frameworks,” explains Reynolds.

The public sector team is responsible for the analysis of regulatory, political and procedural issues of relevance for clients, in order to help take advantage of opportunities to generate income, drive efficiencies and develop capital value. The team also acts as a knowledge hub within Savills to drive forward best practice, value and quality of service to clients.

Reynolds continues: “We advise a wide range of clients on property acquisition, occupation and ownership strategies, asset management, regeneration, planning, development, disposal and property management. We have in-depth knowledge of local and national property markets throughout Ireland, and in-house expertise on every Irish property sector.”

A top-notch firm with a highly experienced team, Savills Ireland consistently deliver exemplary service to their clients and as such they are deserved winners of the Excellence in Estate Agency Services to the Public Sector Award, 2018.

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At Sigmar, our focus is on finding the perfect fit for your team and providing quality and value at every stage of the recruitment process.

Our Public Sector recruitment team is trained in the CPSA Codes of Prac�ce and consists of qualified occupa�onal assessors, Prince2 project managers and Public Sector recruitment specialists. Sigmar is a CPSA approved recruitment agency.

- Our staff are fully trained in accordance with CPSA standards in recruitment and selec�on by the former head of the Public Appointments Service - Appointed execu�ve assessment panellist to the Public Appointments Service in 2015 (only agency in Ireland) - First approved recruitment agency by the Commission of Public Sector Appointments in 2015

We recruit for all areas of the Irish Public Service:

- Civil Service - Defence sector - Education sector - Justice sector - Health sector - Local authorities - Non-Commercial State Agencies (NCSAs)

- We have managed 100+ public sector recruitment campaigns throughout Ireland - Winner of over 45 awards for recruitment excellence and workplace culture

For a confiden�al discussion on how we can assist you with your next hire, please call Naomi on +353 1 4744675, email ncoleman@sigmar.ie or visit www.sigmar.ie/public-sector

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Recruitment Agency, Public Sector

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“Our specialist consultants recruit for temporary, permanent and contract positions across the following areas: accountancy, aviation, banking & financial services, construction & property, engineering & manufacturing, HR, insurance, IT, legal, life sciences, marketing, multilingual, office support, sales and supply chain. We also have a Managed Services Division which allows us to provide our clients, both public and private sector, with fully outsourced professional recruitment services in a project capacity.”

Clients range from state bodies to leading blue chip organisations to local SMEs - each one accustomed to exceptionally high standards of service and a no-nonsense approach to recruitment. “We are dedicated to providing the correct solution to our clients, not just the quickest. This honest approach to recruitment has led to Sigmar achieving ‘Best Large Recruitment Agency in Ireland’ two years in a row at the National Recruitment Federation Awards.”

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Sigmar Recruitment Consultants Limited

Sigmar Recruitment has won over 40 awards for recruitment excellence and workplace culture including HR Supplier of the Year at the HR Management & Leadership Awards 2018, Best Client Service at the Recruitment International Awards 2017 and now Best Recruitment Agency to the Public Sector.

Since 2002 Sigmar Recruitment has scaled to become Ireland’s largest organically grown recruitment consultancy and one of the most respected in Europe. “We are a team of 120 exceptionally talented people who have immense pride in all we do across our centres of excellence in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Tralee,” enthuses Naomi Coleman, Head of Public Sector Recruitment.

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adhere to the codes of practice established by the CPSA.” The independent structure of the Public Sector Recruitment Division ensures exclusive allocation of resources, allows for independent governance of processes and exclusive candidate acquisition through an independent ATS to ensure the integrity and compliance of the competition. Sigmar’s track record in working with public sector organisations, its extensive knowledge of the candidate and employment landscape and the robustness required when managing such projects, combined with their public sector recruitment training, puts the Sigmar team in a strong position to support any public sector organisation with its recruitment plans.

According to Coleman Sigmar has managed over 100 public sector recruitment campaigns in Ireland and “our history in supporting clients within the public sector is unprecedented by any others in the industry. We continue to improve our recruitment capabilities across all areas to make sure we adapt and change to the ongoing developments within the sector. We regularly train our teams on latest policies in accordance with the CPSA and ensure rigorous document control with all candidate files.”

Sigmar offer tailored service solutions including: • • • • • • • • •

Public Sector and Semi-State Executive Search Public Sector Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Panel Interviewing Specialists On-site Recruitment Specialists Graduate Programme Design and Execution Assessment Centre (individual and group) Design and Delivery Advertised Search Employer Branding Psychometric Testing

Ms Coleman says that the public sector is so important to Sigmar that they have established a dedicated Public Sector Recruitment Team within the Managed Services Division.

“Sigmar has had long standing relationships with public sector clients since our establishment in 2002,” explains Coleman. “We feel we play an important part as a result in supporting the government by developing a transparent and open national recruitment process. We appreciate the sensitivity around recruitment within the public sector and the costs associated with taking new people on to a team. These processes are under scrutiny of not only the public but also the press, therefore, we endeavour to provide the best quality service at all times.

Sigmar’s Public Sector Recruitment Consultants are fully informed and

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THE RUTL AND CENTRE

SEE BEYOND ADDICTION

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rutland PANTONE 220-1 CVS centre PANTONE 214-6 CVS

The people we help are typically in employment, self-employed or business owners. They are usually married or in relationships and living in a stable environment. So don’t let misconceptions about addiction stop you from seeking help if you need it.

At the Rutland Centre we offer a safe, confidential treatment service.

So if you, or someone you love, is living with addiction and needs help, call us today on (01) 494 6358 or email info@rutlandcentre.ie for more information.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in provision of Health Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Rutland Centre Excellence in Health Services, Addiction

Established in 1978, the Rutland Centre is a registered charity that has been providing independent addiction treatment services to people in Ireland for 40 years.

in the addictive behaviour across the days and weeks. Addicts can often begin to feel shame and guilt related to the activity but continue to indulge in the destructive behaviour regardless.

Approximately 400 people per year are now treated at the Rutland Centre in Knocklyon in Dublin for behavioural and substance addictions including: alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex and food. Alcohol is the leading addiction the centre treats with over 90% of those who attend the Rutland Centre receiving treatment for alcohol addiction.

Financial problems frequently arise as a result of excessive expenditure on their addiction and addicts can start to withdraw from relationships at work or with family or friends to engage in the activity and perhaps start to associate with new friends where the behaviour is acceptable.

Addicts will also attempt to hide the gambling, drinking or drug taking from colleagues, family or friends.

According to Chief Executive Maebh Mullany, the Rutland Centre’s addiction treatment and rehabilitation programmes are based on solid, scientific research and exacting patient follow-ups.

“For all addictions, including drugs and alcohol, the Rutland Centre’s treatment philosophy is based on abstinence,” she says, “Clients seeking treatment at the centre will need to have ceased using the substance or engaging in the addictive behaviour for approximately five days before being admitted to the centre for treatment.”

As part of its 40th anniversary, the Rutland Centre launched Recovery Month, an annual awareness campaign aimed at reinforcing the view that people with addictions can recover when they receive the proper support and when they resolve to take the steps needed to get better. It is also stressing the importance of recognising the tell-tale signs of addiction in friends and family.

This year’s ‘Recovery Month’ campaign, entitled ‘Give Recovery a Voice,’ saw people from all walks of life sharing their experiences of addiction and recovery through the Rutland Centre’s website and on its social media channels.

“Our aim with Recovery Month is to help break the stigma associated with addiction by providing people most at risk with the support and confidence to live their lives in recovery,” says Mullany.

“These brave people shared their stories to give hope and guidance to the hundreds of thousands of families and communities throughout Ireland who are affected by addiction today.

“Christmas is one of the most difficult times for people in active addiction and recovery and we are now preparing to put structures in place so people in need have some support during this time.”

Common signs of addiction include a preoccupation with the addictive behaviour, thinking about it more often and finding more ways to engage

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This year, the Rutland Centre marks its 40th anniversary - a period which has seen over 10,000 patients treated for all kinds of addictions ranging from alcohol and drugs to food, sex, and gambling. Up to 80% of patients are seeking treatment for alcohol addiction and the centre has a formidable track record in helping addicts to transform their lives by providing the highest quality of research based treatment and aftercare.

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Mood swings, tension, stress, unhappiness and depression as well as an inability to stop the addictive behaviour despite best efforts are also patterns commonly associated with addiction. There are numerous indicators which may point to an addiction and Mullany says we need to be aware of these signals in people close to us.

“Addiction is a huge problem in organisations and communities throughout the country,” she says.

“Everybody will most likely have a colleague or a family member who is affected by addiction and the signs and symptoms can be similar for most addictions. It is important to be aware of these signs and to look out for them in colleagues, family members and friends.

“Addiction can and does affect all types of people, families and communities.

We need to challenge the perception that addiction only happens to someone else because that will actually prevent a person or their family asking for help.

“If we can open up the conversation about addiction, and let people know that there is no judgement and that recovery is possible, then it may help more people who are currently living in situations from which they see no escape.”

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An integrated solution for the effective management of Governance, Risk and Compliance Use CalQRisk to: •

Establish and maintain Risk Registers across multiple Directorates / Departments

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Monitor your Annual Service Delivery Plan and Strategic Plan

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Demonstrate sound Corporate Governance

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Monitor your compliance position against relevant standards and key pieces of legislation

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and much, much more… some of our clients include

Visit www.calqrisk.com or call us on 061 477 888 to learn more

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Enterprise Risk Management

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 CalQRisk Excellence in Enterprise Risk Managment

CalQRisk was created in response to the lack of integrated governance, risk & compliance solutions in the market.

While a number of software packages existed which fulfilled one or other function, there were none which provided a comprehensive, all-encompassing solution capable of responding to the myriad of needs identified by clients. As a result, CalQRisk was created.

Established by Paul O’Brien and Gerard Joyce, CalQRisk has developed a complete governance, risk and compliance software application which enables small, medium and large organisations to collect, store and report on all aspects of risk and compliance with obligations and adherence to good governance practices. Based on the principles of best international standards, CalQRisk helps organisations to identify, assess and manage their risk and control environments. CalQRisk has now garnered international recognition in the Global Risk Awards as well as being shortlisted for several other awards in the GRC sector.

“If you have an objective and know the risks that threaten the achievement of that objective, we help to identify the controls and mitigation actions that will mitigate the risks and make them visible,” says Paul O’Brien, Managing Director. “The public sector is incredibly complex in risk terms. The service plan of a local authority, for example, has many objectives, resource demands, compliance requirements and reporting deadlines. There is so much to do and much that can go wrong. CalQRisk helps people to manage risk and confirm relevant compliance as part of their daily work.”

The public sector - where governance is guided by the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and informed in risk terms by the ISO31000 risk management standard – is a key market for CalQRisk. “Working with public sector clients is important for us; on the governance side the updated code is interesting and the diversity of the risk environments is challenging,” says O’Brien. “The complexity is both within and across organisations and we describe the public sector as an ecosystem where there is a lot that is common yet vast amounts that are unique to organisations.”

useful to offer the sector,” comments O’Brien.

In addition to the software, CalQRisk also offers a range of related services such as risk management training, risk register reviews, BCP reviews, desktop walkthroughs, and audit and risk committee participation.

The company recently won a four-year tender with Cork County Council and is responding to more interest from other local government agencies. In the second quarter of this year, Version 5 of the software was released. This saw a significant step up in the appearance and usability of the software. According to O’Brien, the development is continuously informed by the growing public sector client base and further enhancements are planned in this regard.

“One of the key focus points for us in the next release is reporting and making the reuse of existing GRC efforts easier to integrate with the application,” he says.

Paul advises any organisation that is managing complexity and looking for an intuitive application to bring together: spreadsheets, SharePoint or a cluster of disconnected processes for managing risk, compliance and the associated controls, to contact CalQRisk.

“Managing governance, risk and compliance across the organisation is a huge challenge and will take time and effort. CalQRisk grows on you and with you and eases your burden, where resources are limited,” he says.

In economic terms for the company, satisfying clients in the public sector is very important.

“Our mission is to address the needs of people who care about GRC, making them advocates of our solution and retaining them as clients for the long term. We are obviously delighted to have won the public sector magazine award and to be recognised for having something unique and

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CONSTRUCTION LAW Established in 1825 in Dublin, Ireland and with offices in Cork, London, New York, Palo Alto and San Francisco, more than 670 people work across Matheson’s six offices, including 86 partners and tax principals and over 440 legal and tax professionals.

Matheson services the legal needs of internationally focused companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland.

A measure of Matheson’s success and global reach is evident from the fact that it counts among its clients over half of the world’s 50 largest banks, 6 of the world’s 10 largest asset managers and 7 of the top 10 global technology brands. It has also advised the majority of the Fortune 100.

In Ireland, the construction industry is a vital sector for Matheson which has been involved in some of the most significant developments to have taken place in recent years. Led by Rhona Henry, Matheson’s Construction and Engineering Group is comprised of two multidisciplinary teams with the specialist knowledge and legal skills that are required to service the advisory and dispute resolution needs of clients in the construction and engineering sectors. The Group is recognised for its delivery of focused and strategic advice that is dedicated to meeting the needs of their clients.

“We have a number of attributes which are prized by our clients,” says Rhona. “We have the benefit of a unique and invaluable expertise encompassing a senior associate, who is a registered architect (RIAI) and assigned certifier and we are not aware of our competitor teams having this kind of industry expertise.”

“In terms of specialist construction expertise, we have market leading experience and capabilities in facilitating complex forward purchasing arrangements and solutions and we also have a proud track record in crafting procurement strategy solutions which facilitate a fast pace of development.”

The Group also specialises in construction and development lending and routinely acts on behalf of large financial institutions to secure funding arrangements for large capital projects.

The growth of the construction industry continued apace throughout 2018 and it has proved to be an extremely rewarding year for Matheson which secured key developer/sponsor mandates across the largest transactions in the state. The Group is currently acting on behalf of a property development company in relation to its involvement with Dublin Landings, a mixed use development of enormous strategic significance at North Wall Quay, Dublin. Dublin Landings is adjacent to the recently opened Central Bank of Ireland building on North Wall Quay and it comprises up to 10 per cent of all of the development land available in the Dublin Docklands Strategic Development Zone. It is designed to incorporate over 600,000 square feet of office space, 270 luxury residential apartments and landscape gardens as well as amenity spaces

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including roof gardens and terrace, a hotel, a gym and city streets (capex circa j300 million).

The Group is also acting on behalf of a US developer in relation to a residential, retail and hotel/student accommodation development in Dublin with a capex of j1 billion and it is representing a large multinational corporation in relation to the largest real estate transaction of 2018, the purchase and development of a scheme in Dublin Docklands. The total scheme will comprise residential, retail, office and cultural space and will have room for 2,500 workers.

The Group is frequently sought to advise on complex projects and is currently advising a property developer which is a second stage bidder for the redevelopment of a site to develop a world class dynamic quarter by transforming the historic industrial buildings into new and vibrant spaces for the new community.

It is also advising a multinational investment bank on the acquisition and fit out of a 12,000 sq metres office building in Dublin’s south docks development and it has been retained by a large developer to provide advice on the development of a bespoke purpose built warehouse facility in a Dublin business park (capex j17.95 million).

Multinational companies in Ireland regularly avail of the Group’s counsel and it is currently providing advice on the acquisition and fit out of a six storey over double basement prime city centre location office block (172,000 sq ft). While another prominent multinational has sought advice in relation to the acquisition and fit out of a landmark city centre building (51,000 sq ft) in Dublin.

Others include a large multinational biopharmaceutical company which has sought advice in relation to the redevelopment of its Dublin facilities (capex j23 million) and a significant global healthcare player which it is advising in relation to the acquisition and fit out of one of its premises, and the re-development of an existing facility (capex j120 million).

It is also advising an organisation on the development of the national sports stadium and counselling a large dairy product cooperative on the development of a cheese factory.

Elsewhere, the Group is acting on behalf of a large financial institution in relation to a development loan facility in excess of j176 million for the development of a forest holiday village and it is also representing a multinational real estate developer in the financing of a j1 billion

OUTRIGHT WINNERS

Having enjoyed a prosperous 2018, Rhona is cautiously optimistic in relation to prospects for the construction industry in 2019. “As everyone is aware, there have been five years of consistent growth within the construction industry since 2012,” she says. “This year has been no different, with it being projected to grow by 14 per cent to j19.5 billion this year, according to an annual review

by Aecom Ireland.

“However, Ulster Bank Construction PMI plunged to 52.9 in October 2018 from 56.2 in the previous month, which is the weakest reading since March 2015.

Even if the pace of expansion is slowing down, overall there is a still a sense of broad optimism among clients, consultants and contractors that the industry will continue to grow in 2019.”

In terms of the key challenges facing the construction sector at present, Rhona points out that the recent adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will see major reform of current data protection legislation and drive significant changes in the construction sector. Notable amendments of particular importance to the construction industry are the appointment of data controllers, the updated procedures for responding to data breaches and the substantial punitive sanctions granted under the GDPR. “I have worked extensively with various entities in the construction sector as well as Deirdre Kilroy, partner in Matheson’s Technology and Innovation team, to ensure compliance with the GDPR,” she says. “However, this will continue to be a key challenge within the construction sector over the next few years. The GDPR is just the latest legislative development, other upcoming developments and potential challenges include the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill, the Home Building Finance Ireland Bill, and the Building Control Bill.”

there are several challenges and barriers which she says must be overcome in order to ensure the construction industry effectively catches up with the tech industry.

“There is a substantial initial cost involved in implementing some of the technologies in the construction industry.

It is entirely understandable that firms will need to investigate the product and confirm its commercial necessity and benefit before making such a considerable financial commitment,” she says.

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Strategic Development Zone development in west Dublin.

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Excellence in Real Estate Finance Services Construction Industry

AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 Matheson Ireland’s Leading Construction Law Firm

“All industry stakeholders need to be equipped with the requisite resources, know-how and experience to enable the transition. In our experience of advising on largescale international construction projects we have had widespread exposure to the employment of innovative technologies such as BIM and lean construction on construction projects, which in turn, has presented us with the opportunity to develop specialist expertise in the implementation of legal frameworks to support the operation of these technologies.”

“As the employment of digital technologies becomes more widespread, the industry as a whole will naturally become more familiar with the methods of each initiative and consequentially an increased confidence and reliance on technology will emerge. To reach this stage each individual technological advancement must follow the same path towards the breakdown of traditional means of operation and familiarity achievement. It is natural that the construction sector will be slow, or reluctant even, when replacing current norms with new technological systems until they can see concrete benefits justifying the implementation.”

Rhona also cites the recently published National Development Plan which caters for enhanced infrastructure in response to an anticipated population increase expected to result in a demand for approximately 660,000 more jobs and 550,000 more homes. “Consequently, Ireland is faced with a challenge to ensure its cities remain open, accessible and attractive places in which to live and do business. In response to this, a focus on the development of brownfield sites located in suburban regions of Irish cities and townlands is expected,” she says. “ The development of brownfield sites represents a desirable solution to the issue, as it offers affordable potential construction sites in areas surrounding prime locations where planning permission applications are more likely to be successful and less onerous.”

Technical Innovation and Digitalisation will also continue to act as a disruptive force and Rhona is hopeful that the constant stream of technological advancements will continue to benefit the construction industry. However,

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Supporting Local Authorities The Local Government Management Agency is a national centre of excellence, which provides and coordinates a range of service supports required in the local government sector.

The focus of the Agency is to assist the local government sector to deliver a range of services in an effective and efficient manner to the overall benefit of the public.

www.lgma.ie 01 633 2200 info@lgma.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Local Authorities

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 LGMA Services to Local Authorities

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) is a state agency that provides a remarkably wide range of supports and services to the 31 local authorities including Programme Management, Industrial Relations and Human Resources advice; Research and Innovation, Digital Services and Libraries Development.

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) is a state agency that provides a range of supports and services to the 31 local authorities. “We support reform in the local government sector and operate as a shared repository of best practice providing research and specialist expertise to the sector,” says Paul Dunne, LGMA Chief Executive.

Working in partnership with city and county councils and their staff, The LGMA provides advisory and management services to local authorities to help them in carrying out their activities. Broadly, the LGMA provides services in five main areas:

The Programme Management Division provides advice on the business needs of the local government sector and works to build sectoral approaches to meet those needs, including through the development of shared services. Examples of successes include the MyPay system in use across the local government sector, the Building Control Management System and the establishment of Climate Adaptation Regional Offices.

The Industrial Relations and Human Resources Division provides specific services including guidance, advice and support to local authorities. “We also act on behalf of the sector in national negotiations,” adds Dunne.

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“I think it is important to highlight just how much local authorities contribute to public services in Ireland. Whether it’s housing, economic and enterprise support, roads, traffic, planning, fire services, environment services, recreation and amenities, and community development initiatives, our citizens engage with the services, infrastructure and policy programmes delivered by councils on a daily basis.”

The Research and Innovation Division is charged with investigating future sectoral needs and developing strategy and policy for the sector. The Division is also responsible for communicating the achievements and promoting the work of the local authority sector.

Libraries Development is the national advisor and development agency for public libraries in Ireland, providing advice and assistance to library authorities throughout the country.

And finally, the Research and Architecture team develops, supports and maintains several systems in use across the local government sector, including the Register of Electors; the data gathering and processing system, LGReturns; and other shared digital services such as the travel and subsistence claims system.

In addition, the LGMA also supports local authorities in the areas of finance and procurement, for example managing national IT contracts and enterprise agreements for the sector.

The LGMA additionally provides support to the County and City Management Association (CCMA), a representative body for local authority chief executives.

“The LGMA remit is entirely focused on the local government sector,” says Dunne, “It’s a crucial sector for all of society; local authorities provide a wide range of services that affect the daily life of everyone in their communities, and we help them to do that in the best and most efficient way possible.”

The LGMA have a range of projects on-going at any time. Right now, housing is a major focus for the local authority sector and the LGMA are supporting delivery in that area, through engagement with relevant government departments and other stakeholders, conducting research and gathering data to guide on best practice approaches.

“We are also about to go to tender on a major new housing system that will be used by the entire local government sector,” says Dunne.

The LGMA have just developed a new Local Authorities People Strategy, which sets out a roadmap for the management of human resources in the sector. Dunne and his team hope that this will ensure a motivated and

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committed local authority workforce equipped to provide optimum standards of service delivery.

“We have been working on a new E-Planning system, which will allow for the submission of planning applications and appeals through an online portal. A great deal of work has gone into that project, so it’s great to see it about to move to pilot phase,” says Dunne.

Some other examples of emerging projects include the development of a catalogue of the services carried out by local authorities; research and new policies in the area of cyber security; and, a new E-invoicing project to support local authorities in adhering to their obligations under the new EU Directive coming in to force this year.

The recently launched Public Libraries Strategy, ‘Our Public Libraries 2022 - Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities’ is a joint initiative of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the LGMA. The strategy aims to increase library membership significantly and support the rollout of open access and fine-free lending.

That is just a flavour of the activities the LGMA are involved in, the span of what they do is remarkably broad and they are involved in a huge range of areas.

Foremost in Dunne’s mind is recognition of the local authorities. “I think it is important to highlight just how much local authorities contribute to public services in Ireland,” emphasises Dunne, “Whether it’s housing, economic and enterprise support, roads, traffic, planning, fire services, environment services, recreation and amenities, and community development initiatives, our citizens engage with the services, infrastructure and policy programmes delivered by councils on a daily basis.”

He goes on to add, “Sometimes that work and the responsibilities local authorities have can be taken for granted, simply because they do such a good and consistent job.”

Dunne is cognisant of the excellent work going on right around the country in local authorities, and is eager that council staff and others know that the LGMA is here to support them in doing that work, however they can.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Broadband Services

Specifically for the Public Sector, Virgin Media Business provides Broadband and Phone, Internet and Data Services, Voice and TV Services. Each of these areas can be customised to meet the particular needs of the business.

There are also specific sectoral offerings for Healthcare, Emergency Services, Education & Training, Government, and Local Authorities.

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Virgin Media’s Business Division helps organisations of all sizes transform their business, offering Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Mobile, Voice and TV solutions, powered by an advanced network and backed by 24/7 technical support. They provide services tailored to all sizes and types of business, grouping their offerings into SME, Medium, Enterprise and Public Sector customers. This allows Virgin Media Business to target its services appropriately for the business.

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Offering a whole range of customised services including connectivity, security, data protection, speed and support, Virgin Media picks up this year’s Public Sector Magazine’s ‘Excellence in Business, Broadband Services’ Award.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Virgin Media Business Ireland Excellence in Business Broadband Services

“One of the biggest Public Service Sectors we cover is in the health and social care sector,” says Rory Barrins, Public Sector Manager for Virgin Media Business, “Driving digital transformation for patient care will contribute to the delivery of improved patient care and build a more efficient and flexible working environment.” For this sector, reliable, secure internet for frontline services is absolutely critical. “We have the right mix of unified communications and the ability to share confidential data with confidence,” adds Barrins.

In the Education and Training Sector, Barrins believes finding the best way to educate digital natives is crucial. “It’s not just about shifting classrooms from exercise books to tablets, it’s about empowering children and making sure they’re safe on the internet,” she says.

Local and central government are under a constant pressure to keep

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“We at Virgin Media Business are experts in the Public Sector and one of the largest providers of networking services in Ireland.”

essential services running around the clock. Virgin Media Business can help here too, by improving communication and managing multiple sites in a different way.

“Virgin Media Business offers customers a truly unique set of services for the Public Sector,” says Barrins. She continues, “Because these services differ from our standard line-up of great products, they require a specialised customer support structure that blends local and national support for maximum efficiency and the best results. Our highly talented team’s advanced levels of training enable us to meet the demands of our customers 24/7.”

There are a vast number of services offered by Virgin Media Business. For internet, Virgin Media Business offers dedicated internet access, meaning a fully supported, secure and super-fast connection. This product also has an option to add Virgin Media’s security offering which means only the traffic that is wanted can enter or leave the network.

A large range of phone connection options, mobile plans and transparent fixed-cost structures make it easy to find a fixed or mobile solution that suits any individual business need and budget.

Virgin Media also has Ireland’s largest portfolio of Carrier Ethernet, perfect for public service providers needing a managed and secure connection between multiple sites.

“We have many highly trained and highly skilled staff with years of experience,” says Barrins. “Our team supports your business needs at all service checkpoints – from sign up, to detailed tech support, to billing. We deploy on going, proactive monitoring and troubleshooting to resolve problems. Our goal is to ensure that you always have an expert to answer questions about the service you receive.”

This certainly provides peace of mind, as does the fact that Virgin Media Business already has a strong track record in the Public Sector.

“We at Virgin Media Business are experts in the Public Sector and one of the largest providers of networking services in Ireland. In fact, we have helped build many of Ireland’s Public Service Networks and are used by most of Ireland’s public sector,” says Barrins. She also recognises that Public services IT has to adhere to procurement, delivery and service level frameworks together with data compliance.

“We’re confident that the sophistication and high capacity of our fibre optic network helps us deliver the highest levels of service to our customers,” says Barrins, “The scalability of our data services allows us to deliver Ethernet, Internet and phone solutions – including more options at a service level – with great efficiency. This matters to the Public Sector,” acknowledges Barrins

Virgin Media can also combine voice and data with SIP Trunking, perfect for call centres and operations across multiple sites; it’s cost efficient and offers advanced callhandling features.

An important matter for every business is security. “Virgin Media Business has designed the best Security System to suit your business or support your Security products,” says Barrins, “Bottom line, we help businesses of all sizes protect themselves,” she says. “A few affordable safeguards can bolster your digital defences, that’s why our security options are constantly updated and will detect and inhibit threats before you’re lumbered with a big problem.”

While it is important to have a wide range of services, Virgin Media Business also recognise the requirement for robust support offerings.

This is the peace of mind that every large organisation needs, and it looks like award-winners Virgin Media have it covered.

Available Wi-Fi solutions offer a fast, secure Wi-Fi experience that is easy to log on to and works with multiple devices.

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AWARD WINNINGLY BRILLIANT

1800 940 980 businesssales@virginmedia.ie virginmedia.ie/business /VMBusinessIreland /VMBusinessIE /company/virgin-media-business-ireland

Excellence in Business Broadband Services Virgin Media Business Ireland

PEOPLE FOCUS In 1989, Mayo County Council employed the first Arts Officer for the county. Since then, through a continued commitment to arts and culture, the County Council has expanded its support for and contribution to the on-going development of arts and culture throughout Mayo.

Mayo County Council is one of the largest local authorities in the country, serving a county of over 5,500 square kilometres and over 130,000 people, including communities on offshore islands.

The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture and environment. The council employs over 1,000 people in the locality and is also responsible for local services such as water, sewerage, motor tax and tourism. Mayo has a long tradition of proactive support for enterprise ranging from large global companies through to indigenous small and medium enterprises. “We have had many successes and Mayo products can now be found in all corners of the globalised marketplace,” says Catherine McConnell, Director of Services.

“As a local authority, we provide an extensive range of services to our community, including the traditional services but, with new roles conferred on local authorities in 2014, Mayo County Council has a new emphasis on leading local economic, social and community development.

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“In relation to this award, the work of our Arts Office, our library network and our Community Engagement Unit (which encompasses social inclusion, community development, Mayo County Childcare Committee and Mayo Sports Partnership) as well as close cooperation with communities and groups through our Municipal District offices and staff supports a wide range of community, cultural and social initiatives, both big and small.”

According to McConnell, putting people first is at the heart of what they do – the vision being to make Mayo a place that is sustainable, inclusive, prosperous and proud. “Our continuing mission is to develop the team with the requisite culture, skills, drive and understanding to develop, communicate and deliver that vision. We are community centred and people focused.”

Engaging with communities at home and abroad is key to achieving goals. Work has begun to deliver a new Mayo.ie website which combines both MayoCoCo.ie and Mayo.ie into one overall site for the council that promotes life, business and well-being for all who

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Arts & Culture

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Mayo County Council Services to Arts and Culture Award

“In relation to this award, the work of our Arts Office, our library network and our Community Engagement Unit (which encompasses social inclusion, community development, Mayo County Childcare Committee and Mayo Sports Partnership) as well as close co-operation with communities and groups through our Municipal District offices and staff supports a wide range of community, cultural and social initiatives, both big and small.” live and visit Co Mayo. The fifth annual Mayo Day, a day dedicated to the celebration of the arts and culture, vibrant communities and the unquenchable spirit of the county will take place on May 4th 2019.

Mayo County Council will continue to maximise the benefits of Creative Ireland, the Government’s five-year initiative which places creativity at the centre of public policy by driving the implementation of Mayo’s five year cultural and creativity strategy for the county to continue to support festivals, projects and initiatives across the county. Large scale events such as Cruinniú @ the Barracks and Other Voices, Ballina were supported in 2018 and it is hoped to continue similar supports in 2019.

Ms McConnell says that her team “will continue to work to position Mayo County Council as the primary driver of social, cultural and economic development in County Mayo and to lead the promotion of Mayo as the optimum location for enterprise and investment. This will involve working to deliver our traditional services to the highest possible standards whilst simultaneously expanding our role in the new and developing areas of communication, networking, promotion, diaspora and tourism and community engagement.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Development Support

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Southern Regional Assembly Development Support Award

The Southern Regional Assembly established on 1st January 2015, is one of three Assemblies in the Republic of Ireland following on from the dissolution of the Border Midland and Western and Southern & Eastern Regional Assemblies.

The former eight regional authorities and two regional assemblies were consolidated under the government’s regional reform process under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 to form the Southern, the Northern and Western and the Eastern and Midland regions. The three Assemblies incorporate the functions of the former regional authorities and assemblies, with significant enhancement of powers, particularly in relation to spatial planning and economic development. The Assemblies are charged with preparing new Regional Spatial & Economic Strategies for their regions, a draft of which was approved and is due to go on public display in Q1 2014.

Services provided to the public sector: • Manage and monitor EU programmes of Assistance • To co-ordinate, promote and support strategic planning and sustainable development of the region • To promote effective local government and public services in the region, in conjunction with the National Oversight and Audit Commission • To prepare and oversee the implementation of Regional Spatial & Economic Strategies (RSES).

Acting Director David Kelly explains that the emerging Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy will provide the framework through which the National Planning Framework’s disruptive vison and the government’s policies will be delivered for the region.

“Combining this role with that of structural funds management provides a great opportunity to align the development priorities of the region with EU objectives and hence maximise the funding and investment opportunities for the region.”

Currently the SRA are finalising the Draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Southern Region to implement the National Planning Framework and economic policies of government at regional level. The RSES, when adopted by the members of the regional assembly will set out a 12-year strategic development framework for the Southern Region incorporating spatial and economic planning. It seeks to unlock the potential of the region while increasing its competitiveness and quality of life.

The First Draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy has recently been adopted by the regional assembly members to go out to public consultation. It will go on public display over the coming weeks and provides an opportunity for public deliberation on the strategy.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS City Council of the Year

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork City Council City Council of the Year

Cork City Council, serving a growing population of 126,500 is a key urban area poised for strategic and sustainable growth.

Cork City Council is a local authority that oversees the administration of Cork city, the country’s second city and a key urban area poised for strategic and sustainable growth under the Government’s Project Ireland 2040. “We serve a population of 126,500 but under the National Development Plan and coupled with a planned boundary extension, that population figure is expected to treble by 2040,” says Ann Doherty, Cork City Council Chief Executive.

Cork City Council serves citizens, businesses, potential investors and visitors to the city. It is at the centre of the public sector in the southern region and works in partnership with government organisations to deliver a SMART and successful city region with empowered communities, a resilient economy and a culturally vibrant and rich quality of life. Indeed, Cork has been chosen to be a part of the European Commission’s Digital Cities Challenge, a tailored programme of coaching and facilitation launched by the European Commission to help 42 cities develop and implement digital policies that can transform day to day life for residents, businesses, workers, and entrepreneurs.

Cork City Council’s social inclusion joint initiative with the HSE has become a model of good practice in interagency working. It is the first of its kind in the country and was aimed at curbing overlap in community sector service provision and ensuring better use of public funds. Supported by the joint initiative, Cork City is bidding for Rainbow City Status. Rainbow Cities are a network of cities where municipal and regional authorities have explicitly chosen to combat discrimination and who consider it their responsibility to protect and support their LGBTI citizens. “[Rainbow City Status] will be a huge international achievement in terms of our equality, diversity and inclusivity agenda”, says Doherty.

association with the Cork Education and Training Board and integration projects led by the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, NASC). There was great enthusiasm around the opening of a lettable co-working space for fledgling companies and start-ups in Cork City Hall this summer. Dubbed ‘COwoRK City’ this is more than a co-working space, it is a key part of Cork City Council’s innovation and entrepreneurship strategy and another great example of partners working together to build upon the strong start-up support ecosystem that has developed across the city in recent years. The CorkBIC Accelerator programme is the first client at the 4,500 square foot co-working space. The office space is being made available at a nominal fee to start-up micro-enterprises looking to develop their business idea before they graduate to other spaces around the city as they prepare to scale up. “The companies that secure office space also benefit from and have access to the onsite support of the Local Enterprise Office which is based in the adjoining main City Hall building. This project also demonstrates the council’s on-going commitment to spearheading the economic development of the city centre,” explains Doherty Last September, Cork City Hall hosted 600 international delegates at the third UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities Conference, a first for Ireland and Europe. The two previous conferences were held in Beijing 2013 and Mexico 2015. Cork City Council, supported by the CETB, UCC and CIT, successfully bid against 3 other European cities to host the conference because of the remarkable success of its Cork Lifelong Learning Festival.

The next few years look like an exciting upward trajectory for Cork City Council as they embrace new challenges as a growing city and spearhead innovative projects to benefit citizens, businesses, investors and visitors.

Development and management of social housing is a strong feature of Cork City Council and nearly a third of Cork City’s total housing stock of 56,845 houses are provided by the city council. The City Council have adopted innovative approaches to deliver additional housing units, resulting in a notable turnaround of previously vacant housing units and commencement of construction on numerous sites. Most noteworthy is the City Council’s use of the EU Competitive Dialogue Procurement Procedure, which has proven very successful in unlocking viable development opportunities more rapidly than traditional procurement models. “This procurement option is a model for other housing authorities facing similar challenges and its wider use across the state could speed up social housing provision”, advises Doherty.

As part of its Local Economic and Community Plan, ‘Pure Cork’ (developed with the Cork City Local Community Development Committee) Cork City Council has provided strategic and goal-oriented leadership around a variety of initiatives (including early years initiatives led by Cork City Childcare, lifelong learning projects led by the council in

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Local Government Road Safety Education Initiative Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Donegal County Council Local Government Road Safety Education Initiative Award

Safer roads for all users are a key priority for Donegal County Council who emphasise the responsibility that everyone has in saving lives on our roads.

Donegal County Council provides a wide range of services and supports to the community which include Housing, Roads, Planning, Cultural, Library, Environmental, Community supports and amenities and Economic development.

Donegal County Council plays a proactive role in the development of the County and as a vibrant and progressive Council, is made up of 37 elected members who work for the people of Donegal to develop sustainable, inclusive and prosperous communities in an effort to make the county a better place in which to live, work, relax and invest.

Road safety continues to play an integral role in this work and is a key priority area for Donegal County Council.

“Speeding is arguably one of the most common, if not the most common contributory factor in fatal road traffic collisions,” explains Brian O’Donnell, Road Safety Officer with Donegal County Council, “Speeding is also a particular problem for vulnerable road users being pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Their lack of protection means the risk of fatal injury increases substantially with increasing speed and the risk of serious injury starts at a lower impact speed than that for vehicle occupants.” There is no doubt that speed has been identified as a key risk factor in road collision injuries, influencing both the risk of a road collision as well as the severity of the injuries that result from collisions. Most people are aware that excess speed is defined as exceeding the speed limit, however inappropriate speed is defined as driving at a speed unsuitable for the prevailing road and traffic conditions. This is something that car drivers need to take into account when behind the wheel. Excess and inappropriate speed is responsible for a high proportion of the fatalities that result from road collisions. Controlling vehicle speed can prevent collisions happening and can reduce the impact when they do occur, lessening the severity of injuries sustained by the victims. The higher the speed of a vehicle, the shorter the time a driver has to stop and avoid a crash.

Before a vehicle comes to a stop it will have travelled a certain distance before the driver has reacted to the need to bring it to a stop and, even after the brakes have been applied, further ground will be covered before it stops. The actual “stopping” distance is therefore a combination of reaction distance and braking distance.

of the approximate distance needed before coming to a stop at various speeds.

SPEED

REACTION DISTANCE

BRAKING DISTANCE

TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCE

(50 km/h)

(9m)

(14m)

(23m)

(65 km/h)

(12m)

(24m)

(36m)

(80 km/h)

(16m)

(39m)

(55m)

(95 km/h)

(20m)

(52m)

(72m)

The table used is based on dry road conditions, a good car with good brakes, good tyres and an alert driver and is the shortest likely stopping distance. The stopping distance increases sharply if roads are wet or slippery, or if brakes/tyres are defective or if the driver is tired. “The basic rule that should be followed is to leave enough space between yourself and the vehicle in front so that you can pull up safely if it slows down or stops suddenly,” says O’Donnell.

Road traffic collisions are predictable and therefore preventable.

In order to combat the problem, though, there needs to be close coordination and collaboration, across many sectors and many disciplines. “While there are many interventions that can save lives and prevent serious injury, the assistance, will and commitment of all road users is essential and without this little can be achieved,” says O’Donnell. The message from Donegal County Council is clear: The time to act is now. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility.

The following table (which is purely illustrative) gives an indication

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Wicklow County Council Improving the quality of life for the people and communities of County Wicklow through sustainable development, efficiently delivered effective services, democratic civic leadership and co-ordination with other public, community and private organisations to optimise available resources

For more information see

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Community & Social Services

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CHAMPIONING WICKLOW

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Wicklow County Council Community and Social Services

In common with most areas, housing is the critical challenge facing Wicklow County Council which is sparing no effort in pursuit of its mission to improve the quality of life for the people and communities of County Wicklow through sustainable development, efficiently delivered effective services, democratic civic leadership and co-ordination with other public, community and private organisations to optimise available resources.

Wicklow County Council provides essential social, infrastructural, regulatory and promotional services to the citizens of Wicklow and has made a significant contribution towards enhancing the quality of life of citizens and communities in County Wicklow.

The authority is required by law to provide some services while others are provided to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors to the county. These services are provided in a complex, demanding and ever-changing environment. Customers require faster access to service delivery without compromise, which necessitates ongoing improvement.

The range of services are provided under a series of directorates, which include housing and corporate estate, community, cultural and social development, transportation, roads infrastructure, water and fire services, planning, development and environment and enterprise and corporate services.

Services include social housing, roads and infrastructure, fire services, water and environmental services, waste management facilities, arts and leisure infrastructure and support for community and economic development. The local authority also performs planning and regulatory functions for the benefit of citizens and in the interests of sustainable development of the county.

According to Michael Nicholson, Director of Services, Community, Cultural & Social Development, Wicklow County Council is committed to delivering high quality citizen centred, services and improving the quality of life for citizens in the region.

“Working for and with the community is an important part of the Community, Cultural and Social Development Directorate’s policy and the directorate’s aim is to provide a quality service to the community by identifying, developing and implementing policies and objectives which will aid in initiating and expanding the role of the local authority in the social, cultural and community development fields, and to improve the quality of life of the residents within identified areas in conjunction with other service providers. This is achieved through a partnership approach between community organisations and the direct participation of the local community.”

conjunction with Counties Wexford and Waterford) from Bray in North Wicklow to Youghal, Co. Cork.

Other projects which will help to boost the tourism sector in Wicklow is the Celtic Routes Project which is being undertaken in conjunction with county councils in Wexford and Waterford to develop tourist routes within the three counties. The development of Avondale House in conjunction with Coillte and Fáilte Ireland is another significant tourism related project for the region.

The promotion of tourism is a priority at Wicklow County Council and the county is well positioned to benefit from increasing tourism business with added leverage from Fáilte Ireland’s current Ireland’s Ancient East campaign.

According to Nicholson, County Wicklow is ideally located and there are many opportunities for those who wish to live, work and do business in the Garden County. “Wicklow County Council offers a range of business supports via the Economic Development Unit which includes the Local Enterprise Office. Assistance is available to SMEs and start-ups in addition to expanding and relocating businesses. A range of digital data and mapping services enable demographic data to be mapped through Geographical Information Systems as an additional business planning support.”

He further points out that the N81 national route serves the west of the county and the N11 / M11 corridor allows easy access to ports at Rosslare, Dublin, Arklow and Wicklow; the latter being designated as a port of regional significance while all of County Wicklow is within easy reach of Dublin Airport.

Wicklow County Council is currently working on the development of several walking routes around the county including Blessington Greenway, Arklow to Shillelagh and Wicklow Cliff Walk. Work is also progressing on the development of new library and archives in Wicklow Town and on a pottery museum in Arklow while Wicklow County Council is also involved in the development of a Blueway for water-based activities (in

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AWARD WINNING CUSTOMER SERVICE

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For more information visit the Dublin City Council website www.dublincity.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Service to the Public Sector

With a diverse range of services and an increasingly diverse population, the City Council is committed to customer focus in service delivery and since 2004, has implemented an operating model that provides customers with a dedicated Customer Service Unit as the first point of contact.

The Customer Service Unit currently comprises 35+ staff who are responsible for handling in excess of 200,000 telephone requests from customers annually, dealing with almost 40,000 visitors to the reception desks, processing approximately 80,000 customer payments per year, sending 40,000 emails and logging over 60,000 service requests relating to the full range of council services.

The ability to respond to an enormous range of queries relating to any of the 600 services offered by the City Council requires a unique set of skills including an extensive knowledge and understanding of the entire City Council and exceptional customer service skills.

The Customer Service Unit contributes directly to the smooth operation of the wider organisation and to the quality of the customer experience. Despite the volume and complexity of customer contacts, the unit succeeds in answering 80% of phone calls in under 30 seconds and successfully resolves two out of every three calls received at the first point of contact, transferring only the toughest queries to back-office specialists in other departments.

This means that staff in other departments can manage their time and resources with the minimum degree of interruption and ultimately to concentrate on delivering improved service response times to customers.

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Services delivered range from housing, culture and recreation to environmental services and climate action, from infrastructure delivery to economic and local community development.

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The City Council is the local municipal authority for Ireland’s capital city. With an elected Council of 63 members and a workforce of over 5,800, Dublin City Council delivers services to more than 550,000 citizens as well as to businesses in and visitors to the city.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Dublin City Council Excellence in Service to the Public Sector

with the Council’s Transformation Unit in enhancing and extending a customer-centric approach across the organisation. This approach is articulated in a new set of corporate plans and strategies focused on improving service delivery. The Customer Service Action Plan 2018-2020 and Customer Charter set out the standards of service customers can expect when dealing with Dublin City Council. The Annual Service Delivery Plan 2018 sets out performance standards and turnaround times for responding to customer requests in key service areas. The Channel Management Strategy provides a framework for making customer contact channels (phone, in person, written, online and social media) as efficient and easy to use as possible so that the public have access to services how, where and when they need them, with options that provide access for all.

Taken together, the initiatives in these plans are designed to put the customer journey at the heart of council services and their design, and have a particular focus on taking advantage of the opportunities provided by technology for more convenient and efficient service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of the Council Siobhan Brazil, Customer Service Manager said: “The City Council’s most recent success in winning the national Public Sector (Overall) Award 2018 sends a clear message to all our customers demonstrating our commitment to and focus on the continued delivery of world class customer service to the capital.”

To ensure that the Customer Service Unit is well positioned to maintain the high standards which have helped it win five Q-Mark Awards since 2010 (including the Quality Management Systems Award in 2018), the unit is continually engaged in improving both IT and staff training systems.

As part of ongoing internal transformation processes, the Unit is also a central partner

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INVEST IN MAYO FOR QUALITY INVEST OF LIFE.IN MAYO FOR QUALITY OF LIFE. Mayo, a place immersed in an ambitious culture of enterprise and business development.

The heartbeat of the Wild Atlantic Way and Voted ‘Best Place in Ireland To Live’ Utilising our energy resources and connectivity, Mayo a ‘place’ peopleinlike doing business.

Mayo,is a place immersed an ambitious culture of enterprise and business development.

The heartbeat of the Wild Atlantic Way and Voted ‘Best Place in Ireland To Live’ Utilising our energy resources and connectivity, Mayo is a ‘place’ people like doing business.

Mayo County Council would like to congratulate Brenton Saunders, CEO of Allergan for his CountyL.Mayo – a pro-business environment incredible tenure within his role. with a “can-do” attitude.

We wish him continued success into the future.

Mayo County Council wouldmany likecontinue to congratulate From indigenous success stories to major multinationals, to attract major Mayo isfor a platform From start-ups to major multinational companies, the business sector in multinationals.

Mayo is a keyCo priority well-known companies have chosen to locate in Mayo. A vast for connecting US for and European financial markets with the Brenton L. Saunders, CEO of Allergan his Mayo is already the location of choice for more Council through the pool of educated and talented workforce, world class business Mayo largestCounty sub-sea fibre opticand cable project in theEnterprise world. Mayo can infrastructure, linksCounty including freight, and air, & deliver for your Unit, company, to findtoout visit www.mayo.ie incredible tenure within his role. than 4,000 transport businesses.

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large or small scale, you will receive a pre-enterprise

From indigenous success stories multinationals, continue tofrom attract majorCounty multinationals.

Co Mayo is a platform natural resources andto amajor ready access to many welcome Mayo Council.

E:good invest@mayo.ie T:+353(0)94 904 7555 W: www.mayo.ie well-known companies have chosen to locate in Mayo.

A vast for connecting US and European financial markets with the Mayo County Council, Cedar House, Top Floor, Moneen, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. international Supporting growing pool of educatedmarkets. and talented workforce,and world class business largest sub-sea fibre optic cable project in the world. Mayo can infrastructure, transport links including freight, road and air, deliver for your company, to find out how visit www.mayo.ie

E: invest@mayo.ie T:+353(0)94 904 7555 W: www.mayo.ie Mayo County Council, Cedar House, Top Floor, Moneen, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Mayo County Council Excellence in Business Award

Make no mistake - Mayo is open for business, and determined to expand on its success to build a powerful economy on the Atlantic coast.

Mayo County Council’s Enterprise & Investment Unit (EIU) was established to source investment for, and maximise business growth in, Mayo. The Local Enterprise Office is central to the EIU’s unique client-based approach, and assists clients and prospective clients all the way from enquiry through to development. Managed by John Magee, Head of Enterprise, his team aims to attract investment into the county, assist indigenous companies to scale up and to support small businesses through its Local Enterprise Office.

John brings a breadth of experience and knowledge of the sector and has an excellent working relationship with many of the small businesses in the county. He has a strong background in the area, having spent 11 years with Mayo County Development Board, where his work overseeing the Board’s 10-Year Integrated Strategy included establishing initiatives such as Mayo Ideas Lab, Mayo Ideas Week and Mayo Science & Technology Festival. A key focus was also the fostering of a collaborative approach to inter-agency activity in the County.

The unit as a whole works towards the sectoral development of the county, focusing on key areas of potential growth for Mayo such as Broadband, Inward Investment and the Marine sector.

From start-ups to major multinational companies, Mayo is already the location of choice for more than 4,000 businesses. Major brands are well represented here, where Ballina Beverages manufactures the concentrates used to make fizzy drinks such as Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite. These are sold to bottlers on four continents who manufacture the final product for customers all over the world. The plant is a major employer in Ballina with a workforce of more than 400 people. As well as direct employees, the facility also uses the services of a number of contracting companies which employ a further 80 people at the Killala Road Facility.

Mayo combines a pro-business environment with a “can-do” attitude. County Mayo also offers strong business supports and networks, a highly skilled workforce and a clean, green location with good natural resources and a ready access to international markets.

“Our business has thrived in Mayo and we continue to invest in the development of our operation here. One of the surprise advantages of the location has been the great lifestyle we can offer employees – something which is becoming a real advantage in attracting potential new talent”, says John McGowan, General Manager, Ballina Beverages.

Another major employer in the region is Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland, a subsidiary of Allergan Inc. Its 12 hectare campus is home to two plants – a sterile pharmaceutical ophthalmic plant and a newer j275m biologics plant. Between them they employ 850 people and produce close to 800 million units of product a year. The campus also accommodates chemistry and microbiology laboratories plus R&D support activities employing over 250 highly experienced science graduates.

The Westport site is the largest in the corporation’s plant network and employs the largest concentration of people outside of its US HQ. The Westport site supplies products that account for more than 50% of the corporation’s total revenue.

It is not just huge companies that can benefit from all that Mayo has

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The Enterprise & Investment Unit welcomes the opportunity to showcase the many benefits of basing your business and doing business in County Mayo to offer. Mid-size companies such as Lionbridge, employing 120 at its Centre of Excellence of the world’s largest translation services provider or CBE which employs 120 and designs and develops software solutions for the retail and hospitality sectors have chosen to base themselves in Mayo, largely because of the talented workforce, the quality of life and the supports provided by the local council.

Supporting and growing the business sector in Mayo is a key priority for Mayo County Council and through the Enterprise & Investment Unit, it wants to let interested parties know that Mayo is open for business and whether large or small scale, you will receive a pre-enterprise welcome from Mayo County Council.

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An important focus right now for John Magee as Head of Enterprise for the EIU is the further enhancement of the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC), with the aim of creating a unified, connected and powerful Atlantic Economy. Mayo County Council through the Enterprise & Investment Unit will be a key driver of this 9-county collaborative initiative to drive interest in the west coast as a great place to live and work, and to attract further investment to the region.

“County Mayo is open for business”, says John Magee, “and central to that we have a Local Authority that is very proenterprise. The Enterprise & Investment Unit welcomes the opportunity to showcase the many benefits of basing your business and doing business in County Mayo.”

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Website & Social Media

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kerry County Council Best Website & Social Media

A strategically developed online presence provides many benefits. Accessible around the clock, a website and social media presence gives all hour’s access to the wider community as well as real time information in times of emergency.

Kerry County Council increasingly depends on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the provision and management of public facing and back-office council services.

The council’s IT service’s primary objectives are to provide and support the council’s ICT infrastructure (computers, laptops, tablets, printers, servers, networks, data storage peripherals and datasets) across the county, and their user base of over 900 which includes staff, elected councillors and via the library service – IT services also for members of the public.

Kerry County Council (KCC) also implement and support over 200 bespoke and third-party sourced business systems in use across the business units in Kerry County Council and increasingly, by the public.

Resilient networking links are in place in over 50 locations around the county and the IT Service in KCC has had to be resourceful in developing solutions to the topological challenges of providing business class network services across such a challenging county.

commemorative events, some of which were live streamed.

Social Media is also used to afford the public the opportunity to ‘Have Your Say’ as part of the council’s consultation processes.

Websites In 2018 KCC launched the third-generation of the main kerrycoco.ie website with an easier to use interface to the plethora of council information and services which can be accessed through the site.

In keeping with the public-sector IT strategy objective of increased digital services delivery, KCC’s website offers an increasing range of transactional services and encourages participation in decision making with ‘Have Your Say.’ The website is the main digital service channel but KCC develops, hosts or assists with a range of other websites developed by or with the council. Alerts.kerrycoco.ie for example is the main site for dealing with severe weather events and there are excellent mapping technology sites for activities as diverse as Planning and Tourism.

Social Media Together with the Communications and Customer Services Officer, developing and expanding use of social media has been a key objective, as both a means to inform and engage with the public.

Kerry Library also have a great “digital front door” at kerrylibrary.ie.

Social media has been of particular value in getting concise information to the public at times of severe weather.

Kerry County Council started using twitter back in 2009 and social media has been a key component in public safety messages going back to the big freeze of 2010, the winter storms in 2013/14 including Storm Darwin, the series of storms and flooding in 2015, through to more recent red-level weather events of Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Emma.

However, social media channels, (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) are used for many day-to-day service notifications as well, and to promote the very many cultural events taking place in the county, including the fantastic programme of 1916

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ENTERPRISING

Donegal

AN INNOVATIVE PLACE WHERE BUSINESSES ACHIEVE THEIR AMBITION

Contact:

michael.tunney@leo.donegalcoco.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Business Development

The LEO in Donegal is the national partner in the Enterprise Europe Network in Ireland and manages the project for the LEO/LA network. “This project which is funded by the EU under the COSME programme has the potential to be a significant support to firms after Brexit,” explains Michael Tunney, Head of Enterprise. “We also work to stimulate higher levels of entrepreneurship in the county and work with the second level schools on the school’s enterprise programme, the national initiative for young entrepreneurs – Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur and Enterprise Week.”

Tunney explains that LEO Donegal is involved in three further EU funded programmes around innovation and internationalisation.

“These projects provide a great opportunity to benchmark ourselves against similar support agencies in other countries, get new ideas on programme and approaches and also make you think more about what and how we deliver our services. We hope to use the findings of one of these programmes to deliver a new support to businesses in 2019.”

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Services include business information and advice, mentoring, training and management development programmes, facilitated peer learning and networking, access to grant aid and to the broader services of Donegal County Council. The LEO also delivers a number of sector specific initiatives such as the Food Coast and Creative Coast.

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The Local Enterprise Office Donegal (LEO Donegal) is the first point of contact for anyone thinking about or managing an existing business in Donegal. Operating for almost 25 years, LEO Donegal has considerable experience and expertise, offering a range of supports to individuals and companies setting up and running a business in the county.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Donegal County Council LEO Services to Business Development Consultancy Award

beneficial for our Diaspora and for Donegal,” explains Tunney.

In 2019 there are plans to deliver a new exporting/internationalisation programme aimed at getting more of client firms focussed on developing new export markets. According to Tunney, “what BREXIT is showing us is that we have been too reliant on the UK market and that we need to change our horizons beyond our neighbour. This is particularly so for our small and micro enterprises,” he says.

There is also an intention to pilot a new accelerator to attract new technology-based firms to Donegal and the northwest. “We have been working on this for some years so we hope that it will stimulate the creation of some new high-growth firms in the area. The unique aspect of the programme is its direct linking to VC funding.”

Tunney feels that there is a real need for more enterprises in the areas outside of Dublin and our other main cities. In this context the message he says is the need for the public sector to be flexible in responding to the needs of business and these areas – one size approach does not fit all. “These small firms are the lifeblood of local economies and polices and approaches based on Dublin-centric experiences are not appropriate to most of the rest of the country.”

LEO Donegal also works on developing and managing the Donegal Diaspora project which is key project within Donegal County Council.

The LEO has developed a number of new elements to the project over the past two years and has plans for additional activities and extended engagement in 2019. “This project is all about reaching out and communicating with our Donegal Diaspora worldwide of which there are over 4 million, with the vast majority in the USA. As we grow our network we hope to identify opportunities that will be both

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LoCall: 1890 202303 @louthcoco www.louthcoco.ie County Louth • Strategically located on the Dublin/Belfast Corridor • Euro Route Motorway • High Speed Rail Link • Modern Port facilities • Easy Access to Dublin and Belfast International Airports • Broadband Action Plan in place • Thriving urban centres in Dundalk and Drogheda • High Quality leisure and tourist facilities • Educational Centre of excellence

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Road Safety

Louth’s road safety policy is guided by the County Louth Road Safety Plan 2017 – 2020. It provides a co-ordinated, collaborative and consistent approach to improving road safety through ‘the four Es’: Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation. The Plan was developed by the multi-agency Road Safety Together Working Group, which is co-ordinated by the Road Safety Officer and includes representatives from Louth County Council, the Road Safety Authority, An Garda Síochána, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Louth Fire and Rescue, the National Ambulance Service and Louth and Meath Education and Training Board. The county’s Collision Prevention Programme Committee, meanwhile, brings together An Garda Síochána and local authority engineers in an effort to identify collision blackspots and to identify ways to make the roads safer.

The Road Safety Officer also works closely with the local community, including schoolchildren, teachers and parents. As part of this outreach, many of the schools have achieved success in national road safety competitions. A ‘Park ‘n’ Stride’ scheme in Dundalk also allows registered parents to park for free in participating car parks close to schools during specified periods. The council has also been instrumental in raising cycle safety awareness through the ‘Safe Cycling in County Louth’ initiative, which runs during Bike Week in June.

Road safety is also integral to the council’s development works. For example, the Clanbrassil Street improvement works in Dundalk includes plans to make the streets safer for pedestrians through widening and levelling footpaths and making sure that parking and loading areas are designed in line with best international practice. The wide-ranging urban design vision for the regeneration of the Westgate area of Drogheda also includes road safety elements. This includes works to widen footpaths, improve road and pavement surfacing, upgrade road and parking bay makings, facilitate pedestrian/cyclist-friendly areas and improve public lighting on the various streets in the area.

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The smallest county in Ireland, Louth is home to 130,000 people and two of the largest towns in the country – Drogheda and Dundalk. The busy M1 Dublin to Belfast motorway also runs through this vibrant little county. Road safety is hugely important to Louth County Council and it plays a vital role in promoting responsible road use among drivers, pedestrians and cyclists through direct community outreach and engaging social media campaigns.

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Louth County Council scoops the ‘Excellence in Road Safety’ award having adopted a multi-agency approach to tackle road accident rates through education, engineering, enforcement and evaluation.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Louth County Council Excellence in Road Safety Award 2018

A modern and forward-looking local authority, Louth County Council puts technology at the heart of everything it does, including road safety education. It uses Twitter to highlight road safety messages through engaging photos, graphics and calls to action.

Using the hashtag #LouthRoadSafety, the council draws attention to road safety issues such as speeding, dangerous parking, improper car seat installation and the risks of driving while tired, and shares recommendations and advice from the Road Safety Authority.

Picking up the Public Sector Magazine award for Excellence in Road Safety, Chief Executive of Louth County Council, Joan Martin said: “Louth County Council is working hard to promote road safety awareness through a collaborative approach with a wide range of stakeholders. We are delighted that our work has been recognised with this award. I would like to thank everybody involved in promoting road safety in the county, as well as the road users who are playing their part in ensuring the safety of all.

“The Road Safety Action Plan, along with our #LouthRoadSafety social media campaign, is a first step in promoting the importance of road safety in our county and highlighting the consequences of poor behaviour.” says the Chief Executive. She goes on to emphasise, “With the support of the community, and road users taking responsibility for their behaviour, we can all improve safety on our roads.”

Pictured; Adrian O’Sullivan - Road Safety Officer, Louth County Council and Joan Martin – Chief Executive, Louth County Council.

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COMHAIRLE CATHRACH CHORCAĂ?

CORK CITY COUNCIL To achieve, in a sustainable manner and in co-operation with other key stakeholders, an enduring and better quality of life and a robust local economy in Cork by

balancing the relationship between communities, economic development and environmental quality

Cork City Council, City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork, Tel: 021 4924000, Fax: 021 4314238, Email: corporateaffairs@corkcity.ie www.corkcity.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Regeneration Project

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Every city has pockets of underused and underutilised land or decaying urban areas. Breathing new life into old is the ideal way to expand the city without having to develop expensive greenfield sites, not to mention breathing new life into existing communities.

As part of the 2011 Regeneration Masterplan (to be implemented over a 12-year period), a major regeneration project was undertaken on the north side of Cork at Knocknaheeny. Leading global technology company Apple first put the area on the map when it opened the EMEA headquarters here - Apple’s first ‘campus’ outside of the States. Cork City Council’s recent investment in the area with improved housing and infrastructure has added to this success with Knocknaheeny now one of the areas on the housing list where there is a demand for second generation residents looking to come back. “They were born and raised here and this part of Knocknaheeny is now seen as one of the main housing quarters in the city where people want to be rehoused,” explains Director of Services, Brian Geaney.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork City Council

As Cork seeks to innovate and grow, it is further cementing its position on the global stage as a vibrant and energetic city with much to offer residents, investors, businesses and tourists alike.

One of the many challenges facing local authorities is not just the delivery of a vast range of services, but to continuously invest in social and infrastructural change. As Ireland’s second capital, and a city thriving in terms of international business and investment, Cork City Council has taken a proactive approach to regeneration in the city and the project in the city’s northwest is a prime example.

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Regeneration Housing Project Development Award

need to ensure affordability, access to facilities and involve local communities and residents so the Cork Masterplan is based upon the three pillars of regeneration, physical, social and economic.

According to Mr Geaney, it is the synergy between these elements which create success. “To create a truly successful urban area, which is the central Masterplan objective, requires focused and ongoing policy and operational interventions as well as physical development” Geaney says. The Cork project therefore also includes plans for the delivery of a social, economic and environmental plan over the life of the project, with measures including education, sports development, social enterprise and environmental improvements.

With over 100 homes made available, Cork City Council continues to work towards a brighter future for residents with the support of the DHPLG accelerating the delivery of new housing.

“The Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government (DHPCLG) is firmly committed to the successful regeneration of the Cork North West Quarter and has made a substantial investment to the masterplan for the regeneration of the area which will revive communities, create employment opportunities for local people, and improve the housing stock,” he says.

Successful

regeneration

projects

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The award-winning Cavan County Museum provides a gateway to Cavan’s past while helping to secure its future. As custodians of the relics of our past, the museum helps us better understand the present. The museum is so much more than artefacts lying on shelves gathering dust, but rather a living breathing tribute to a past that was once as real and as present as today.

Cavan County Museum is enthusiastically engaging with the Government’s Creative Ireland programme which aims to place culture and creativity at the heart of all sectors of Irish life. The museum also works with other sections in Cavan County Council to weave creativity into the fabric of everyday Cavan life.The museum is very much rooted in its locality of Ballyjamesduff, and the grand 19th century former convent building plays host to a wide range of cultural events throughout the year, with local artists and musicians displaying their talents.

Cavan County Museum is fully-accredited by the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland, and has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the world-renowned customer-review site TripAdvisor.

As an award-winning tourist destination, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually, Cavan County Museum also plays a key role in driving the local economy, attracting tourists from all corners of Ireland and overseas.

The museum has dedicated exhibitions which explore many facets of Cavan’s often turbulent history including Medieval Cavan, The Great Famine, GAA History, History of the Farnham Family, Ancient Ireland, and Folk Life. Some of the most popular exhibits include the Killycluggin Stone, with its dark history of human sacrifice, and a wonderfully-preserved 1,000-year-old log boat.

The museum team has a deep knowledge and understanding of the significance of Cavan’s border location and has undertaken a number of educational programmes aimed at young people, such as the PEACE III-funded, crossborder ‘Connecting, People, Places and Heritage’project, which explored the shared and diverse cultural heritage of Cavan and the Border Region.

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest draws to the Museum has been the World War One Trench Experience, a 350-metre replica of a trench used by the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the frontlines during the Great War. This immersive historical experience brings the harsh reality of daily life in trenches to life in a visceral way that educates and excites in equal measure.

Through teaching young people the lessons of Ireland’s history, the museum plays a vital role in safeguarding our island from repeating the mistakes of the past. The museum’s reflective space provides a place for visitors to pause and reflect on the tragic cost of conflict.

In 2016, to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, Cavan County Council opened its 1916 Rising Experience, complete with replica Dublin streetscapes and houses and a replica GPO. As visitors stoop through the tunnels dug by rebels as they sheltered from the British forces, the scale of the challenge they faced and the sacrifice they made is brought home in a way that no history book could achieve.

It is Cavan County Museum’s commitment to commemorating and celebrating our history in an innovative and immersive fashion that marks it out as one of the country’s best museums, looking to the past, yet facing the future.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best County Museum

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CAVAN COUNTY MUSEUM 2018

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cavan County Museum Best National County Museum Award

Housed in a beautiful 19th century building, Cavan County Museum traces the history of Cavan from prehistoric times through to rural life in the 1950s as well as 18th, 19th and 20th century costume displays and a variety of specialist exhibitions.

2018 was another exceptional year for the museum. While visits by school and tour groups increased significantly, walk in visitor numbers surpassed expectations. The outdoor exhibitions continue to attract people especially the WWI Trench Experience, 1916 Rising and Battle of the Somme Exhibitions.

In March 2018 the museum launched another inspirational and thought-provoking exhibition ‘Road to War – Path to Reflection’ which tells the story of 15 people who died as a result of their part in the First World War. The exhibition details the lives of a number of Cavan men from different religious backgrounds who died on the same day, and often in the same battle.

‘Road to War; Path to Reflection’ serves as a means to reflect on the fact that the loss associated with conflict has no religious, community, or gender boundaries and reaches out to touch us all. The end of the walk provides a space to reflect on the conflict and the losses which follow. By journeying down this tree lined walk, visitors will arrive at the Peace Garden’s reflective space. This quiet spot is dedicated to the inevitable loss that accompanies all conflicts.

Cavan’ by Dr Michael Finnegan. This publication includes details on over 750 men associated with the county who died because of their involvement in the First World War. Children taking part in the Museum’s ‘Connecting People, Places and Heritage’ Cross Border / Cross Community Project enhanced the Peace Garden with a ‘weather vane’ and ‘buddy bench’.

Major refurbishment took place in WWI Trench Experience by replacing all the sand bags and installing a ‘Gas Station’.

Indoors, Cavan County Museum is a treasure trove of fascinating artefacts from our past, such as the ancient arrowheads and swords wielded by our ancestors, or the mysterious three-faced Corleck Head and Killycluggin Stone, which carry dark tales from our pagan past.

This exciting and vibrant museum takes history off the page and places you in the heart of our exciting past. The Museum continues to develop and enhance visitor experiences year on year and is now regarded as one of the best in the country, a must-see attraction.

Each month the museum hosts varied events including drama, music, art, literature, quilting with many workshops and lectures of historical content. The generosity of people who continue to kindly donate interesting and historical memorabilia to the museum’s already unique collection is much appreciated.

The museum’s Commemoration Education Programme received The Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Award and the Public Sector Magazine National Award for Best County Museum 2018.

As an award-winning tourist destination attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually, Cavan County Museum also plays a key role in driving the local economy, attracting tourists from all corners of Ireland and overseas. In November to commemorate ‘The End of the First World War’ Minister Heather Humphreys officially launched the Museum’s publication ‘A First World War Centenary Roll of Honour for County

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Aymar Gourdet, Le Skinny Chef Kelly Ging, Kelly Lou Cakes

ABOUT IBYE

Paddy O’ Connell, PaddyO’s Cereals

#localenterprise Want to grow your business?

We’re ready if you are!

At your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) you’ll find a hub of expert advice, information and practical supports to help you with this next important step. And we’re right here on your doorstep!

From training and mentoring programmes to advice on funding options and business planning, our dedicated team is here to help drive and support your business every step of the way.

Contact us on 057 86 61800 or visit www.localenterprise.ie/laois and let’s talk business!

Local Enterprise Office Laois, Business Support Unit, Laois County Council, Aras an Chontae, Portlaoise, Co. Laois t: +353 (0) 57 8661800 | e: localenterprise@laoiscoco.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Roads & Emergency Services Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Laois County Council Roads and Emergency Services Award

Since October 2017 County Laois has experienced four severe weather events, all of which were handled expertly by the County Council and emergency services.

In recognition of their expert handling of each event, the council have been awarded the Public Sector Magazine Excellence Award for roads and emergency services.

also assisted with clearing footpaths in Portlaoise of snow and ice in advance of schools re-opening.

Wild land fires, July 2018 Storm Ophelia, 16th October 2017 The passage of Hurricane Ophelia across Ireland on 16th October 2017 caused a great deal of disruption to County Laois. The inter-agency severe weather co-ordination team assembled in County Hall, Portlaoise for the duration of the storm to co-ordinate the response. Fire crews manned the fire stations in advance of the red weather warning coming into effect in order to be able to respond to incidents as soon as it was safe to do so. Significant power outages occurred. Many roads were impassable due to fallen trees. Fire crews alongside Laois County Council roads staff cleared fallen trees and opened roads to facilitate the passage of traffic once the storm abated.

Mountmellick Floods, 22nd November 2017 After a short period of extremely intense rain over the Slieve Bloom Mountains on 22nd November 2017, several rivers became swollen and overflowed causing flash flooding in Mountmellick. Flooding was not only limited to Mountmellick, with other flooding incidents throughout the county. All eight fire crews of Laois County Fire & Rescue Service, along with colleagues from Longford & Westmeath, Laois County Council roads staff & Defence Forces personnel worked throughout the night to assist home owners deal with the floods, close roads & divert traffic.

In total, approximately 100 premises were damaged due to the flash flooding, however it was not just the town & citizens of Mountmellick that were affected by the floods, the fire station was also badly damaged too with up to 1 m of water in the building.

The wild land fire fighting season in Ireland is usually April and May, however, due to the very wet & cold spring of 2018 this did not occur.

The unusually dry and hot summer that followed saw extensive wild fires on both the mountains and bogs of Laois. 1995 was the last summer that saw the same level of intensity of wild fires in the county.

The fires on the Slieve Blooms, extensively reported on in both national and local media started on 4th July & lasted for 7 days. Fire crews from across Laois and Offaly attended fires on the Slieve Blooms on both Coillte forestry and National Parks & Wildlife Service property. Fire crews were assisted by personnel from Westmeath Fire Service and Army & Air Corps personnel throughout this event. The Air Corps provided two helicopters and Coillte hired in a helicopter to assist in dropping water on the fires. Large dams were dug on the mountains and filled by fire service water tankers to enable the helicopters to collect and drop water quickly on the fires.

At the same time as the Slieve Bloom mountain fires, several others broke out, particularly at Cashel Bog. Again fire crews battled to extinguish these difficult & demanding fires.

At all times during these four intense periods of activity, Laois County Council Road staff & fire service crews remained operational & dealt with a multitude of other incidents as part of their routine operations. Laois County Council would like to acknowledge the huge support received from An Garda Siochana, other state agencies, the communities of Laois and in particular the farming community during Storm Emma.

The resilience of the fire-fighters came to the fore with the help of Laois Civil Defence who provided temporary accommodation. Firefighters repaired and re-built their fire station and despite the damage to property, personal possessions and equipment, the station remained on call throughout, available to respond to all emergencies.

Storm Emma, February/March 2018 A red weather warning was issued by Met Eireann for severe snow valid from 28th February to 2nd March 2018. County Laois experienced a significant amount of snow & ice. Roads section staff of Laois County Council salted and treated the county road network in accordance with the winter maintenance plan twice and sometimes three times daily, covering approximately 453km of roads each time. The Laois County Council severe weather co-ordination team met daily to review the ongoing situation, assess where access was needed to vulnerable members of the community and to co-ordinate the clearing of snow drifts on roads to get the county moving again. Defence forces personnel

L-R: Liam Preston, Civil Defence Officer; Philip McVeigh, Senior Engineer, Roads; Kieran Kehoe, Director of Services; Declan Power, Chief Fire Officer

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Louth

Where Enterprise Lives

Look to Louth – Ireland’s best location to work, live, invest -

Strategically located on the Dublin/Belfast Corridor Access to skilled talent Infrastructure rich Thriving Urban Centres Excellent Quality of Life

Louth

...Let’s talk business

1890 202 303 | www.localenterprise.ie/Louth

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Business Development Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Louth County Council LEO Business Development Award

The Local Enterprise Office Louth delivers many innovative supports and their engagement with local businesses is highly impactful.

In April 2014 the County Enterprise Boards were dissolved by the Minister and re-constituted as the Local Enterprise Offices and as functioning units within their respective local authority. They operate under a service level agreement between Enterprise Ireland on behalf of government and the local authority.

“Our role is to promote entrepreneurship at county level and to support the establishment and development of small and micro businesses and thus promote economic development,” explains Thomas McEvoy, Head of Enterprise. “We design and deliver our services in a pragmatic way that supports business in County Louth.”

“We also pro-actively promote entrepreneurship at local level through initiatives such as the Student Enterprise Programme at second-level, Ireland’s Best Young Enterpreneur competition, National Women’s Enterprise Day and events like Enterprise Week.”

The council launched its Enterprise Development Plan for 20172020 last year in which they set out ambitious objective and actions for the four-year period as well as job creation targets.

They offer a range of services in support of new start-ups such as start your own business programmes, one-to-one advice, mentoring, access to other supports such as loan finance from MicroFinance Ireland (MFI) and grant aid for new start-up businesses. For existing businesses there is advice, training, management development programmes, access to business networks, access to other supports such as MFI loans, trading online vouchers, InterTrade Ireland supports including ACUMEN and direct grant aid from the local enterprise office for eligible businesses wishing to expand.

the local development company to make it easier for businesses to overcome challenges when they occur. “These may relate to planning, licensing, access to funding, availability of skilled labour and apprentices - it’s all about providing information and direction.”

At present the focus is on Brexit and helping local businesses prepare for the impact it will have. The Local Enterprise Office has a range of supports to encourage businesses to become more competitive, through the LEAN for Micro programme, more innovative through the Co-Innovate programme and to diversify into new markets through its Export supports.

Louth has also targeted supports for the food, retail, engineering, and the creative and digital sectors in the county with specific initiatives for each such as the Boyne Valley Food Network.

“We are also involved in a number of European programmes such as the Enterprise Europe Network, and the Age Friendly Economy project focused on helping SMEs design their products and services to meet the needs of the ageing market and accessing new opportunities.

Closing, Mr McEvoy said: “the Local Enterprise Offices play a key role in promoting real economic development through their enterprise supports. It’s critical we retain a focus on providing pragmatic supports to clients and adding value through our engagement with businesses.”

McEvoy believes that the critical service provided in Louth is direct engagement with the businesses. “You have to get to know a business, its owner, manager or family members if you really want to understand that business. Text book solutions and models can help but they often do not reflect the reality of small local businesses.

The real ‘value add’ is in the engagment,” he says.

“The small and micro sector is our key customer sector and the lifeblood of employment in Ireland. In Louth over 90% of all our businesses are small and micro, and are located in every parish and community throughout the county. By assisting them and working with them we are helping to sustain communities.”

Engagement is not just with the local enterprise office but also with other stakeholders in the county, organisations such as Enterprise Ireland, Louth County Enterprise Fund, the Chambers of Commerce, the Community Enterprise Centres, the ETB and

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Cork County Council Comhairle Contae ChorcaĂ­

www.corkcoco.ie f @CorkCoCo t @Corkcoco

Excellence in Communication Public Affairs Award 2018

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Customer Service

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In response, Cork County Council prepared a Communications and Marketing Strategy which set out to create a culture of communications within the organisation and ultimately increase the information available to the public around council activities. The Communications Department was revamped with a fresh approach taken in terms of engaging with,

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork County Council

A fresh approach to communications has seen Cork County Council embrace social media to share its mission and activities with the public in an interactive way, massively increasing its engagement with the public.

Three years ago Cork County Council commissioned a Behaviour and Attitude Survey in order to ascertain satisfaction levels among residents, businesses and staff across the local authority area. The findings indicated that participants viewed Cork County Council as making a positive contribution to the quality of life in the Cork county area and of promoting the interests of the local community.

However, external awareness of council developments and initiatives was consistently modest. Recurring feedback highlighted the need for increased communications from the council as to their activities and how development of this area would be most beneficial in addressing public concerns as well as driving positive perceptions of the council’s activities among all stakeholder groups.

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and being proactive with, various media outlets.

One of the primary challenges was ensuring information from all departments was made available to the Communications Department. Cork County Council’s Chief Executive Tim Lucey prioritised the importance of communications, ensuring it was included in the agenda of various meetings and embraced by departments across the organisation.

“We live in a media saturated era. The news media and rise of citizen journalism through social media have made it vital that public bodies embrace communications and public relations. Communications has become much more proactive with a strategic approach taken on the narrative and how this narrative is framed in a public context,” says Lucey.

The 2015 research showed both residents and businesses relied strongly on traditional sources such as local print and radio services for information. Accordingly, press and media releases increased in

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quantity. Now queries from the media are responded to in a timely fashion, enabling the establishment of relationships in both print and broadcast media. Spokespersons from Cork County Council are available for broadcast to support a particular story. This is especially successful with radio outlets and during emergencies, such as severe weather events.

In an age of ever-increasing digital reliance it was vital to invest in the area of social media. Cork County Council had a Twitter and Facebook presence but the accounts had been used in a broadcast only manner. Now they have daily updates, interaction with various other accounts such a communities and businesses and an emphasis on highlighting events taking place throughout the county. As a result, Twitter followers increased from approximately 4k to 18k and Facebook from 1k to over 18k in the last 3 years. A YouTube account has been opened and just recently, Instagram, with a social media strategy in place for 2019.

One of the clear requirements for a successful social media presence together with increased print media pick up is quality photography. Again, the communications department has established a solid working relationship with a variety of county-based professional photographers.

Photography services are secured across corporate, community and economic events with a photo library established to complement all council activities.

Council activities have been highlighted in a number of themed e-zines, including tourism, community and economic development. The e-zines have been published on social media and Cork County Council’s corporate website. The 2015 research showed the use of the council

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website was much higher among businesses. The website was redesigned to be more user friendly and easier to navigate for key services such as planning, housing and roads as well as a landing page that is constantly updated with the latest news and events from around the county.

Launched in May 2017, the website has had over 5 million page views to date.

Internal communications have also featured strongly in the communications department. Staff e-zines have become a regular feature keeping staff informed of council activities as well as featuring staff stories while plans are well underway for a new intranet system. An SMS text service to inform staff of any emergency event currently has over 1,300 subscribers. The service was established following the red weather event Storm Ophelia.

The fresh approach to communications proved invaluable during severe weather events, such as Storm Ophelia and Storm Emma. Staff could operate remotely through the use of iPads, enabling media releases to issue frequently, coordinate soundbites for radio broadcast and post all updates on social media platforms. Notably, Storm Ophelia achieved over 350k Twitter impressions during a single 24hour period while Storm Emma achieved 500k Facebook reaches from Feb 26th to March 5th.

“Communications is continually driven by Cork County Council. It is vital we keep our stakeholders fully informed but also ensure they are aware of what is available,” says Lucey, “We want to hear from our citizens but we also want our citizens to hear from us, and that is the very crux of effective communications.”

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NEWS

TROUBLING TIMES At a recent conference in Dublin, participants discussed the many uncertainties faced by local authorities due to Brexit from a political and economic perspective.

HIKE IN PENSION BILL LOOMS A significant hike in the number of civil servants due to retire over the next ten years is expected to add over j500 to the public sector pensions bill.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform recently released a report which forecasts that between 1,700 and 2,500 civil servants will retire each year between 2019 and 2028 which will drive the outlay on pensions and gratuities up by j112m next year tp reach j575m in 2028.

There are currently just short of 24,000 civil servants receiving a pension at a cost of j535m to the state last year and j570m the year before.

According to the report this figure will increase as a result of a number of people reaching retirement age and their seniority. Many of those employees are on older pension schemes which will cost more.

“The initial increase in projected retirement stems from the ageing of the civil service workforce with almost 50% of those in the pre-1995 retirements scheme expected to retire over the coming seven years,” the report stated.

Addressing the conference Local Authorities Implications for Local Authorities and their Areas, Jackie Maguire, Chair of the County and City Management Association (CCMA), said Brexit has been to the forefront of local authority considerations since the UK vote to leave the EU. “Preparing for the unknown is a huge challenge. In the local authority sector, our approach has been to consider all our plans and actions through the lens of Brexit, while maintaining close contact with government and relevant departments throughout the negotiation period,” she said.

As well as the potential impact on local business and economic development, there are a number of practical implications for local authorities, particularly in border regions, for example, currently the Northern Irish Fire Service provides first response to call outs in parts of Donegal. With both the Republic and Northern Ireland as members of the EU, local authorities have been able to work collaboratively on shared services. Now, however, there is uncertainty as to whether that can continue.

The CCMA Chair also highlighted the impact Brexit may have on environmental standards, “Currently we apply relatively consistent environmental policies north and south. The Water Framework Directive, for example, is implemented in both jurisdictions to manage river basins and improve water quality but rivers don’t stop at borders.”

It is also an equally uncertain time for business Ms Maguire said. The full and free access we have enjoyed to our closest market in the UK has meant it is the first market to which many local businesses and SMEs expand.

“Many companies need to be brought up to speed on the issues that may be involved when the UK becomes a third country and also need to be supported to help expand their markets.”

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AI FOR ONLINE SERVICES Research contracts have been awarded to two Irish companies – Derilinx and Ludex – to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be applied as an assisted digital service to help people to easily find, access and use online public services that meet their needs, or the needs of someone in their care. Ludex is using Artificial Intelligence to transform computer interactions into human conversations, using existing messaging apps (Skype, FB Messenger, etc) as its platform.

In line with the eGovernment Strategy 2017-2020, which recognises the importance of inclusion and the need to cater for a broad range of needs, abilities and capabilities, this initiative will establish the potential for AI to enable those who may need additional forms of assistance to find and use relevant digital public services.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is jointly funding this research in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, through the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). Enterprise Ireland’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programme enables public sector bodies to work with some of Ireland’s most progressive technology businesses to provide innovative solutions for specific public sector challenges and needs. The aim of this research is to explore innovative ways of facilitating and enabling the widest extent of participation in terms of users of the Government Digital Services Gateway and to guide and assist more people to use digital public services.

PUBLIC SECTOR STAFF RETENTION The Public Service Pay Commission was tasked under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 to conduct a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention of staff in the public service. With two out of three public servants employed in the health and education sectors, and more than 100,000 people employed in each of these sectors, the commission adopted a modular approach to its work and the published report reflects a comprehensive examination of recruitment and retention issues in relation to the grades of medical consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses and midwives in the health service.

With rising costs, particularly in childcare, disparity of pay is a thorny issue as is the gap in private and public sector pay. Nursing unions are claiming that agencies are paying nurses and midwives 20% above the public sector rate for the same work. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) claims it is further evidence that public sector pay in nursing and midwifery is below the real market rate.

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The report has found there are a number of factors which are impacting retention and recruitment and that increasing pay alone may not be effective in attracting more staff. The

Commission will be making all of its submissions and inputs and the report will be publicly available on its website, www.paycommission. gov.ie.

OPEN DATA The European Commission has announced that Ireland has achieved first place in its Open Data maturity assessment, for the second year in a row.

According to the assessment of Open Data maturity in Europe for 2018, Ireland is best in class in Europe, with an overall open data maturity of 88%, followed closely by Spain (87%) and France (83%).

facilitation of coordination and cooperation. Ireland scored especially highly on the ‘impact of Open Data,’ with Real-time Passenger Information for transport services cited as an example of best practice.

NEWS

Ireland’s Open Data Portal contains some 8,300 datasets that cover a range of areas including housing, water quality, statistical and geographic data. Features of the Portal include a showcase page which demonstrates how Open Data can be used, as well as visualisations of data.

The assessment, which was carried out by Capgemini Consulting on behalf of the European Commission, is the fourth in a series of annual studies, and explores the speed at which the EU28 are moving in their Open Data–driven transformation. The 2018 report uses a series of indicators to measure Open Data maturity, including the level of development of Open Data policies which foster the reuse of Open Data, an assessment of the quality of data and sophistication of features available on national Open Data portals and the impact of Open Data. These benchmarks set a strong focus on updates to national Open Data strategies, and on their overall scope, as well as on the

A FAILURE OF HOUSING POLICY Independent think tank Social Justice Ireland has labelled the Irish government’s housing policy a dramatic failure and a national emergency. Social Justice Ireland published their National Social Monitor for autumn recently which highlighted the repercussions of the crisis.

Dr Sean Healy, director of Social Justice Ireland, said that Ireland is in the midst of a national emergency.

He added that the Government has failed to respond to our nation’s housing crisis.

“Mortgage arrears are again increasing; there are almost 87,000 households on social housing waiting lists, and 10,000 homeless.

“This is a national emergency. Of those 10,000 homeless, 3,600 are children. Over half of the 87,000 households on the social housing waiting lists are families,” he said.

“The impact of homelessness and precarious housing on our nation’s children will be felt for generations to come.

“This is both unacceptable and unnecessary at a time when resources are available to make a real impact on the housing crisis.”

The group made a number of recommendations to tackle the crisis, including increasing building of social housing, and providing greater support for those at risk of becoming homeless.

Meanwhile, Leo Varadkar has conceded publicly for the first time that the Government’s homelessness policy has been an abject failure and said that there is “no quick fix solution” to the crisis.

“I don’t think the rise in the number of people in emergency accommodation can be described as progress, it’s evident to everyone that we are still going in the wrong direction when it comes to emergency accommodation. Mr Varadkar said.

“We are in no means in denial about that, but it is something we are working on and just like the unemployment crisis or the economic crisis it can take time for policy to work and for people to see those results in their communities and in their lives, but it is something we are determined to fix.”

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TACKLING CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE HURLING GOES GLOBAL Hurling has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In November 2018, at a meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Mauritius, Ireland’s nomination of hurling was approved, thereby achieving international recognition of hurling as a key element of Ireland’s living heritage to be safeguarded for future generations.

Ireland ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2015. The Convention was established to safeguard, appreciate, and raise awareness of cultural heritage locally, nationally, and internationally. Intangible cultural heritage, or living heritage, refers to customs, traditions, crafts, games, and practices that are part of people’s lives and identities both individually and as part of wider communities, and that are passed on from generation to generation.

Hurling, which is used to denote the entire game, including camogie, as played by men, women and children, is Ireland’s second inscription on the Representative List. Ireland’s first nomination, Uilleann Piping, was officially inscribed last year.

The submission for this inscription was led by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in partnership with the GAA and the Camogie Association.

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The government needs to tackle the housing crisis and poor broadband connectivity to ensure that cities like Cork continue to grow. That was the message from the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) at a recent business meeting in the city.

Major infrastructural projects like the Dunkettle interchange, the N28 route to Ringaskiddy and the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway were also highlighted as essential works by Barry O’Sullivan, the President of AmCham, which represents 32,000 people working at more than 150 multinationals in Ireland. A huge number of these, including major pharmaceutical giants, tech companies and cyber-security trailblazers are based on Leeside.

Mr O’Sullivan said: “Cork’s business relationship with the US continues to thrive. There are now more than 32,000 people working at over 150 multinational companies across a range of sectors from medtech, to pharma, gaming and cyber-security. Pfizer celebrates its 45th anniversary here this year. Since then, the region has become home to 7 out of 10 of the world’s top ten pharma companies. In addition, Bio Marin announced an investment of j37m in Shanabally just a few weeks ago.” He added that Cork is growing its capacity for investment.

“From the port to the amount of commercial development underway, this region is clearly open for business and ready to capture future waves of FDI.” However, Mr O’Sullivan highlighted a number of threats to this growth, warning against complacency.

“We have never seen the competition for US business investment from other regions of the world as intense as it is today. It is essential that we constantly benchmark our competitiveness against the countries that currently compete with us; our international competitiveness ranking and our falling global university rankings need serious attention.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Heritage Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork County Council Heritage Award

At the official opening of Cork County Hall on April 16th 1968, then Minister for Local Government, Mr Kevin Boland remarked, “Cork, with the whole of Ireland, is moving into a period of continued development and expansion in many spheres.” How right he was proven to be.

10 years after the opening of Cork County Hall, the Cork Land Use and Transportation Study was published. This 23 year document set out a growth and development plan for Cork, matching population with employment growth together with the requirement to be realistic in terms of financial supports.

Speaking to the people of Cork Lucey says: “Cork County Council, ‘Your Council’, is a democratically representative body, the largest outside of Dublin. Elected members play a key role in decision making for local areas in terms of local services, community supports, policy development, land use, town and village development.

This plan, followed by the Cork Area Strategic Plan 2020, chartered the way forward for a costed, evidence-based collaborative approach to growing Cork, which recognised that 75% of projected population growth would occur in the County Council’s administrative area, an area we now know as Metropolitan Cork.

“Your members are representative of your communities as are the staff of Cork County Council. Cork County Hall is the focal point for people from your community, working in partnership with your community.

Subsequent studies have updated this plan and have enabled Cork to become a leading European Region, able to compete globally, be socially inclusive and be culturally enriched. Cork 2050 sets out to enhance this further, to accelerate growth along transport corridors while continuing to support and promote sustainable rural communities.

Key to these successes has been strategic leadership, drive and commitment by elected members and staff of Cork County Council.

Delivering services to 77% of the population of Cork while covering 99.5% of its geography, the Council have successfully managed to integrate the growth of significant economic and urban areas of metropolitan Cork with the diversity of life across extensive rural, coastal and island communities.

“Communities are the heart of our society. They are the places where we live and work, where families and friends are and where we interact with life. We are drawn to live and work within communities that reflect our core values.

“As a Council, we work with communities to deliver a wide range of services. This collaborative approach has been efficient and effective and has built the Cork that we know and love today.

“We are all working together to add value to your lives while ensuring Cork County’s sustainable future growth. It was said 50 years ago that this County Hall belonged to the people of Cork. It continues to belong to the people of Cork and will continue to be a building which delivers for the people of Cork well into the future.”

Serving a population of over 416,000 across 7,460km2 the council is committed to citizens, communities and businesses.

“We serve the people of Cork,” says CEO Tim Lucey. “We have overseen a wealth of ambitious infrastructural projects, the South Ring road in the late 1980s, the Cork Mallow Road through the 1970’s and 1980’s and more recent motorway projects in association with Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

We now look forward to the M20 Motorway due to be built by 2023, a project to cost over j800m. Development plans have formed the basis for growth in areas such as Little Island, Ringaskiddy, West and East Cork.”

According to Lucey, Cork is the most productive economy in the country, surpassing Dublin and even London in terms of output per annuum per employee. “Our role is to support Cork County, encouraging businesses to locate, grow and expand.

We want people to invest in Cork, for Cork to be a place where employers locate and where employees want to live. Cork County offers a quality of life which is second to none.”

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R10 Draft 11 August 2015

R10 Draft 11 August 2015

Safety Safety Statement Statement

HEA LTH HEALTH & SAFETY & SAFE TY OHSAS 18001:2007 OHSAS 18001:2007

Local Authority Local Authority Award

Local Authority

NSAI NS AI Certif iedCertified

HEALTH & SAFETY OHSAS 18001:2007

NSAI Certified

Safety Statement

Longford County Council

HEA LTH & SAFE TY OHSAS 18001:2007

Local Authority Award

NS AI Certif ied

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Health & Safety Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Longford County Council Health and Safety Services Award

Longford County Council are leading the way by migrating to the latest ISO health and safety standard, the globally recognised occupational health and safety standard.

This year’s outright winner of the Public Sector Magazine Health and Safety Services Award is Longford County Council. The county council is responsible for the provision of an extensive range of public services within the county. The services broadly include, housing, planning, roads, water services, environmental and veterinary services, economic and community development, library and arts services.

However, the council have a special focus on health and safety.

“With regard to health and safety, the broad range of services provided to the public means we must have a robust safety management system in place to protect our employees from injury and members of the public who may be exposed to our work activities,” says Paddy Mahon, Chief Executive, Longford County Council. In order to achieve this aim, Longford County Council has registered their safety management system to the international standard OHSAS 18001:2007 The OHSAS standard is an internationally recognised health and safety standard. Compliance with it enables organizations to demonstrate that they have a quality system in place for occupational health and safety.

“We work in a high risk environment and having a safety management system that helps employees, contractors and members of the public return to their families safely each day is a top priority,” says Mary Gouldsbury, Health and Safety Officer, “Registration to OHSAS 18001:2007 demonstrates a positive corporate governance attitude within our organisation and a dedication to continuous improvement in the area of health and safety.” Up until this year, OHSAS 18001 provided the best available international standard, but this about to change.

public. Its structures have helped many organisations to put in place the policies, procedures and controls needed for an organization to achieve the best possible working conditions and workplace health and safety, aligned to internationally recognised best practice.

Longford County Council have recognised the value that adhering to this standard has brought to their organisation.

While organisations have been encouraged to migrate their OHSAS 18001 processes over to the newer ISO 45001 by March 2021, Longford County Council are wasting no time in getting started.

They already have the process underway to migrate to this new standard which they are sure will further improve workplace safety within their organisation.

According to Mahon, health and safety is not something that should be considered as an afterthought. “Health and safety must be an integral part of business and a part of the organisational strategy.

We must aim for excellence in health and safety to protect our employees, contractor and members of the public through only accepting the highest standards in the area of occupational health and safety.” Gouldsbury agrees, “We must continuously strive to embed a positive safety culture both within our organisations and the wider community.” she says, “Only through commitment, collaboration and involvement from every person associated with the public sector can we can empower people to stay safe and healthy.”

Earlier this year, a new ISO standard, ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System was released. This new standard was developed by a committee of occupational health and safety experts, and follows other generic management system approaches such as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. It will take into account other international standards in this area such as OHSAS 18001, the International Labour Organization’s ILO-OSH Guidelines, various national standards and the ILO’s international labour standards and conventions.

ISO 45001:2018 will replace the existing OHSAS 18001:2007 standard, the first occupational health and safety standard to be recognised globally.

OHSAS 18001 was, and still is designed to provide a safe and healthy workplace for employees, contractors and members of the

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The aim of South Dublin County Council is to make our county the best possible place in which to live, work and do business in.

Providing a quality service to our citizens is one of the core values that guide South Dublin County Council and, as such, we are delighted to receive this Public Sector Award for Excellence in Customer Service.

Find news and information on our council at www.sdcc.ie.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Customer Service

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 South Dublin County Council Excellence in Customer Service

Serving 280,000 people, South Dublin County Council (SDCC) has embraced the latest digital solutions to bring its vast number of services to more people, more efficiently than ever.

South Dublin County Council (SDCC) is home to almost 280,000 people and covers a wide geographical area that includes Tallaght, Terenure, Clondalkin, Lucan, Rathcoole, Rathfarnham and many other areas.

The aim of SDCC is to make the county the best possible place in which to live, work and do business. As such, SDCC is guided by their core values of providing value for money alongside an accessible, courteous, consistent, impartial and responsive service. They also strongly believe in communicating openly with people and in being transparent in all decision-making. They prioritise sustainability, be that financial, environmental or otherwise, the promotion of social inclusion and the equality of access and opportunity.

SDCC provides hundreds of services to their citizens. Broadly speaking, these services include housing, roads, supporting local democracy, providing enterprise units and financial supports, attracting foreign direct investment, providing and maintaining parks and playgrounds, walking and cycle routes, libraries, sports facilities, arts centres, litter control and community infrastructure.

SDCC is always working to provide its services more efficiently, to meet the needs of a wide and varied population. A recent example of the SDCC’s commitment to providing a service tailored to the needs of citizens was the launch of SDCC’s MyDoorStep planning and housing walk-in service and website. This portal is aimed at opening up the housing process for buyers ahead of the construction of 40,000 new homes in the county.

“Key to the success of future customer service in local authorities and maintaining the standards we have set for ourselves within SDCC, will be developing the digital skills and confidence of our workforce so that they are equipped to productively and proactively apply technology to drive better ways of delivering public services,” says Lorna Maxwell, Director of Services of Corporate Performance and Change Management.

“Customer behaviour and organisational need are driving transformation away from the traditional ways of interaction to an integrated, real-time digital service delivery,” says Maxwell. “The fast-moving pace of change with mobile and digital technology are also fundamentally changing the way the council works.”

SDCC is embracing this change. A number of years ago the Business Process Improvement Unit was formed to focus on the data the SDCC receives and is working to identify ways in which it can be used to serve citizens better, through the on-going digitisation of services and through participation in initiatives by Smart Dublin.

“We understand that the opportunities provided by digital change can help staff to collaborate and communicate differently whilst spending more time on productive, front-line activities and less on back-office administration,” says Maxwell.

All of these efforts are underpinned by a dedicated customer care team situated in the SDCC civic offices in Tallaght and Clondalkin.

This team are at the front line of public engagement, customer service and everything that SDCC provides to its citizens.

MyDoorStep combines information on current and planned housing developments in any location in South Dublin County with details on childcare, transport links, education, health, recreation, retail and sporting facilities across the county. MyDoorStep streamlines all of this information through one single source and allows access either from home or at the County Council’s headquarters, cutting out the potential multiple enquiries a prospective buyer would need to make at present. Visitors to County Hall, Tallaght, can also be guided through the self-service portal by knowledgeable Council staff. SDCC is also currently in the process of mapping and digitising their services in order to provide citizens with 24-hour self-service facilities wherever possible.

SDCC has always been to the forefront of innovation in customer service in the local government sector. Following a revamp of the customer care system in 2004, SDCC moved to a metric focused service that provided quality front-end interaction with customers, reduced the workload on back-end staff and dealt with queries at first point of contact.

Niall Noonan, Communications and Customer Care

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CORK CITY LIBRARIES

Putting Creative expression at the heart of the community CORK CITY LIBRARIES, 57 – 61 Grand Parade, Cork Tel: +353 (0)21 4924900, Fax: +353 (0)21 4275684 e-mail: libraries@corkcity.ie Website: www.corkcitylibraries.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS City Library & Social Media Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork City Libraries Services to Education City Library and Social Media Award

With books, music and technology and more, Cork City Council Libraries are a hub of learning activity for the curious mind.

New technology, the evolution of the Internet, the rapid expansion of e-readers like the kindle have combined to transform the role of the library within our communities. One library embracing this change with gusto is Cork City Council Libraries. This busy centre of learning activity saw more than 823,000 items borrowed in more than 755,000 visits last year. And its 110 internet-enabled computers saw more than 75,000 booked sessions last year.

Liam Ronayne, Cork City Librarian outlines the current service “Cork City Council operates a network of seven public libraries – one in the city centre and six in the suburbs as well as a vibrant online presence with two websites www.corkcitylibraries.ie and www. corkpastandpresent.ie.”

The City Library, Grand Parade, is the main library for the city and environs. As well as Reference and Local Studies services, the City Library offers an Adult Lending library, with a major focus on literature and reader promotion; Children’s Services; and the Rory Gallagher Music Library.

There are six local libraries in the city: Hollyhill (North West); Blackpool (North Central); Frank O’Connor Library, Mayfield (North East); Tory Top (South Central); and Bishopstown (South West), as well as Douglas Library, located just outside the current city boundary.

The service is growing, however with the Council’s plans to extend this network: Blackrock–Mahon Library is at planning stage, intended to serve the South East Ward of the city. In addition the Government has approved a recommendation from an expert panel to extend the city boundary in Cork. “This will mean, among other things, that three new libraries will be joining the network: Ballincollig, Glanmire and Blarney”, says Ronayne.

Cork City Libraries are at the heart of ‘Cork, Learning City’, defined

by UNESCO as a city which effectively mobilizes its resources across all sectors to maximise the opportunities for lifelong learning for all its citizens. Through the adoption by Cork City Council in 2014 of the Beijing Declaration on Learning Cities the city has committed itself developing best practice as a learning city. Cork City Libraries provide the people of the city with the knowledge and information skills they need in the 21st century, and the workplace skills they need for their own advancement, and for the economic development of the city. Libraries provide an extensive range of resources for formal education, and informal personalized learning, and have very close relationships with primary and secondary schools in the city, and with third-level education institutions.

As well as being a resource for lifelong learning, libraries are at the heart of the Reading City; led by the City Library, Grand Parade,

the network of libraries play host to book launches, creative writing classes, author visits for children and adults, and generally foster a healthy reading culture throughout the city.

Libraries are also places of cultural expression. The City Library is home to the Rory Gallagher Music Library, Ireland’s largest and busiest music library, which provides music books, scores, CDs and DVDs, in all genres, classical, choral, traditional, jazz, contemporary, rock & pop for lending, reference and archival purposes. Libraries also host exhibitions, recitals, art exhibitions and classes, and a wide range of other cultural activities.

Cork City Council Libraries are always looking forward to new challenges. The biggest challenge currently facing this library service is to build a new city centre main library for Cork, a building that will have 5,000 M² of net usable space - more than twice the size of the existing building on the site. This will cost in the region of j35 million, and the Council is exploring ways in which this can be achieved: collocation, a joint development with other partners, or other options.

Mayfield Library needs to be refurbished and extended, to bring it up to the standard of other local libraries in the city, and a new library for Blackrock–Mahon is also in the pipeline.

The City Library is playing a prominent role in the Decade of Centenaries in Cork. “The banner we are using for these events is ‘It Seems History is to Blame’ a quote from Joyce’s Ulysses.

Since 2013, when the first exhibition was opened

by President Michael D. Higgins, we have mounted a regular series of exhibitions and ancillary talks and other events (usually 4 or 5 each year). These have covered various aspects of World War I, the 1916 Rising, a century of women’s franchise. Right now we are preparing for the centenary of the 1920-1922 period, when Cork was at the centre of the War of Independence and Civil War”, says Roynane.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Transport Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Donegal County Council Transport Services Local Government Award

Donegal is located in the North West of Ireland and is a great place in which to live, work and to do business.

Many of the local people and visitors to Donegal say that it is without doubt one of the most scenic and culturally vibrant places in Ireland with stunning land and seascapes, excellent recreational amenities, world class employment and investment opportunities and we also have a full range of services required for an excellent quality of life.

Donegal County Council provides a wide range of services and supports to the community including housing, roads, planning, cultural, library, environmental and economic development. As the local authority for County Donegal, the council plays a proactive role in the development of the county. As a vibrant and progressive council, Donegal County Council works for the people of Donegal to develop sustainable, inclusive and prosperous communities to make the county a better place in which to live, work, relax and invest.

over a 4-day period. The European organisers commented on how well the traffic was managed and flowed compared to other perhaps bigger venues.

Donegal is not well served by public transport such as rail for the transport of people and goods and is totally reliant on the road network. The council fully embraces energy efficient transport and is ISO Certified in this regard.

The annual revenue budget for Donegal County Council in 2019 is j146 million and was just adopted last week. On top of this, the annual capital budget will be close to j100 million. This level of spending plays an important part in the local economy of Donegal.

The National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework (Project Ireland 2040) launched in 2018 has included Donegal and Letterkenny/Derry as part of the Northwest City Region. This is an important designation and one that will be particularly important in a post-Brexit era.

The Roads Department at Donegal County Council are progressing plans for many road development projects. The single biggest project is referred to as the “TEN-T Project�. It provides for a new route from Letterkenny to the border at Lifford and Strabane on a route that takes you onto Dublin. It also includes for a new road around Ballybofey on the Galway to Letterkenny route. The total cost of the TEN-T Project is j400 million. Development of such large scale public projects nowadays requires extensive studies and planning before a route is selected. The studies involve all aspects of environmental impact and mitigation together with the physical planning of the actual roads and bridges. Extensive public consultation was held in 2018 and more will follow in 2019.

According to John McLaughlin, Director of Roads & Transportation, the council will have spent close to j80 million on its road network of 6,000 kilometres in 2018 by the end of the year and this is evidenced by the many active roadworks sites. The sunny summer of 2018 offered great conditions for earthworks and many contracts are ahead of schedule. Summer 2018 will also be remembered in Donegal for hosting the Irish Open Golf Championship in Ballyliffen which seen over 100,000 visitors and the corresponding traffic

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Louth County Council, County Hall, Millennium Centre, Dundalk, A91 KFW6 T: 1890 202 303 E: info@louthcoco.ie eolas@contaelu.ie

www.louthcoco.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Website, IT & Social Media

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LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Louth County Council Best Website, IT & Social Media

Communication plays a fundamental role in all facets of life and business. In this regard Louth County Council are embracing technology to provide access to council services and to connect with their citizens in a clear and efficient manner.

Louth County Council is a relatively large local authority delivering the typical council services across the county. There is an annual revenue spend of j100 million and a staff headcount of nearly 750 staff.

serve their communities, not the other way around. We would like to think that we are a responsive local authority who adapts to the challenges faced in delivering our services.

The council in its role is a significant leader in matters such as housing service delivery, age friendly, energy management as well as delivering all of its statutory functions. One means of communicating the many functions that the council performs is with the use of social media.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.” Barack Obama was well known for being a president that engaged with the public on a one to one level. Change in politics is a given, but change is something every business and council must embrace and that is why county councils must take web presence and social media seriously. “People are on these platforms on a day to day basis engaging with friends, debating topical issues and searching for services and answers in real-time.

By investing in a good website and a strong social media platform, we can communicate with people throughout the county quickly and efficiently,” according to Chief Executive, Joan Martin A county council is not just about delivery of services, but also about delivery of information. During a crisis for example, and there were two significant weather events in 2018, it is all the more essential that public bodies are informative and useful for their citizens, offering the very best service they can in real-time.

Clarity of delivery is also important and to this end the Louth County Council website is easy to navigate, clear and concise and hugely informative.

Ms Martin says, the public sector is a very important sector, “as we continue to deliver services for the citizen in a fair and equitable manner.” Louth has a population of over 130,000 citizens who all at some stage require the services of Louth County Council in some fashion. “We aim to deliver these services in an efficient and timely manner and to embrace technology to communicate with those residing in the county as best we can.”

The council currently has significant proposals lodged with the Department of Community in relation to both the Town and Rural Regeneration proposals including plans for regeneration works in Bridge Street, Dundalk/West Gate Drogheda and in Dunleer and Ardee. There are also proposed civic works to Ardee Castle and new Civic Offices in Fair Street, Drogheda.

The council is delighted to receive the Excellence in Business Award and Ms Martin comments, “public sector organisations exist to

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THEHATCHLAB.IE

An initiative of Wexford County Council

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Development

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HATCHING INNOVATION

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Wexford County Council Business Devlopment Award

Micro business, FDIs and remote workers are all welcome at The Hatch Lab, a state-ofthe-art incubation space and co-working facility in Gorey.

The Hatch Lab is a new tech incubator space in Gorey, County Wexford. Located in a modern building, The Hatch Lab is designed specifically for technology companies, to support business start-ups and co-working arrangements. The ethos of The Hatch Lab is to help ideas become commercially viable by providing access to resources and supports to help build a strong business model capable of national and global expansion.

The Hatch Lab is located 40 minutes south of the M50, on the M11 Business Campus in Gorey, and offers incubation and co-working facilities for fledgling micro-enterprises within the innovation and technology sectors. An initiative of Wexford County Council and powered by Bank of Ireland, the state-of-the-art facilities have been modelled on similar world-class innovation centres both in Ireland and abroad. The result is that clients and companies from across the south-east region who choose to locate in The Hatch Lab can enjoy high-quality start-up business supports and access to investment opportunities as well as facilities such as hot-desking, flexible meeting and conference spaces and high-speed broadband all within a unique co-working environment. The Hatch Lab is managed by the Model County Enterprise Group on behalf of Wexford County Council and works collaboratively with local and regional businesses as well as Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. Wexford County Council also entered a 5-year partnership with Bank of Ireland, which helps to animate and drive business to The Hatch Lab. The Hatch Lab offers co-working hot-desk spaces to any individual looking for an out-of-office work environment, from both public and private sectors. As Dublin continues to expand, the offer of flexible working arrangements for employees is becoming increasingly necessary for both public and private sectors, in order to enhance attractiveness and reduce employee turnover. “We are seeing an increase in businesses that traditionally would have been fully office based; now embracing flexible arrangements as a way to reduce costs as well as enhance work-life balance for employees,” says Carolyne Godkin, Economic Development Officer, Wexford County Council. “With paperless, clean desk policies along with excellent remote working technologies, the notion of a desk per employee is fast disappearing.”

“Our vision for The Hatch Lab is to continue to build the brand and attract start-up micro enterprises to locate here, ultimately helping them to successfully scale from the Gorey area.”

The Hatch Lab offers a hot-desking option, and Godkin believes fostering relationships with large businesses in both public and private sectors can encourage a hybrid approach to working that sees The Hatch Lab as an alternative out-of-office working location. “We anticipate that these relationships will lead to more formal arrangements with business, where they may rent 2 to 3 desk spaces that could be shared by 1015 employees, each working one day a week in The Hatch Lab,” explains Godkin. “We are confident that one third of our hot-desking availability will grow in this way.” The Hatch Lab has also created a fast-landing service, supported by IDA Ireland aimed at providing advance or start-up office space for foreign direct investment companies. This can be vitally important to enable foreign firms to establish an initial footprint quickly and easily, freeing up valuable resource time to concentrate on building their business.

Initiatives such as The Hatch Lab are aimed at supporting regional expansion and out-of-Dublin employment opportunities through providing affordable, co-working office bases. As the technology and innovation sectors continue to grow, the importance of alternative and affordable out-of-office working locations for employees is becoming increasingly important for Dublin based operations, due to rising per capita costs of providing desk space, challenges of traffic congestion and being in a position to offer employees a level of flexible work-life balance.

Godkin recognises the importance of both public and private sectors to The Hatch Lab, in particular through enabling sustainable job growth in the wider Gorey region. A familiar pattern, like many counties across Ireland, there are currently several thousand employees leaving County Wexford every day for work, many travelling into the wider Dublin area. “These people are highly skilled, with strong representation in the technology and professional services areas and they work across both private and public sectors,” explains Godkin who believes The Hatch Lab offers a viable alternative in this regard.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS HSE HR Directorate

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HSE HR aims to attract, motivate, recognise, and retain competent staff members. “We identify employee training needs and design bespoke training programmes that enable our employees acquire the right skills for meeting the current job needs and support them in career progression and in maintaining professional standards and skills,” Mannion says.

With this in mind, a performance management system is in place which aims to reinforce the culture of commitment, adaptability and high performance. “We are committed to induction, coaching, mentoring, succession planning and supporting those who exit the HSE either through resignation or retirement.”

Mannion is fully people focussed and works hard to implement the HSE People Strategy – a strategy that is all about engaging, developing, valuing and retaining the workforce and enabling them to deliver the best possible care and services to patients and clients.

“We recognise that well managed and engaged employees leads to better healthcare outcomes for patients,” she says. “By creating a culture of innovation and support our people can use their talents and abilities to lead change and bring about quality improvements at all levels.”

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 HSE

The HSE is the largest employer in the state, with more than 67,000 direct employees, and a further 35,000 employed by agencies funded by the HSE. A good HR Department is therefore critical to an employee-oriented, productive workplace in which employees are energised and engaged, with each employee playing a vital role in contributing to the HSE. “In the HR Directorate, we strive to foster a family friendly work environment that enables all employees to embrace the core values of the HSE - care, compassion, trust and learning,” explains Rosarii Mannion. “Our recruitment and selection procedures ensure the recruitment of the right mix of people, who can make an effective contribution to the HSE.”

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PEOPLE FIRST

Human Resources Public Sector Services Award

Resilience she says is key and it is important not take things personally. “People will say, do and behave in all kinds of ways sometimes unpredictably which you simply cannot control, however my mottos is ‘to thine own self be true’ and try to the best you can with what’s ahead - win the moment. HR is a tough place to work you have to be resilient and have courage. It’s just not possible to please everyone all of the time.”

Originally from County Leitrim, HR Director Rosarii Mannion has extensive experience throughout the sector working across all areas of HR, including selection training, talent development, succession planning staff engagement, employee relations and diversity and inclusion.

“Creating an environment where employees can learn and use their abilities to the fullest is important not only for the current state of an organization, but also its future,” Mannion says. It seems clear that the future is secure in Ms Mannion’s hands and in recognition of excellence in HR, the HR Directorate are recognised for their contribution to human resources to the public sector in the 2018 Public Sector Magazine Excellence in Business Awards.

Mannion keeps her finger on the pulse by maintaining contact with hospitals, community services and other frontline areas of the HSE delivery system.

“I am constantly meeting with staff at all levels. In healthcare the staff are the back bone of our services, and I work very hard to understand their needs and make sure that their views are taken into account in decision-making at national level.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Development

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Cork North & West LEO Excellence in Business Development Award

“We support business start-ups and work to increase the job potential of new and existing micro and small businesses with information, advice, training, mentoring, seminars and selective financial support,” explains Kevin Curran, Head of Enterprise in Cork.

services are offered to the business community and in particular the micro-enterprise sector. The LEOs are a client focussed entity and our focus is on what these micro-enterprises need to help them grow and develop.”

Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office (LEO), Cork North & West, is one of a network of 31 such offices in the country. The LEOs are the front door through which all information on state supports for small and micro-businesses can be accessed. The LEOs also signpost to other supports and bodies with programmes relevant to small business as well as important local services and compliance requirements.

The current focus for Cork LEO is as follows:

Business Information & Advisory Services: • General business advice & information • Information & access to other enterprise related government agencies • Advice & information on accessing public procurement processes

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), act as a ‘First Stop Shop’ for anyone seeking information and support on starting or growing a business in Ireland. Their role is to drive the development of local enterprise, putting micro and small business at the heart of job creation.

The LEOs are the business connection into the local authority, Enterprise Ireland and all state agencies that can help grow a business. With offices in Clonakilty and Mallow the LEO Cork North & West serves a significant part of Ireland’s largest county, providing a range of services for the micro business sector. Curran outlines the services of the Local Enterprise Office as follows:

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• Working with enterprises to help improve their competitiveness through initiatives such as LEAN for Micro • Broadening the management capacity through various training and management development programmes • Encouraging innovation through advice, mentoring and funding opportunities • Encouraging market diversity through advice, mentoring and funding opportunities The LEOs in Cork pride themselves on both service delivery and the level of innovation and engagement offered to the micro enterprise community within the region. “Ensuring that we promote a message that great opportunities exist for people to explore the options of working for themselves is central to how we operate,” Curran says.

“Deepening the numbers of indigenous, ambitious and competitive focussed small businesses within the region will work to future proof the long-term viability of the local economy, creating jobs and fostering confidence across all sectors as a result.”

Enterprise Support Services: • • • • • • • • •

Provide financial support for start-up & business development Provide training supports Mentoring Marketing Access to business networks Product & Service development Supports for businesses to trade online Microfinance Ireland Loan Fund Progression for high potential start-ups & high growth companies to Enterprise Ireland • Promotional Space

Entrepreneurship Support Services: • • • • • •

Education Female entrepreneurship Youth Entrepreneurship Senior entrepreneurship Local & National Enterprise Awards Enterprise promotional activities

According to Curran, the LEOs are an intrinsic part of the public sector, being part of the local authority suite of services. “Our

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INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION There is no Irish university ranked in the world’s top 100, according to the latest QS World University Rankings 2019 which show the country’s higher education sector sliding down the global league.

Trinity College Dublin has dropped from 88th to 104th in the latest QS World University Rankings which leaves Ireland without a university in the world’s top 100. UCD, the country’s largest university, fell 25 places to 193rd.

Five of the seven universities, as well as Dublin Institute of Technology have fallen down the latest rankings. Both The University of Limerick and Maynooth University have retained their rating from last year.

University College Cork dropped from 283rd to 338th while Galway has dropped 17 places to 260th, its first fall in this ranking since 2011. Dublin City University fell from 391ist to 422nd, and Dublin Institute of Technology fell 651st to 700th.

Globally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is named the world’s leading university for a record-breaking seventh consecutive

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year while Continental Europe’s best university remains ETH Zurich.

University of Oxford (5th) has usurped its long-time rival, the University of Cambridge (6th) to be named the UK’s top institution.

While other countries have increased their spend on education, Irish universities still suffer austerity related cuts and controls on staff numbers which have yet to be reversed.

The ranking organisers QS said employer reputation scores were down for all eight Irish colleges, and academic reputation fell at seven of them.

“This suggests that institutions in other nations are receiving an increasing share of global academic and employer recognition, at the expense of Irish institutions,” the report said.

TRAINING & EDUCATION

The relative impact of Irish research also appears to be declining as the rank for citations per faculty were lower this year at seven out of eight institutions. But this was in spite of higher average citations than last year, which did not match global average improvements.

Concern is now growing that the reputation of the country’s education system is being damaged by the deteriorating international rankings of the country’s universities. Quality of education and a highly trained workforce is the key factor in attracting inward investment and the results will be of concern to policy makers.

The president of the country’s biggest university UCD Professor Andrew Deeks said its fall from 86th to 536 in the QS rank of student-teacher ratios was a result of employment restrictions and reduced state funding, which he said can no longer be endured.

“At a time when countries like China are investing billions into their best universities to reduce their studentteacher ratio to 10:1 and to raise their world standing, the Irish government perseveres with austerity level funding of Irish higher education,” Prof Deeks said.

“As a direct result, Irish parents continue to pay the highest up-front fees for undergraduate education in Europe, and the standing of the Irish university system continues to decline relative to more ambitious systems,” he said.

Despite an increase in public funding for third-level colleges by Education Minister Richard Bruton this year - with j100m more than a year ago now being invested - they continue to receive less than they did when

thousands fewer students were attending a decade ago.

UCD said that non-Exchequer income now accounts for 65% of its annual income.

Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, is alarmed by the continued slide of Irish universities in the QS Rankings and that Ireland can no longer claim a Top 100 university.

Commenting on the influential world rankings, Ibec Senior Executive for Education and Innovation Policy, Claire McGee, said: “This outcome is a direct result of dire under investment into the higher education sector over the last decade. The lack of investment does not match or support the national ambitions to be a global education and innovation leader.

“Investment in education, particularly higher education, must be regarded as a national infrastructure priority.

Ireland’s return to economic growth and success is underpinned by highly talented and educated people. It is imperative that we invest in our universities and institutes.

These rankings damage Ireland’s reputation to attract and embed foreign direct investment to create more high quality and technology jobs. In addition, it impacts the universities’ ability to bring leading international researchers and their teams, to undertake cutting edge science and innovations to support Irish business, to Ireland.

“Ibec has long called for Government to act on the OECD recommendations from 2002 to introduce more balanced funding streams including income-contingent student loans. We must expedite the recommendations of the Cassell’s 2015 report and the overall process for higher education funding. We need to stop any further slide in rankings and the time to act is now.”

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..

• CCT College Dublin is one of Ireland’s Premier Independent Colleges • Specialising in Computing & Business at Undergraduate & Postgraduate level • Ideal City Centre location • Industry aligned Full and Part-time programmes • Courses beginning every September and February • Affordable Access to Education • Excellent Student Support Services

CCT College Dublin: Our Dedication, Your Journey

For more information: www.cct.ie • info@cct.ie • (01) 6333444 30-34 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Learning Institute

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 CCT College Dublin Best Learning Institute in Ireland

CCT College is one of Ireland’s leading independent colleges, providing higher education undergraduate and postgraduate level programmes within the disciplines of computing and business.

Established as the College of Computing Technology (CCT), and rebranded a couple of years ago as CCT College Dublin, the college is a provider of Irish state validated programmes under Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI). CCT is delighted to be part of the successful Springboard+ national initiative, which offers access to 8,088 places across 245 courses at certificate, degree and postgraduate level. Managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills, the Springboard scheme has been in operation since 2011, and CCT is proud to have been a part of it since its inception.

This initiative provides free access for eligible participants to many higher education and training accredited programmes from level 6 on the Irish National Qualifications Framework upwards. One such programme which attracts mature students under the initiative is the ICT Skills / ICT Conversion funded postgraduate level - higher diploma in Science in Computing part time programme, at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

CCT is housed in the very heart of Dublin city, occupying a stateof-the-art premises at 30-34 Westmoreland Street Dublin 2. The college is one of the best located in the country, with access to all public transport routes from our front door, servicing all areas of the city and greater Dublin, including bus, train and LUAS. This building was most recently known as the EBS Building Society Head Offices, between 1979 - 2003. CCT helped renovate this historical building, which avails of all city-centre amenities.

The college is renowned for its passion in teaching and learning, dedication to its students, excellent standards, and close links to industry. Small class sizes also facilitate more interactive and personalised learning, which can be particularly important for those who may be returning to education as mature students.

CCT College provide a number of skills-based industry aligned short-term diploma programmes in areas such as Python and Java programming, predictive data analytics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, applied business management, computerised accounting, web, computer networking, digital marketing and much more. The college can also design, develop and provide bespoke training programmes tailored to departmental requirements, available at their campus, or onsite in organisations.

CCT also offers a wide range of QQI validated business and computing undergrad and postgrad programmes, including Springboard+ funded higher education courses, such as their Level 8 Higher Diploma in Science in Computing conversion programme, ideal for graduates of numeric based degree programmes who wish to convert into a computing career.

College Founder and President Neil Gallagher says that the Public sector is an important sector for CCT, “as we have been providing education and training to this sector since 2008. As an independent state accredited college, we can facilitate provision of globally accredited academic programmes and skills certified training, with flexible modes of provision such as blended learning, daytime and evening schedules.”

To provide a high-quality education service to its local and regional community is a vital part of the college mission and strategy. This is mainly why the public sector particularly around the Dublin and Leinster region, is an important one for CCT. The last 3 years at CCT have seen many strategic developments and enhancements at the college with some of the main projects / developments including: • State of the art education premises status achieved • MSc in Applied Software Development and MSc in Data Analytics to be developed • Industry Engagement Forum to be developed and launched, with continuous and innovative engagement for cutting edge programmes on offer • Greater number of free to access funded provision, particularly in partnership with large multinational organisations • CCT College has become Ireland’s first independent college to successfully get through the Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI) Institutional Reengagement periodic review Mr Gallagher says that his core message for the public sector is that CCT is a great choice for all in the public sector, “whether you wish to engage with us at lower or higher levels on the National Qualifications Framework.” The main reasons a prospective learner should choose CCT are presented here: A commitment to excellence aimed at the finest quality standards: • Globally validated awards with QQI • Highly dedicated and experienced lecturing staff • Teaching and learning led institution, renowned for the highest teaching standards • Student centred, friendly and supportive learning environment • State of the art campus ideally located in the very heart of Dublin city • Industry aligned education and training provision • Flexible learning modes • Funded provision, with affordable fees where applicable • Small class sizes with a personal touch, promoting an interactive atmosphere, with the highest levels of education support including additional support class provision.

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Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

Taught MSc in Civil Engineering A modular taught MSc course offering specialisations in one of the following four streams: • Environmental Engineering • Structural & Geotechnical Engineering • Transport Engineering, Policy & Planning • Sustainable Energy Engineering

Research MSc or PhD Opportunities are available for well qualified candidates to undertake full or part-time research leading to an MSc or PhD. General Enquiries: Prof Aonghus McNabola Tel: 01 896 1457

One Year Part-Time Postgraduate Diploma Courses • Applied Building Repair & Conservation • Construction Law & Contract Administration • Environmental Monitoring, Assessment and Engineering • Fire Safety Practice (Buildings And Other Structures) • Health And Safety In Construction • Project Management • Sustainable Energy These courses are run on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings during the two semesters.

Application forms: www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/faculty General enquiries: Ms. Debbie Walsh, Graduate School of Professional Engineering Studies, Trinity College. walshd@tcd.ie Tel: 01 896 1007

General Enquiries: Tel: +353 1 896 1007 Fax: +353 1 677 3072 Email: civeng@tcd.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Educational Development

• • • • • • •

Applied Building Repair and Conservation Construction Law and Contract Administration Environmental Engineering Fire Safety Practice (Buildings and Other Structures) Health and Safety in Construction Project Management Sustainable Energy

These are specialised postgraduate courses, with content that is not normally included (or at least not in any depth) within an undergraduate engineering degree programme. The diploma classes run at weekends (Friday evenings and Saturday mornings), so are very much aimed at facilitating people who are in employment.

Furthermore, in addition to lectures from members of academic staff, much of the teaching is provided by leading practitioners from the public and private sectors, an aspect of the diplomas that is highly valued by students.

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The Graduate School of Professional Engineering Studies (GSPES) runs seven postgraduate diploma courses, covering the following subjects:

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Postgraduate diploma courses are widely regarded throughout the public and private sectors. Engineers Ireland recognises these courses as counting towards the mandatory CPD requirements for their members. Several of the diploma courses are recognised by other professional bodies; for example, the Diploma in Health and Safety in Construction is accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the Diploma in Construction Law and Contract Administration is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Diploma in Applied Building Repair and Conservation is recognised by the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, whilst the Diploma in Fire Safety Practice was accredited earlier this year by the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Professor Misstear finds it encouraging that feedback from students over the years has been very positive. “Most have found their diploma studies at Trinity both valuable for their careers and enjoyable in meeting and working with students from different backgrounds, and hearing lectures from leading practitioners as well as academics. It is also noteworthy that many of our diploma students come from public bodies or private companies where their colleagues have undertaken diplomas in previous years – word of mouth testimonials are very important for us.”

“As an engineering school within a university we are very committed to providing education at several levels, ranging from level 8 honours degree programmes to level 10 research degrees (PhDs),” explains Professor Bruce Misstear, Director of the Graduate School of Professional Engineering Studies. “The postgraduate diploma courses started 40 years ago and are an important aspect of what we do: we have awarded more than 4,000 diplomas to students over this period, and we currently have 150 diploma students this year, representing a significant proportion of our students in civil engineering.”

Professor Misstear says that the department continually review their courses, and also take guidance and recommendations from the formal reports of the independent external examiners every year. “Next year, for example, we are expanding the environmental engineering diploma to a Diploma in Environmental Monitoring, Assessment and Environmental Engineering. This change reflects both the wider scope of the course, and the diverse backgrounds and interests of the student intake.”

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DCU Flexible Learning Opportunities for Older Adults Join us this autumn on one of our programmes, where you can simply study a module without the need for exams or assignments, or if you’re up for the challenge, undertake exams and work towards an award — the choice is yours!

It’s never too late to learn something new, meet new friends, and experience life on a university campus.

Key features of our options for older adults include: — Flexible learning opportunities from a wide variety of modules catering for people of all ages — Study with or without assignments and exams — Opportunities to explore genealogy, life writing, and so much more with our Love of Lifelong Learning Programme — Study online with our DCU Connected programme

For further information, or to be added to our contact list, please contact: Christine O’Kelly, Age-Friendly Coordinator T: 01 700 8933 E: christine.okelly@dcu.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Educational Programmes

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DCU is a young research intensive, globally engaged university with a pioneering spirit and the world’s first officially designated Age-Friendly University.

In 2012 DCU established the concept and principles of an AgeFriendly University and became the world’s first officially designated Age-Friendly University leading a global network which has been joined by over 30 universities representing North America, Europe, and South East Asia.

DCU’s ambition is to be internationally recognised as leaders of age-friendly initiatives in education, research and innovation to promote a greater, more connected and productive quality of life for older adults. DCU is doing this by working together to promote an inclusive approach to healthy and active ageing, through research agendas and focus on innovation to address specific issues affecting older adults, curriculum development and the enhancement of learning opportunities for people across the generations.

Christine O’Kelly, DCU’s Age Friendly Coordinator, outlines some

of the options “We offer a range of health, sports, cultural and educational opportunities from a wide range of modules one can undertake without the need for assignments to our Love of Lifelong Learning Programme offering Life Writing, Genealogy, English Literature, Economics and Politics”, she explains. DCU also offer opportunities through the DCU Connected Programme for those interested in online learning at their own pace.

“We have an intergenerational garden project based from St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, a peer led Digital Photography Group and a community garden on the DCU Glasnevin Campus”, says O’Kelly.

The DCU MedEX Programme hosts over 600 older people in campus per week to take part in a supervised medical exercise programme covering a range of medical conditions and their Movement to Music

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Programme for those with Parkinson’s are all in big demand.

DCU also host an Active for Life Programme supporting an age appropriate fitness regime.

“We provide free online training for those working in the leisure, financial services, and retail industry on dealing with people with dementia” says O’Kelly and they support those caring for a loved one with dementia.

to support “ageing in place”, and preventative medicine are key areas of interest. “Embracing ageing through increased participation and visibility of older people on campus provides us with opportunities to challenge stereotypes, engage in authentic intergenerational exchange, mentoring, invite older people to inform and engage with our research and prepare our traditional students to inform their own ageing process”, explains O’Kelly.

“We have over a thousand older people in our Love of Lifelong Learning Association (3LLS) who meet for special interest lectures and receive regular newsletters,” says O’Kelly.

A collaborative range of initiatives developed by the higher education sector is currently being collated to present to government with a view to future support and investment.

DCU is a young research intensive, globally engaged university with a pioneering spirit. For example DCU developed the Access Programme providing opportunities for students experiencing disadvantage to attend third level and its third year placement in industry ensures DCU students are job ready leaving higher education. DCU’s innovative approach to harness the expertise of the higher education sector to address the country’s rising demographic again demonstrates this pioneering spirit.

DCU’s pilot retirement course “Pathways to Retirement” launching soon will provide participants with a blue print for the next phase of their life transitioning from work to retirement.

Over the next thirty years, the total number of people in Ireland aged 65 years and older is projected to more than double and the number of those aged over 85 years to quadruple. These demographic changes present major implications, and DCU’s leadership role in preparing society to meet the challenges and opportunities of this ageing demographic has led to the Age Friendly University Initiative. This sets a strategic direction to respond to the challenges and opportunities of ageing through its research agenda. Ageing-related research with particular emphasis on the impact of intergenerational and life-long learning; the health effects of physical activity; dementia; technology

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A global advisory board is currently being established to look at how opportunities in the higher education sector can be maximized and how our citizens age in a healthy and positive way.

“Planning for retirement should start at least five years before you retire’, says O’Kelly. “Research all the opportunities to make an informed decision and don’t discard the opportunities that the third level sector has to offer whether it is educational, cultural or health related”, she advises “Engaging with a university presents opportunities to make new friends, engage the mind, body and spirit and widens your horizons.”

For more information on this exciting initiative, contact Christine O’Kelly, Age Friendly Coordinator, Dublin City University. Email: Christine.okelly@dcu.ie Tel. 700 8933 Web: dcu.ie/agefriendly

“We’ll be our own lifesavers.

We’ll get the flu vaccine.”

The flu vaccine is a lifesaver for older people and those with long term health conditions.

www.immunisation.ie

INVESTING IN STEM Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the national foundation for investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research and this sustained focus has seen Ireland climb to impressive heights in world research rankings.

SFI fosters high quality research programmes from researchers based in Ireland and stimulates collaboration between institutions and industry. “Three words summarise the key priorities of Science Foundation Ireland; Excellence, Impact and Talent,” says Alva O’Cleirigh, Head of Corporate Communications, SFI. She goes on to describe how SFI has been at the forefront of developing an environment that attracts and supports researchers of international standing, secures high levels of investment form industry and helps to sustain an environment

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in which the talent and skills agenda can flourish.

O’Cleirigh is understandably proud of Ireland’s current position; 11th in global scientific ranking for overall quality of scientific research, having entered the top ten for a period in 2016-2017 (from InCites by Clarivate Analytics). This is an impressive upward trajectory from a position of 48th just 13 years ago. “Our global rankings for individual subject areas further demonstrate that we continue to play an important role in global R&D - Ireland is now 1st in Animal and Dairy, 1st in Immunology, 2nd in Nanotechnology and

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 SFI Excellence in Contribution to Science

Agricultural Sciences,” adds O’Cleirigh.

Science Foundation Ireland’s figure of 2.67% of publications in the top 1% continues to be comparable to other leading global research funders and is nearly twice the average percentage figure for all Irish publications, which O’Cleirigh believes illustrates the effectiveness of SFI’s competitive peer review processes. 4,524 people are working on Science Foundation Irelandsupported research projects, including 1,038 Postdoctoral researchers and 1,451 PhD and Masters students. “We are developing the STEM talent pipeline for an advanced economy,” explains O’Cleirigh, “with 29% of PhD and 30% of Postdocs going to industry as a first destination and 51% of Science Foundation Ireland team leavers transitioning to the private sector six to eight years post-award; the quality and mobility of our researchers is clear.”

Indeed, Ireland’s reputation as a location for world-class research continues to grow steadily. In 2017, Science Foundation Ireland-funded award holders reported a total of 2,433 international academic collaborations in 66 countries, an increase of 18% on 2016. 1,521 industry collaborations were also supported. Irish based researchers continued to win funding from other diverse sources, obtaining j176 million in additional external funding (up 4%) and j70 million in EU funding.

Science Foundation Ireland is the largest competitive

funder of scientific research in Ireland, allocating government money for research to public institutions (largely universities) in Ireland in support of top quality scientific research proposals which are likely to produce impactful results, to benefit both the economy and Irish society. SFI has a large number of programmes, often in partnership with industry and encouraging institutions to work together collaboratively, both with each other, with industry and with overseas institutions. SFI also catalyse the Irish research community to lead and win in proposals to the European Union competitive research programmes, e.g. Horizon 2020. Science Foundation Ireland also increases the awareness and profile of science in Ireland through a number of outreach and educational programmes, including national Science Week, which takes place each year in November.

The future looks equally busy: “In budget 2019, we were pleased to receive an additional j16m including j10m (in addition to j5m in budget 2018) to develop a new PhD programme focused on big data analytics and its application in all areas of endeavour; the economy, health, agriculture and more,” says O’Cleirigh. This exciting new programme will fund an additional 600 PhD students in a cohort based approach, focused on Centres for Research Training. The competition to establish these Centres for Research Training is already underway; results will be announced early in 2019 with the first intake of PhD students in September 2019. Science Foundation Ireland also secured a budget increase to fund the SFI Research Centres which focus on important research areas for Ireland, e.g. digitalisation, big data analytics, internet of things, software, medical devices, manufacturing, applied geosciences, renewable energy etc. These SFI Research Centres span all higher education institutes in Ireland, bringing together the excellent researchers in specific fields of science and linking them with appropriate researchers in the commercial sector.

Science Foundation Ireland hopes in the future to develop a major initiative in Challenge Based Funding and the first steps in this initiative have just been announced with the SFI Future Innovator Prize.

Without doubt, SFI is determined to drive Ireland’s R&D agenda with a focus on ambition, excellence and impact.

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CASTLEBAR REGIONAL TRAINING CENTRE COMHAIRLE CONTAE MHAIGH EO The Mall, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

Castlebar Regional Training Centre provides training for Local Authorities, Private Group Water Schemes, Utilities and Private Contractors. We are continuously developing and delivering courses / seminars that meet the changing needs in the current environment for CASTLEBAR REGIONAL TRAINING CENTRE both the public and private sectors.

COMHAIRLE CONTAE MHAIGH EO The Mall, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

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• Highrequire level Professional/Leadership courses and seminars Lawless, Castlebar Regional Training Centre e ua require reservation orMaura if you Manager, Castlebar Regional Training ToLawless, make aMaura reservation if youaManager, require Toor make reservation or if you require • Soft skills and competency development contact contact information, please contact further information, please further information, please contact atand (094) 904 76 72 Training Development” require further information, pleaseTcontact rvation or or if you require further information, please contact Lawless, Manager, make Maura a reservation if you require Maura Lawless, Manager, Maura Lawless, Manager, To Maura at mlawless@mayococo.ie Lawless, Manager, Castlebar Regional Training Centre , Castlebar Regional Training Centre further information, pleaseTraining contact Castlebar Regional Centre Castlebar Regional Training Centre Centre Castlebar Regional Training Centre training Along with providing for Local Authority and Private at (094) 904 7672, Maura Manager, AlongLawless, with providing training for Local Authority and Private 094) 904 7672, www.lasntg.ie

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www.wsntg.ie mlawless@mayococo.oe at (094) 904 7672, mlawless@mayococo.oe “Committed to providing providing quality Training and and Development” Training “Committed Centre are continuously developing to quality .wsntg.ie Training Centre are continuously developing and mlawless@mayococo.oe www.wsntg.ie mlawless@mayococo.oe www.wsntg.ie delivering courses/seminars that meets the changing needs Training and Development” delivering courses/seminars that meets the changing needs www.wsntg.ie www.wsntg.ie

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Training Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Castlebar Regional Training Centre Training Services Award

The investment in training that a company makes shows employees that they are valued.

Productivity usually increases when a company implements training courses. Ongoing training and upskilling of the workforce also encourages creativity and staff are more likely to feel valued if they are invested in and therefore, less likely to change employers.

Castlebar Regional Training Centre (CRTC) provides workplace training on a shared services basis for six local authorities and other public & private sector organisations in the West and Midlands. Mayo County Council are the lead authority. Training provided is to the highest standard. The facility has accreditation from SOLAS, QQI, City & Guilds and ECITB. They have grown the centre consistently over the past few years and they now deliver over 5000 training days per annum.

According to Manager Maura Lawless, approximately 90% of the centre’s training is provided for the public sector.

“We deal with six local authorities and other public sector organisations e.g.

Irish Water, Group Water Schemes, other state agencies in the West and Midlands.”

Public sector business is hugely important to the centre and the team are constantly working to improve facilities even further and offer a wide range of relevant courses. ‘’We have state of the art facilities for a wide range of practical and theoretical courses’’ Ms Lawless explains. “The facilities are available for both the public and private sectors in the west and ensure that courses currently only available in Dublin are available locally.”

Lawless says that workplace training is not just important in a company, it is vital, particularly in the area of health and safety. The employee who receives the necessary training is more able to perform in their job. The training will give the employee a greater understanding of their responsibilities within their role, and in turn build their confidence.

This confidence will enhance their overall performance which can only benefit the company. Employees who are competent and on top of their work help their employer immeasurably, with the

added bonus of job satisfaction for the employee.

For their continued work in the provision of quality training to the public sector, Castlebar Regional Training Centre are recognised for Excellence in Training Services in the Public Sector Magazine Excellence in Business Awards.

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Free Talks and Workshops

Kildare Library and Arts Services

Toys, Technology and Training 2018

Attendance and Membership is Free!

TTT is designed to offer support to children and adults with learning difficulties, disabilities or more significant needs. Based in Athy, Leixlip and Naas Libraries this specialised collection of toys and software can be accessed free of charge in branches throughout the county and can be borrowed or utilised by joining up at any Kildare library. Items in the catalogue can be requested or renewed online and collected by the borrower at their nearest branch library.

Assistive Software & Technology Fine Motor Skills Gross Motor Skills Sensory And Tactile Play And Life Skills Speech, Language & Social Skills

For more information contact: Kildare County Library Service www.Kildare.ie/library Tel: (01) 6060050

KildareLibrary

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Library Service of the Year

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kildare Library Services Library Services of the Year

Libraries are changing in response to changes in the behaviour and needs of users.

Libraries are adding new digital resources and services while maintaining most of the old, traditional resources and services. Kildare Library is the perfect example of a traditional service responding to modern day needs.

Kildare Library Services operate a network of 15 libraries and a mobile service for the people of County Kildare. Events and workshops take place in all of their libraries, and through outreach to schools, crèches, playschools, and in partnership with stakeholders.

Special annual programmes are also developed, and include: Toys, Technology and Training, Age Friendly Festival, Parenting Support, Children’s Book Festival, Secondary School Programme, Science Week Events, Culture Night, STEAM educational events, Maths Week, Coding workshops, Engineers Week, Aontas Adult Educations Week, Work Matters, Healthy Ireland, Spring into Storytime and Seachtain Na Gaeilge.

County Librarian Marian Higgins says that the services available in libraries have changed over the past number of years. While books still feature heavily in the service, technology and service changes mean that libraries offer much more than that. “Library users are finding new ways to use library spaces whether it be through community meeting spaces, events, printing, internet and computer access. eServices such an eBooks, eMagazine, eAudiobooks, online courses, language learning, eComics and online reference materials give our users access to library services 24 hours a day.”

Kildare Libraries continue to innovate and a number of successful talks and workshops have broadened their offering. Recently shortlisted for the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2018, the Toys, Technology and Training (TTT) programme ran a series of 65 talks/ workshops this year, designed to offer support to children and adults with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Talks have included: Adam Harris - Empowering People with Autism, Behavioural Therapy with Audrey Cully, Speech and Language Therapy with Catherine Sheahan, Dyslexia talks presented by the Dyslexia Association and Occupational Therapy lectures with Dorothy Armstrong, Yoga workshops for children with additional needs and ASD-Friendly Sensory Storytime. A new TTT catalogue was launched in June and included a talk by Dr. Dorothy Armstrong on the selection of toys available to borrow and author Aidan Comerford spoke about his book ‘Corn Flakes for Dinner’. There are over 100 items in the new TTT catalogue with multiple copies available and the collection is currently being borrowed by almost 400 members.

Kildare Library Services are very interested in developing and nurturing interest in Science Technology Art Engineering and Maths (STEAM).

An annual STEAM programme works in conjunction with schools. In recent months Kildare libraries has received funding for the provision of digital library services across county Kildare. This funding is aimed at providing library users with access to latest technologies and supporting users who are not confident with technology. Equipment being purchased in Kildare includes computers and laptops for public use, tablets for use by the public to access new technologies and use online library services, interactive touch screens for collaboration work, classes and meeting spaces, gaming and virtual reality equipment, kits to support coding including robotics kits and selfservice tablet lending systems which will allow users to borrow a tablet with their library card and use the device within the library. “The laptops, tablets and computers will allow for classes supporting library users in developing their digital skills while the coding equipment will complement the existing Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths (STEAM) programme,” explains Ms Higgins.

She continues: “We are currently developing library capital projects for Naas and Newbridge which will offer exciting new services and spaces for communities in conjunction with extensive upgrade works throughout the network. These modern library spaces will offer opportunities by way of space, resources and memories to enhance our visitor experience.”

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Visit www.pai.ie Phone (01) 819 8500 @publicaffairsir Public Affairs Ireland

Public Affairs Ireland provides specialist professional development services to the public sector. Our CPD and Accredited Programmes are delivered by experienced industry and academic experts who provide training in a range of subject areas.

Update Series

These include: • • • • •

Human Resources Leadership and Management Legal, Regulatory and Public Policy Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness Public Financial Management and Procurement

Upcoming Conferences Annual Public Procurement Conference

Short half-day seminars that keep you updated on policy, regulatory and legal developments.

Each seminar earns attendees 3 CPD points.

November 22nd @ O’Callaghan Davenport Hotel, Dublin

CPD 2018: Ensuring CPD Compliance for Legal Professionals in the Public Sector (Full Day) December 6th @ Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin

PAI’s Annual HR Conference 2019

January 19th @ Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin

Bespoke In-house Training

Public Affairs Ireland also provide tailored in-house training, customised to your organisational needs and industry. Contact our dedicated in-house training account manager for more information.

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Public Affairs Ireland (PAI) are leading specialists in continuous professional development training, primarily for the public sector.

PAI provide tailored, relevant and effective learning solutions to ensure that professionals in the public sector can continually progress in their roles and bring a standard of excellence to their organisations.

PAI offer a range of learning options which include accredited certificate courses, tailored training, CPD seminars, practical workshops and industry updates. These cover an extensive range of subject areas which address the varied roles of public sector professionals.

PAI’s core training areas span a range of subjects including human resources, leadership and management, legal and regulatory affairs, finance and personal development; allowing clients to update their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. PAI also regularly publish industry related articles, from a range of expert contributors and speakers.

PAI’s aim is to provide educational and Left to right: Niamh Connolly: Education & Training Coordinator, Joanne O’Sullivan: Contracts Manager, Carol learning services to the public sector. They O’Connor: Executive Director, Emma McBride: Training Development Manager ensure that all accredited courses align with industry requirements in order to provide clients with bespoke Currently, PAI are hosting a number of new courses and conferences and effective learning experiences to continue and enhance their which will provide clients with updated information and new skills. professional development. PAI facilitate a wide range of specialist On Thursday 22 November, PAI hosted their annual Procurement courses and seminars, while also offering tailored in-house training.

Conference and they were delighted to welcome Minister of State This in-house service enables organisations to design programmes for Public Procurement, Patrick O’Donovan TD to address this which meet the specific needs of their organisation and are closely conference. This year PAI launched a series of CPD conferences customised to the roles of delegates. PAI conferences are topical and for legal professionals within the public sector. To bring this year’s reflect the needs of the client base within the range of workplace events to a conclusion the full day conference, CPD 2018: Ensuring functions. All conferences are delivered by expert industry speakers CPD Compliance for Legal Professionals in the Public Sector took and align with CPD requirements and certification. place on 6 December, enabling legal Professionals to meet their CPD requirements by attending lectures which relate directly to their role PAI believe that the continuous professional development of public and industry. sector professionals is highly important not just for those employed within this sector, but also for the public as a whole. “We must strive Ms O’Sullivan says that Public Affairs Ireland are committed to to provide the public with the highest standard of service, this is delivering the highest standard possible of continuous professional made possible through ongoing education and training for public development training and education for the public sector. “We sector professionals,” explains PAI’s Joanne O’Sullivan. believe that by developing new skills and knowledge, public sector employees can achieve professional and personal success “Public Affairs Ireland always strives to ensure that our courses, throughout their careers and offer outstanding service to the Irish seminars and conferences adapt to reflect the changes happening public.” in the public sector and within our society as a whole.”

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Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Chiarraí Kerry Education and Training Board

Apprenticeships | Training Courses | Further Education | Community and Youth Programmes

Centrepoint, John Joe Sheehy Road Tralee, Co. Kerry Tel: 066 7121488

www.kerryetb.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Education & Apprentice Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kerry ETB Education & Apprentice Award

Kerry Education and Training Board (ETB) is a leader of world class education and training. The mission of the organisation is to create a lifelong learning society in Kerry, so everyone has access to high quality education and training to meet their personal, social, cultural, economic and civic needs. The ethos of the organisation is to be inclusive and innovative.

Kerry ETB is responsible for a range of Further Education and Training (FET) programmes in ten county towns across 20 FET centres, as well as a community national school, eight post primary schools, youth services countywide and music education.

In terms of further education and training, Kerry ETB primarily works with school leavers and job seekers. However, in common with all ETBs, the organisation has an expanding role in providing opportunities for people in employment to upskill or retrain so as to advance their careers. A new remit for ETBs is working with SMEs to assist them in auditing their skill gaps and conduct training needs analysis with a view to workforce planning and bespoke training.

Participation in the South West Regional Skills Forum is just one method of employer engagement to scope out the needs of business and industry. A new initiative is the EXPLORE digital skills project with manufacturing operatives over the age of 35 years.

This innovation aims to insulate Irish low skilled workers from future unemployment and skill obsolesce, while also making sure that Ireland Inc. remains competitive in the face of Brexit challenges.

“We aim to support businesses and individuals on a journey to reach their full potential”, says Owen O’Donnell, Director of Further Education and Training. Our motto is “be the best you can be with Kerry ETB”.

Kerry ETB has developed specialisms in key areas to serve local, regional and national economic needs. One example is the Commis Chef Apprenticeship for Ireland, which was developed by Kerry ETB in consultation with the Irish hospitality sector to meet an urgent skill gap. Other developments have included a suite of programmes for the tourism sector – a logical move given this ETB’s prime location on the Wild Atlantic Way. These include National Tour Guiding; Regional Tour Guiding; Marine Angling; Inland Angling. Uniquely Kerry ETB has developed an RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) system for tour guiding courses and the Commis Chef Apprenticeship.

Given that we are an island nation with a large fishing fleet and a growing fish processing industry this ETB has developed a new Marine Engineering Traineeship.

A number of specialist Kerry ETB courses train people to work in the renewable energy and electrical power transmission and distribution sector. These include: Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician Traineeship; Overhead Lines Operative Traineeship, Fibre Installation Technician.

Kerry ETB is collaborating with an ESB Networks project to examine the impact of renewables, battery storage and greater use of electricity for heat and transport. This is a major project in Dingle which will see ESB Networks deploy a range of technologies to future proof the electricity network for the benefit of homes, farms and businesses on the Dingle Peninsula. Kerry ETB will create a demonstration smart home that will be the training facility for installing renewable energy storage and distribution devices for homes and cars, giving apprentices, qualified tradespeople and others an opportunity to upskill. In time, engineers, architects and other professionals will be invited to a series learning events on the designs of future houses.

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THE NATIONAL AMBULANCE SERVICE COLLEGE The National Ambulance Service College provides the essential education and training to all staff of the National Ambulance Service in addition the (NASC) provides a multitude of educational programmes to Pre-hospital Care Providers and Practitioners, the Irish Coastguard, the Defence Forces, Gardai, Allied Health Care Professionals and members of Voluntary Organisations. Training programmes including patient care programmes, leadership development, tutor development, major incident planning and preparation and driving.

3rd Floor, Rivers Building, Tallaght Cross, Dublin 24

www.nasceducation.com

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NASC provide training and education in emergency care, leadership, tutor development, major incident planning/preparation and driving to many arms of the state.

The National Ambulance Service College (NASC) is a unit within the wider National Ambulance Service (NAS). Its purpose is two-fold.

Firstly, the NASC provides core training and education to a range of pre-hospital emergency care providers, from members of various state organisations such as the Gardai, Defence Forces, Fire Services and of course the National Ambulance Service. The training ranges from short courses such as cardiac first responder one-day courses to twoyear courses such as the paramedic programme. Secondly, the NASC provides a central point for competency assurance initiatives within the National Ambulance Service, for example it develops and delivers biannual training plans for the service that address mandatory and clinical training needs on an on-going basis.

“The mission of the National Ambulance Service College is to provide vocational and professional education and training to Ambulance and Associated Personnel, based on current best practice, to meet the strategic and operational needs of the National Ambulance Service and the Health Communities and Patients it serves” says Macartan Hughes, Chief Ambulance Officer.

The National Ambulance Service College is located in the NAS Rivers Building in Tallaght, Dublin 24 and Ballinasloe, Co. Galway where all NAS Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics and Advanced Paramedics receive training and on-going revalidation. The College has the latest training aids and simulators, which ensures comprehensive training in a consistent manner for all staff.

The College also trains all the call taking and dispatch staff for the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) on an on going basis. The NEOC operates across two sites, Tallaght Dublin and Ballyshannon Co Donegal.

The NEOC has visibility of all NAS resources across the country which ensures the nearest available resource is dispatched to every incident.

Staff use an Advanced Priority Medical Dispatch System (AMPDS) which utilises internationally recognised protocols and standards to ensure that life threatening situations receive an immediate and appropriate response.

As well as the National Ambulance Service itself, the NASC undertake training and education in emergency care to many arms of the state including the Irish Coastguard, the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, Health Care Professionals and members of Voluntary Organisations.

The range of training courses includes patient care programmes, leadership courses, tutor development, major incident planning and preparation and driving.

“The NASC is firmly embedded within the public sector and exists solely to support the delivery of effective care to the patients encountered by our students and graduates” says Hughes.

The NASC is currently progressing a number of exciting new initiatives to lead to better patient care. Perhaps most notably the NASC is engaged in supporting the development of a new grade of paramedic, a community paramedic, who will address care issues for patients with chronic conditions, in their homes and community. With the changing demographic and the changing nature of care, the existing model of transporting 93% of patients to hospital via ambulance needs to be examined. Not all patients who have medical issues at home need to be admitted to hospital. The Community Paramedic would be trained to go to low acuity calls to carry out assessments, treatments and interventions designed to keep the patient at home without transport to hospital.

The NASC are also working on some other important initiatives. A BSc Honours degree programme for paramedics is in development and should commence in 2019. The NASC has also embarked on the rejuvenation of a phlebotomy - the drawing of blood from a patient - training programme for the Acute Hospital Services.

Hughes has two important messages for people to consider, “Firstly know your Eircode and use it”, says Hughes. The use of Eircodes can reduce response times for emergency ambulances , particularly in rural areas. “The second message would be for everyone to undertake a CPR course”, he says. While Ireland has seen a small improvement in recent years for survival from cardiac arrests Hughes stresses the importance of members of the community for rapid reaction in an emergency, “only by having more people in the community able to effectively respond to cardiac arrest emergencies will we be able to push survival rates up to match some of our European neighbours.” Wise advice from the service whose core function is training others to save lives.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Promotion of Irish Language & Culture Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cavan County Council Promotion of Irish Language and Culture Award

Cavan’s Pop-Up Gaeltacht Comhairle na nÓg and Cavan County Council’s collaborative PopUp Gaeltacht, held at Castle Saunderson International Scouting Centre on 27-28 June 2017, was a landmark event, which saw young people from Counties Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Donegal and Mayo come together to celebrate the Irish language, to grow as young adults, and to learn about the region’s past, especially its history of conflict and reconciliation.

Comhairle na nÓg is the nationally recognised structure that enables children and young people to have a voice in local decision making.

This is recognised by Cavan County Council and the local authority strives to ensure that Comhairle is involved in local decision making either directly through representation on the PPN or as a consultee through the LCDC process and in particular have a part to play in the implementation of actions affecting young people identified in the Local Economic and Community Plan. As such they are key stakeholders in the delivering of the LECP. “Comhairle na nÓg caters for young people aged from 12 to 17 and, therefore, too young to vote. Participating in events like the Pop-Up Gaeltacht gives these young people, who have so much to contribute to our society, an important voice,” explains Jane Crudden, Comhairle na nÓg Coordinator with Cavan County Council.

One of many issues on which Cavan Comhairle na nÓg is active is the importance of the Irish language as a cultural touchstone, and as an agent of cohesion within the community. Cavan is not known for its association with the Irish language and lacks a recognised Gaeltacht region.

offer places on the Cavan pop-up to those young people applying for Gaeltacht scholarships. Key policies for Cavan Comhairle na nÓg in 2018 include: Promotion of the Irish language outside the classroom, Healthy Eating, and Life Skills.

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Mr Tommy Ryan, hailed the energy and enthusiasm of Cavan Comhairle na nÓg, noting, “Since the publication of the ‘Putting People First’, Action Programme for Effective Local Government, and the subsequent introduction of the Local Government Reform Act, local authorities have a much greater role in community development, and initiatives such as the Pop-Up Gaeltacht, which empower and inspire our young people, are a clear indication of the importance of this creative work. I would like to congratulate Cavan County Council staff; Jane Crudden, Siobhán Mulligan, and Denis Meegan, Tomas McPhilips Comhairle Leader and the wonderful Comhairle na nÓg team in Cavan on this fantastic initiative,” said Mr Ryan.

Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Madeleine Argue also voiced her appreciation of these young people’s efforts to revive and develop the Irish language in County Cavan.

“I am hugely impressed by the maturity, drive, and social conscience of these young people, who look at our society and seek to improve it, not just for themselves, but for everyone. The Pop-Up Gaeltacht is a wonderful example of collaboration between the County Council and the community and I look forward to future initiatives from Cavan Comhairle na nÓg,” said Cllr Argue.

The young Comhairle members, all too aware of the poor take-up of Irish among school-leavers, proposed to take the language out of the classroom setting and to host a vibrant Pop-Up Gaeltacht.

Bringing together young people, from across Connacht and Ulster, this event featured workshops that tackled issues surrounding the Irish language including ‘Who does the language belong to?’, ‘What can we do to normalise speaking Irish?’ and ‘The future of Irish for young people’.

The Pop-Up Gaeltacht was a huge success, and as well as formulating policy ideas, the participants enjoyed a full programme of activities including a céilí with Mad4Trad, a tour of Cavan Town, a visit to Cavan County Museum, and a closing ceremony hosted by the Cathaoirleach and the Chief Executive of Cavan County Council.

Comhairle na nÓg has just held a second successful Pop-up Gaeltacht, and has recently linked up with Cavan County library to

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 LOETB Educational Services Award

The staff at Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) believe education and training are the foundations not just for a strong economy but also for a vibrant and inclusive society.

Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) is a statutory provider of education and training in Laois and Offaly. It is one of the main employers in the midlands with over 1,000 staff providing education and training for over 4,000 students at post-primary level and over 11,000 students on Further Education and Training (FET) programmes and services.

Joe Cunningham, Chief Executive lists some of the organisations responsibilities “LOETB manages nine post-primary schools and twelve multi-programme FET Centres and is also joint patron of five Community Schools across Laois and Offaly,” he says, “We also support the coordination and provision of youth work services across the two counties and, through co-operation with other institutions, provide support to a wide variety of programmes and agencies to deliver education and training programmes that cannot be met by mainstream educational services.” In addition LOETB has a long history of working in partnership with statutory, community, and voluntary groups and the management and staff represent LOETB on various boards and committees across the two counties and nationally.

“Education and Training are the foundations not just for a strong economy but also for a vibrant and inclusive society and therefore it is a privilege to work in this sector,” says Cunningham and this approach is reflected by his enthusiastic team. “Our post-primary schools are a cornerstone of our provision where the focus is on the academic, personal, and social development of all our students,” explains Paul Fields, Director of Schools.

“We are working on a number of projects at present in line with the goals of our Strategy Statement,” says Cunningham, “We recently established a Teaching and Learning Unit that, among its functions, will support staff with the implementation of technology-enhanced learning methodologies across all our provision.” In addition, LOETB has recently finalised a Strategic Performance Agreement with SOLAS which will govern funding and provision in FET for the next three years and additional QA systems are also being put in place. “We have a number of large-scale capital projects underway that will help improve our facilities for both post-primary and FET students,” adds Cunningham. LOETB are additionally currently introducing a series of measures supported by ICT to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of their administration service as well as supporting the primary education sector locally with procurement and capital projects.

LOETB has come through a significant change process since it was established in 2013 and a lot of work in the intervening period focused on putting in place structures and systems to deliver on their statutory requirements. They launched their five-year Strategy Statement earlier this year with a key focus on excellence both in terms of education and training provision as well as the experience for students. “The development of staff and the continuous transformation of the organisation to respond to changing and emerging needs are also critical to the improvements we want to deliver to ensure we meet our commitments effectively,” says Cunningham, “As a local education authority LOETB is now in a strong position to meet the needs of the community we serve.”

As the economy continues to grow, so too does the need for relevant further education and training provision to help organisations remain competitive in a constantly-changing business environment.

“The focus of LOETB is to support students to progress to higher education and also directly into employment,” says Tony Dalton, Director of Further Education and Training, “To this end, we work closely with SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, to ensure our provision meets the needs of those seeking employment, as well as those in employment.”

The Organisation, Support and Development (OSD) function provides the necessary support for the administration of education and training services with expertise across finance, corporate services, human resources, and ICT to meet LOETB’s obligations in both an efficient and effective manner. “We view the three pillars of Schools, FET, and OSD,” says Marie Bracken, Director of OSD, “as akin to a three-legged stool that supports our ultimate aim of actively leading the provision of high-quality education and training in Laois and Offaly”.

The organisation itself is always seeking to develop and improve.

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Supporting Local and Regional Enterprise Development through Collaboration, Clustering and Creative Thinking. > > > > > >

Enterprise Support Services and Facilities throughout Meath Modern Office and Light Industrial Units to let Co-Working and Hot Desks Meeting Rooms, Conference and Event Space Training, Mentoring and Networking Opportunities High Speed Fibre Broadband and Free Parking

Meath Enterprise Meath Enterprise Centre Trim Road, Navan, Co. Meath C15 TKX6

tel: +353 46 907 3753 email: info@meathenterprise.ie web: www.meathenterprise.ie @meathenterprise

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Development

“We want to develop long term relationships that are based on trust, a willingness to collaborate and an ambition to succeed. We believe, with the right partners, anything is possible and we have a very open minded, flexible and entrepreneurial approach to doing business.”

This entrepreneurial approach is evident at The Kells Tech Hub, a world class regional enterprise development facility that will, through collaboration, clustering and creative thinking, help to support, promote and develop a culture of entrepreneurship in Kells, throughout Meath and across the wider region.

The Kells Tech Hub offers high quality, modern, fully serviced and affordable accommodation to startups and SMEs such as offices, coworking space’s, hot desks and meeting rooms to help them start and scale their business. There is also a mini conference and expo centre and several flexible training spaces to support entrepreneurship education and the delivery or world class enterprise training and innovation programmes that can help Irish Startups and SMEs to scale and go global.

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CEO Gary O’Meara is actively involved in several local, regional and national government and private sector committees and boards that support similar objectives. “Meath Enterprise are unique in their approach to supporting enterprise. We focus on finding solutions to problems that actually exist and we engage directly with global organisations to learn how-to based on global best practice,” he says.

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Meath Enterprise is a commercially focused local government, not-for-profit enterprise development company with a remit to drive local, regional and national enterprise development through collaboration, clustering and creative thinking.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Meath Enterprise Excellence in Business Development Regional Award

• Provide access to national and international networks that can facilitate access to global market opportunities • Become a Centre of Excellence for scaling startups and SMEs The project leverages the vast experience of Meath Enterprise and Meath County Council who have a track record in establishing and developing the Enterprise and Incubation Centres, Programmes and Initiatives in Meath. Overall the Kells Tech Hub will seek to drive business momentum in the region in order to facilitate regional economic and enterprise development while ultimately supporting the development of long-term sustainable jobs in Kells and across the North East.

The Kells Tech Hub project was funded through the ‘Rural Economic Development Zone’ (REDZ) initiative in late 2015 and again in 2016 (j275,000 in total) and is located at the Kells Enterprise and Technology Centre. The purpose of the project, which was developed by Meath Enterprise and co-funded by Meath County Council (over j120k), is to provide premium quality high tech workspace and training facilities to start-ups and SMEs at affordable prices.

Kells Tech Hub is a fine example of how an enterprising council is helping to play a major role in regional development. In recognition of this Meath Enterprise are worthy recipients of the Public Sector Magazine Excellence in Business Development Award 2018.

Speaking at the launch CEO Gary O’Meara said: “this is a very unique project that seeks to support startups and SMEs to scale globally by providing direct access to world class entrepreneurship training and development programmes and facilitating collaboration across a full spectrum of national and international government and state agencies, academic institutions and business leaders. Meath County Council is being proactive in its approach to supporting entrepreneurs and the Kells Tech Hub is another step towards establishing Meath as Europe’s Business Ready Region.”

The Kells Tech Hub will strive to: • Support the development of new and existing businesses in the region • Foster collaboration and shared learning between the state agencies, universities, multi-nationals and indigenous businesses • Provide alternative flexible workspace options for those who want to avoid the long commutes to Dublin on a daily basis • Act as a landing hub for foreign businesses looking to set up an Irish or European base • Develop world class Innovation and Scaling Programmes that will help Irish startups and SMEs to ‘Scale and go Global’

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THE NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTRE MOUNT LUCAS Construction Skills Traineeship (City and Guilds Qualification) Course Duration: 6 months

Health, Safety and Welfare in Construction, Principles of Building Construction Foundations, Slabs and Paths in Concrete, Skills training in Formwork and Work Placement

CSCS Programmes (New Entrants and Experienced Operators) • Site Dumper

• Articulated Dumper

• Mini Digger

• 180 Excavator

• 360 Excavator

• Slinger/Signaller

• Remote Control/Self Erector Crane

• Telescopic Handler

• Tower Crane

Changeover Programme

Irish CSCS card – UK CPCS card Health Safety & Environmental Test (UK equivalent to Irish SOLAS Safe Pass card)

Other Training

Abrasive Wheels (Including Practical demonstration) Manual Handling MEWP (Articulated Boom & Scissor Lift)

Contact us: Tel: 057 936 2508 Email: info@mountlucas.ie www.mountlucas.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Education Construction Training

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By working with industry stakeholders, the National Construction Training Centre at Mount Lucas has devised a set of easily adaptable non-craft worker training programmes to meet evolving industry needs.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Mount Lucas Services to Education Construction Training Setting Standards

Here non-craft worker training and certification of new entrants and experienced workers in the National Construction Skills Certificate (CSCS) is provided to the highest possible standards. The centre also offers a 30 week employment skills Traineeship for construction tailored to industry needs. In addition, Mount Lucas administers both the CITB UK changeover programme for Irish CSCS cards to UK CPCS cards and the UK Health Safety & Environmental (HSE) Test, the compulsory preclearance test that enables entry to work on UK sites.

All services provided at Mount Lucas are funded and supported by SOLAS with the training provision delivered under a Contract Training (CT) structure which facilitates the flexibility and innovation necessary to respond to industry and concurrently meet the specific needs of people who are unemployed, under-employed, or are in employment but requiring new or enhanced skills.

According to Centre Manager John Kelly, the public sector is an important market for Mount Lucas.

“Mount Lucas maintains a collaborative relationship with the Construction Industry Federation and other bodies that guides the training provision to meet developing gaps within the industry.

Mount Lucas is catering for unemployed people and upskilling them in basic skills that prepare them to work as general operatives or form workers in the industry. Training is provided on site, but much of the preparation for a job in construction occurs during work placement that forms a core element of every programme – and accreditation is provided through City and Guilds.”

Kelly goes on to explain that training at Mount Lucas is provided in a simulated work environment. “The facilities at Mount Lucas include a simulated work environment that replicates actual building sites.

We have over 15 acres assigned for machinery training, we also have a 700m2 Construction Hall that is used for small machine training and is currently in use as a workshop for the Form Work programme. All areas in Mount Lucas are set out so participants are trained in construction skills in real work environments. And like any building site, if participants arrive to site without appropriate Personal Protection Equipment, they are not allowed onsite.”

Mount Lucas has recently expanded the fleet enabling the centre to increase the training provision for both new entrants and experienced operators as part of the CSCS programmes. As part

of the fleet, a Saez Tower Crane has been sourced with the added features of both a hoist and a Jumbo training cab allowing both the Instructor and the trainee to work alongside each other enhancing the training experience.

Laois and Offaly Training Board (LOETB) manage the National Construction Training Centre at Mount Lucas. It is the state’s training and education arm in the region and thus must ensure that while meeting industry needs, it simultaneously facilitates, supports and prepares unemployed people, not merely for a job, but for a career in the construction industry. This is achieved through providing a range of skills required by industry but also through developing relationships with employers that ensures training continues long after employment begins. Training is not confined to unemployed people.

On the 17th April 2018, Mount Lucas in conjunction with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Irish Concrete Federation and Regional Skills hosted a very successful open day. Over 200 people were in attendance on the day.

The National Construction Training Centre’s innovative approach to training and clear commitment to what they do is recognised with this Excellence in Business award for exemplary services to construction training in Ireland.

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“More People, More Active, More Often�

SPORT IRELAND

ore Active, More Often�

SPORT IRELAND

“More People, More Active, More Often� @meathcoco.ie @meathcoco.ie @meathcoco.ie

SPORT IRELAND

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Sports & Recreation

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Meath Sports Partnership Sports and Recreation Award

Meath Local Sports Partnership (Meath LSP) was established in 2002 by Sport Ireland to plan, lead and coordinate the development of sport and physical activity in County Meath. This is achieved through engagement with sporting bodies, community and voluntary organisations, local and national agencies and statutory bodies.

In guiding their work, Meath LSP uses the definition of sport established by the Council of Europe which encompasses “all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”

“While we endeavour to support the increase in participation in sport and physical activity of the people of County Meath, individuals with low participation rates in sports and physical activity, are a particular focus. Priority target groups for this plan are young people and children, women, older people, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, travellers and disadvantaged communities,” explains Mary Murphy, CEO Meath Local Sports Partnership.

Meath LSP provides a leadership role for the coordination, development and delivery of sport and physical activity opportunities in County Meath within the framework of their strategic plan and the resources available. Work includes the provision of information on sport and physical activity, the facilitation of education and training opportunities and supporting the development and implementation of programmes and events that encourage greater participation.

Meath LSP works with and supports the work of the staff and volunteers of partners and stakeholders in promoting participation in sport and physical activity. They are supported in this role by local and national agencies, statutory bodies, sporting organisations and community and voluntary organisations.

According to Ms Murphy, Meath LSP & Meath LA work in close

collaboration on a range of projects all serving the wider communities in Meath to best effect. “Without the support of Meath LA, we would not be able to deliver programmes, activities or events to the high standard which we do,” she says.

“Both of our organisations are tasked with supporting and encouraging volunteerism, local action and more participation by citizens and community-based groups in society.”

Meath LSP is currently developing their 3rd strategic plan 2018 – 2022. “This will set the framework for our work over the next 5 years,” Murphy says. Closing she says that what is needed is: “More People, More Active, More Often which equals a physically & mentally well society!”

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The State Education and Training Authority for Limerick and Clare Schools Further Education and Training Music Education Outdoor Education Youth Work Marshal House, Dooradoyle Road, Limerick, V94 HAC4 P: 061 442100 info@lcetb.ie | www.lcetb.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Education & Community

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board

As state education and training authority for the Limerick and Clare region, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board delivers educational services to over 34,000 learners annually across the region.

Services to Education and Community Award

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is the state education and training authority for the Limerick and Clare region. It is one of 16 statutory regional education authorities established by the Education and Training Boards Act 2013.

The ETB was established following the amalgamation of three Vocational Education Committees, which provided formal technical and vocational education in Limerick City, County Limerick and County Clare since 1902.

The authority delivers educational services to over 34,000 learners across its administrative region annually. It employs 2,500 staff and has an average annual budget of j130 million across all of its divisions.

The authority has responsibility for 18 Post-Primary schools, 33 Further Education and Training Centres and working with community groups in approximately 300 locations across the region.

Schools Division Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board has responsibility for 18 multi-denominational, post-primary schools in the region, including patronage of a new community college for Limerick City South-West which opened in September 2017.

In the 2016/17 academic year, the schools in its provision provided for 8,169 students (over 10,000 when PLC allocation is included), or 35% of the total post-primary student cohort in the region.

The authority is also co-patron of four community schools in its administrative region.

The authority’s role as patron reflects an adherence to the principles of partnership with the community and the significant local traditions that encompass the religious, cultural, ethnic, range of educational needs and socio-economic backgrounds of those communities.

The ethos of its schools reflects the diversity of the communities served and provides for participation by those communities through a transparent and democratic model of management.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board schools provide quality learning opportunities through broad curricular experiences.

Significant student support services are offered through pastoral support structures and student support team frameworks. The schools also have an extensive range of extra and co-curricular activities providing opportunities to facilitate the development of the human, spiritual and academic potential in every student.

Further Education and Training Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board offers an extensive choice of full and part-time provision through its Further Education

and Training Division with over 24,000 learners in approximately 300 locations participating across the Limerick and Clare region every year.

Programmes are aimed at those who want to return to education and training in order to enhance their opportunities for employment or progression to further studies or to develop a new skill/hobby, or become more involved in their community.

The range of provision offered by the authority’s Further Education and Training Division include: • Apprenticeships • Back to Education Initiative • Community Education and Training (including Local Training Initiatives, Specialist Training Providers and Co-operation Hours) • Core Skills (including English for Speakers of Other Languages and Literacy) • Employability Skills (including Employee Skills Development and Evening Provision) • Post-Leaving Certificate • Specific Skills Training (including Contracted Training) • Traineeships • Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme • Youth Provision (including Youthreach, Community Training

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Pictured from left: Paul Patton, Director of Further Education and Training; Shelagh Graham, Director of Organisation Support and Development; George O’Callaghan, Chief Executive and Bernadette Cullen, Director of Schools/Education Officer

Centres, Justice Workshop and Co-operation Hours) • The division also administers the supply of teaching services to 27 other institutions, including education, training and social service organisations.

• Underpinning the above provision are several support services:

Further Education and Training Development Team Responsible for Continuing Professional Development, European Projects, Learning Technology Development and Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Information, Recruitment and Guidance Support Service A free, local and confidential service offering further education and training information, one-to-one guidance, meetings and group guidance workshops to support learners to make informed educational, career and life choices.

Enterprise Engagement Support Service Facilitates ongoing dialogue with employers, employees, skills fora, to respond to identified skills and training needs in

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the region. The service harnesses regional skills intelligence to enable skills development opportunities through apprenticeships, traineeships and QQI provision.

Quality Assurance Support Service Responsible for Programme/Curriculum Development and the development, implementation, evaluation and review of an effective Quality Assurance system across all the authority’s Further Education and Training centres.

Looking to the future Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is currently focusing on the provision of a number of much needed extensions to existing schools and the provision of new schools across its administrative region.

This is to cater for the projected increase in student enrolments in Limerick and Clare over the next decade, explains Chief Executive George O’Callaghan. “This capital programme will see an investment of over j90 million in the region over the next 3 to 4 years. In addition, the authority is also providing professional support to schools in the post-primary and primary sectors in assisting them with their building programmes.”

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Services to Education

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Freshtoday Excellence in Business Services to Education

From their four depots placed strategically around the country, Freshtoday supply 208,000 school lunches every week to more than 200 schools nationwide.

Freshtoday are one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of top-quality healthy lunches on a daily basis to over 200 schools across the country. “Our vision was to produce a higher quality school lunch and an improved lunch service while also supporting the local economy,” says Ray Nangle, CEO of Freshtoday. In 2009, when Freshtoday was founded, there were only two existing school meal suppliers in the Irish Market; this provided an opportunity. Nangle points out that the existing providers were operating on a national basis, working from a single large base and transporting school meals across the country on a daily basis.

“We knew we could provide variety, but we also wanted to produce locally,” says Nangle, “to benefit the local economy, and also to reduce transport emissions.” The formula seems to have worked for Freshtoday. “We have four depots placed strategically around the country in Dublin, Wexford, Longford and Clare,” says Nangle.

From these four local kitchens, Freshtoday serve schools nationwide, and are helping support and create local employment, generating increased sales for food suppliers, and also being more environmentally conscious.

Freshtoday have always prided themselves on using the highest quality locally produced foods on the Irish market. They offer bagged lunches that are individually handcrafted as per each child’s order. Working with the custom needs of each school, Freshtoday is always willing to provide innovative solutions if any school has specific requests.

Freshtoday have a strong and effective management structure in place. Headed up by Ray Nangle as CEO, the company has a director overseeing operations for each region. Brian Magee is MD South East, Tony Mulcahy is MD South-West and West, and Richie Nangle is MD Dublin, Midlands and Northwest. Each director controls and manages their own production facility and territory, thus ensuring maximum efficiency for delivery to their respective schools.

Freshtoday liaises closely with all the relative ETB schools catering for their daily school meal requirements to the highest standards. Whilst ETB schools account for just 8% of the total school population, it is an emerging market for Freshtoday who are fully committed to developing and enhancing it further.

Closely adhering to their original vision seems to be a winning formula for Freshtoday. They have successfully expanded year on year since the company’s inauguration. “We have progressed from supplying 10,000 school lunches each week in 2009 to supplying over 208,000 lunches per week in 2018,” Nangle says.

Nangle credits the company’s success in no small part to his qualityfocused team, “and to the extremely supportive schools who are delighted with our lunch service”. While their business growth is impressive, Nangle has further plans for expansion: “With continued innovation and development, our objective and expectation is to grow our market share significantly by catering to over 500,000 students within the next 5 years,” he says.

Freshtoday’s state of the art website ordering system is extremely user-friendly and allows schools, children or their parents to reliably change their lunch order as required. When the orders are complete, in every lunch, each sandwich is handcrafted and labelled with the student’s name by the Freshtoday team associated with the relevant school.

The highly skilled and dedicated production team at Freshtoday constantly conduct regular quality checks to ensure that the highest standards in food hygiene and safety are achieved.

Nangle is particularly proud of the Freshtoday team as they have been awarded the coveted ISO 22000 and QMark accreditations. “It is a reflection of Freshtoday’s total commitment to these important areas,” says Nangle. “Freshtoday are the only school lunch provider that uses temperature control boxes ensuring that all lunches are consumed at the correct temperature, boosting freshness, quality and taste,” he adds.

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Changing Housing for the Better Public, Private, Partnership in Practice

Delivering more Homes for more people Cork | Dublin | Dundalk | Galway Cork Office 24 Marlboro Street Cork 021-427 3508

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Dublin Office 33 Leeson Street Lower Dublin 2 01-676 1602

Dundalk Office 17 Church St Dundalk, Louth T 042 942 3400

Galway Office 4th Floor Heritage Hall Kirwan’s Lane Galway 091-393280

Email: info@tuathhousing.ie

www.tuathhousing.ie

HOME AT LAST A scattergun approach to policy measures have failed to curtail rapidly rising house prices and address the mounting homelessness crisis. Budget 2019 laid the latest plans to confront a problem which has become this Government’s Achilles heel.

Following his Budget 2019 speech, Finance and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe made a tacit admission that the Government has failed to adequately address the housing crisis.

Following confirmation that 10,000 people in Ireland are now homeless and with increasing numbers of families priced out of the housing market and forced into the exorbitantly priced rental sector, the Minister acknowledged the failure to get to grips with an escalating crisis. “Where we find ourselves today is not where we want to be,” he said.

“There is much work to be done to reduce the level of homelessness, find permanent solutions for those in temporary and emergency accommodation and to improve affordability for those on low and middle incomes,” Donohoe acknowledged.

Next year will see a total of j2.3 billion allocated to the housing programme. Given the additional j93 million committed to local authority funding for housing next year, this represents an increase of over j470 million or 26% on 2018.

At total of j1.25 billion is being provided for the delivery of 10,000 new social homes next year. These will be brought on stream through a combination of construction, acquisition and leasing and will bring to 30,700 the number of new social housing homes provided under Rebuilding Ireland since 2016.

There are about 86,000 households on social housing waiting lists nationally. A further j121 million is also being made available to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in 2019 to provide an additional 16,760 new tenancies while an extra j30 million is also being provided to homelessness services, which will bring the total allocation for such supports to j146 million in 2019.

There has been some progress made in the housing area, according to Minister Donohoe who said that 5,000 households have exited homelessness in the last 12 months and 70,000 “housing solutions” will have been delivered under the Rebuilding Ireland programme by the end of the year. Of these, just under 12,000 will have been delivered through building, over 5,000 through acquisitions and 3,600 through leasing. A

further 49,700 will have been delivered through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).

“More new homes will be provided this year than in any year in the past decade,” Minister Donohoe said.

Criticising the Government’s housing record, Fianna Fáil’s finance spokesperson Michael McGrath said that efforts must be focussed on “delivery, delivery, delivery” and that the number of families in emergency accommodation can “never be regarded as the norm or acceptable.

Under this government, home ownership has become a distant dream for many people,” he said.

There was a mixed response from voluntary housing bodies and charities.

Focus Ireland said the extra money is insufficient and that the budget provision was not the game-changer that many homeless people had hoped for. “Despite the last three budgets being mooted as ‘Housing’ budgets, they have essentially been firefighting rather than dealing with causes – as evidenced by the fact that the numbers of men, women and children experiencing homelessness has rocketed during this period,” Focus Ireland said in a statement.

However, Peter McVerry Trust, the national housing and homeless charity welcomed a number of measures which it said would ease the huge pressures on the housing system. It also welcomed the Minister’s prioritisation of the needs of vulnerable people. “Given the scale of our housing and homeless challenge, it was important that the momentum that has been generated by the regular policy and funding announcements for housing was maintained,” the charity’s CEO, Pat Doyle said.

“I believe that the measures outlined in the areas of housing and homelessness will ease the pressure on the housing system. The minister was very clear in prioritising increased spending in the areas of homelessness, social and affordable housing above other areas with very significant increases in housing targets. This is a very important commitment that means organisations like Peter McVerry Trust can do more to respond to the needs of vulnerable people in our society.”

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A NEW VISION FOR HOUSING The winner of the 2018 Public Sector Magazine Voluntary Housing Award is Túath Housing which is on course to invest €128m on securing and constructing new homes in 2018. In the following article, CEO of Tuath Housing, Sean O Connor writes that Ireland’s housing market has changed utterly over the past decade and arguably over the past two decades, and that the model for residential development must change and evolve alongside it.

While progress has been made, the fact remains that there is a chronic shortage of the right type of housing in the right areas.

A common thread emerging across virtually all areas is a lack of affordability. One comment often levelled is that Ireland just needs more housing and that increased supply will make housing affordable.

While there is accepted economic logic there is no actual evidence, and it has become a chicken and egg conversation. An interminable conversation with no end and, more importantly, little or no action.

Decisive action is what is now required, deeds over words.

In housing terms, action means delivery; the delivery of many more new homes but at truly affordable prices. Whilst construction activity in Ireland has increased 55% over the past year, if developers are not positioned to deliver homes at average house prices, how can they ever be expected to deliver affordable homes?

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The problem faced at this stage is that despite increased construction levels and despite increased delivery of new homes, supply levels for average-income earners, not to mention those below average, are not increasing. This is a very real problem and one that Re-Building Ireland has pledged to tackle.

Current obstacles to residential development include access to suitable sites, access to affordable financing and a lengthy, onerous planning and the public procurement regime. Geared-up housing associations, like Túath now have an edge when it comes to tackling these obstacles.

The real challenge is not to balance the number of new homes provided against the number of people who need housing. This is an imperfect science. The true challenge is to identify where new

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Excellence in Housing Services to the Construction Industry

AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 Túath Excellence in Housing Services to the Construction Industry

Housing Associations like Túath will have a major impact as they ramp up delivery and strengthen balance sheets through collaborative work. Túath are working to further extending their financing pool beyond the State, EU and corporate banking funding and towards institutional investment and particularly ethical pension funds. homes are needed and to determine what type of housing is appropriate to meet the needs of the local community.

For the good of the country, a ‘community first’ approach to housing delivery is required. In this new mind set, the focus is shifted away from profit maximisation and short term speculation onto longer-term profitable delivery with affordability and place-making at its core. The key to a sustainable community is a mixed community. Not just a socio-economic mix but a mix of ages and household types, from singles to families, from younger occupiers to older occupiers, from owner occupiers to tenants, from private tenants to social and affordable renters.

Access to quality housing at a price people are happy with has become almost impossible for the current generation through market distortion.

Generation Rent would most probably prefer to be part of Generation Buy. Most people could probably live with the Generation Rent label providing they could source and afford decent, secure and well managed accommodation suitable to their needs. Sadly, most can’t. Government need to ensure that Generation Rent don’t become Generation Screwed.

Túath has worked with thirty local authorities providing social homes in urban and rural areas. In collaboration with local authorities and private sector developer / builder partners, Túath more than doubled its new letting of social homes in 2017 to over eight hundred homes. This would not have been possible without the cooperation of Local Authorities, the Department of Housing, NAMA and

the Housing Agency as well as private sector partners and funders.

Competition for viable development sites is rife, however, policies enabled by Re-Building Ireland are, for the first time in decades, giving not-for-profit housing associations, the tools and resources needed to compete.

Housing Associations like Túath will have a major impact as they ramp up delivery and strengthen balance sheets through collaborative work. Túath are working to further extend their financing pool beyond the State, EU and corporate banking funding and towards institutional investment and particularly ethical pension funds.

As Ireland witnesses the emergence of the build-to-rent sector, it is vital that the not-for-profit and public sectors scale up to provide an affordable rental alternative by either direct provision and/or by working in partnership with new BTR operators. Túath are regarded as a tried and trusted partner by both the private and public sector.

Túath are ready, willing and able to rise to the new challenge.

About Túath: Túath Housing is a not-for-profit, approved housing body (AHB). It is registered with the Department of Housing, Planning Community and Local Government, has charitable status and is a member of the Irish Council for Social Housing. Túath has in excess of 4,000 social homes currently under management at an average rent of j57 per week. Túath is planning to spend j128m on securing and constructing new homes in 2018.

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Making a difference by providing quality homes for people in housing need.

Block B, The Waterways Ashtown.

Circle VHA’s mission is to deliver quality homes and services in partnership with our tenants and local services to create sustainable communities. Circle VHA has approved status from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and is a member of the Irish Council for Social Housing. Circle VHA is regulated under the Property SRA. Circle Voluntary Housing Association, 32-34 Castle Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 407 2110 info@circlevha.ie

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Circle Voluntary Housing Association Housing Partnership Award

Circle Voluntary Housing Association are making a difference by providing quality homes for people in housing need.

Housing and homelessness is a hot-topic in 2018, and is a priority issue for government. One organisation making a big difference in this space is Circle Voluntary Housing Association (VHA). Since its foundation 15 years ago, Circle VHA has accommodated people in need of homes in the Greater Dublin Area. Circle VHA delivers exceptional customer service to all stakeholders. From humble beginnings Circle Voluntary Housing has been a stalwart in the provision of housing. Circle VHA is a Tier 3 Housing Association, and across its Housing Management and Estate Management services, presently manages more than 1,700 homes.

“We work in partnership with tenants, statutory and community-based agencies to enable socially responsible, environmentally acceptable and sustainable communities in our developments.” Says John Hannigan, CEO of Circle VHA. Hannigan believes the development of communities is integral in ensuring that people feel involved in where they live and that their needs are reflected in their environment. This approach is echoed by Circle VHA staff throughout the organisation. The staff of Circle are innovative in their approach from development stage right through to ongoing tenancy participation programmes actively encouraging a community focus.

Attention to detail is paramount to John Hannigan. “Measurable benefits for tenants and a community as a whole ensure possibilities in overcoming social problems,” explains Hannigan. It is clear that the staff of Circle VHA believe strongly in the core values of the organisation which in turn leads to respectful and transparent partnerships that have benefited all.

Circle provides housing to approved applicants on local authority housing waiting lists. It also provides facilities management services. Circle VHA has certified status from the Housing Finance Agency and are a Property Services Regulatory Authority (PRSA) licenced provider of services.

They have carved out a niche in this market in the provision of excellent, award winning services to Owner Management Companies, for Local Authorities and private operators.

growth plans with an intention to reach a target of 2,020 homes owned or leased by the end of 2020.

Circle currently operates in the Dublin, Meath and Kildare areas and intends on expanding its operational housing provision beyond these areas. Circle staff are actively seeking to make further strategic partnerships and advance initiatives with all local authorities and housing providers, through portfolio acquisition, turnkey development from housing providers, sites with direct development potential, new and unfinished homes disposals, Part V strategic partnerships with housing providers, and strategic partnerships with Tier 1 and 2 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

In addition, the organisation is seeking strategic partnerships with housing providers under the Enhanced Long-Term Social Housing Leasing initiative. “We intend to explore the development of our owned acquired sites with Local Authority partnerships and supports”, explains Hannigan.

Circle VHA uniquely offers an Estate Management Service to not only local authorities and developers but to Owner Management Companies (OMC’s). Circle VHA is a licensed property services provider with the PSRA and acts as a management agent. Circle VHA has in-house expertise in providing management agent services including company secretary, property and facilities management, service charge collection, insurance management and owner/resident liaison.

At the centre of Circle is its tenants and residents. “A building is just property but a home is so much more,” says Hannigan. This belief of Circle staff is exhibited in the award presented by The Chartered Institute of Housing aptly titled “More Than Bricks and Mortar” which Circle VHA was presented with in February 2018. Hannigan described the winning Circle VHA project, Peadar Kearney House as “a powerful example of urban regeneration at its best,” reminding us all that housing is about more than providing units of accommodation, it is about homes and communities.

Local councils and authorities work with Circle staff and tenants in order to allow them to strive continuously to ensure its tenants and future tenants currently on local authority housing lists are provided with high quality housing that will be homes to them, in communities that they can settle and become immersed in.

Circle has numerous projects in the pipeline, “We have plans to extend our reach and have projects with partners in the disability sectors, drug and treatment agencies and support organisations for the elderly”, says Hannigan. “Our aim is to ensure that every opportunity is provided to the people of Ireland to avail of suitable housing. We believe in home and community and the benefits of this for all.” Circle VHA have ambitious

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Local Authority Housing Initiative

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South Dublin County Council provides hundreds of services to its citizens. Broadly speaking, services include housing, roads, supporting local democracy, providing enterprise units and financial supports, attracting foreign direct investment, providing and maintaining parks and playgrounds, walking and cycle routes, libraries, sports facilities, arts centres, litter control, and community infrastructure.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 South Dublin County Council

South Dublin County Council covers a wide area that includes Tallaght, Terenure, Clondalkin, Lucan, Rathcoole, Rathfarnham and many other areas that is home to almost 280,000 people.

The aim of South Dublin County Council is to make the County the best possible place in which to live, work and do business. As such, they are guided by core values of providing value for money alongside an accessible, courteous, consistent, impartial and responsive service. “We strongly believe in communicating openly with people and in being transparent in all our decision-making,” explains Colm Ward, Director of Services for Housing, Social & Community Development. “We prioritise sustainability, be that financial, environmental or otherwise, and the promotion of social inclusion and the equality of access and opportunity.”

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Local Authority Housing Initiative Award

locations to people who maybe had not previously thought of and persuading them to move to those areas,” Ward says. “CBL’s benefits are many, but include greater information provision to our citizens, better quality engagement between them and the Council, it can minimize re-let times and CBL can also reduce the number of vacant units by helping the Council tackle ‘hard-to-let’ properties.

“To create an effective CBL service a local authority needs to understand that quality communication and interaction between the Council and its citizens is vital. We have seen fantastic benefits in setting up our dedicated CBL portal and we are delighted to be recognised by The Public Sector Magazine for it.”

In terms of housing, South Dublin County Council introduced the Choice Based Letting (CBL) scheme in October 2011, the first allocation under the scheme being on 8th November 2011. To date, 582 allocations have been made under CBL. Ward explains that to increase efficiency and offer quality engagement between the Council and its citizens looking to be approved for CBL, they set up a dedicated CBL portal on the website (www.sdcc.ie). “This allows our citizens to be set up with a unique identifier and PIN number so that they can log in and check available properties that meet their criteria. Once they have a suitable potential home, they are guided through a step-by-step process to make an expression of interest on the property.

“Once they have made their expression of interest, the housing department will then offer the home to the applicant who is the highest on the housing list subject to estate management and other checks.”

CBL is a method used by South Dublin County Council for allocating Council properties, offering involvement for housing and/or transfer applicants in selecting their new home. This scheme allows approved applicants to express an interest in a suitable council property in any area available. A ‘suitable’ Council property is one that matches the applicant’s approved housing need, such the number of bedrooms that applicants are approved for.

“It is important for the Council that we get CBL right as it promotes a greater choice to our citizens whilst potentially opening new

Marguerite Staunton, Senior Executive Officer

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Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness

Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, an initiative of the Government of Ireland.

The Vacant Homes initiative has created a huge awareness of the number of vacant housing units across Ireland and we would encourage local people to use www.vacanthomes.ie.

Bringing vacant homes back into use increases the supply and provides homes to people with a housing need.

@VacanthomesIRL Ă ras an Chontae, The Mall, Castlebar, Co. Mayo E: info@vacanthomes.ie W: www.vacanthomes.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Housing Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Mayo County Council Excellence in Housing Services Award

It has been a rollercoaster of a year since the launch of vacanthomes.ie, the dedicated website setup to deal with Ireland’s vacant housing problem.

Tom Gilligan, Director of Services with Mayo County Council gives an insight into how vacanthomes.ie works and how dealing with Ireland’s vacant stock can provide a solution to the housing and homelessness crisis.

According to Census 2016 there are 183,312 vacant homes and apartments in Ireland, not including holiday homes. As the nation continues to struggle to get to grips with the housing crisis, the Director of Services with Mayo County Council has drawn on support from his CE Peter Hynes, his Mayo colleagues, Minister Eoghan Murphy TD, Minister of State Damien English TD , housing authorities and officials from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to develop a central portal which will gather valuable information on vacant homes throughout the country.

tell and local people can tell it and, in doing so, they are able to contribute to solving the housing crisis at a municipal level. We are asking members of the general public to help us and get involved in order to try and bring a successful end to the current housing crisis.

The www.vacanthomes.ie website was officially launched in August 2017 and is heralded as a key initiative in dealing with this country’s vacant housing stock. The website allows individuals to anonymously log possible vacant properties and alert housing authorities, who can then follow up with the owners to see whether the housing unit can be re-used quickly. The website also provides useful information for property owners to assist them in bringing their vacant homes back into use.

“Putting these properties back into use benefits everyone including property owners, the local community, local services and the local economy.” Gilligan explains that the whole vacant homes initiative is borne out of Mayo County Council’s commitment to the Rebuilding Ireland Action plan on Housing and Homelessness and, in particular, Pillar 5 of the plan, Utilise Existing Housing which outlines a range of actions to ensure that existing housing stock is used to the highest possible degree.

Mayo County Council’s initiative is dedicated to reducing the quantity of empty homes, not only in Mayo but also on a national level. Utilising existing vacant housing stock will provide more homes to families and individuals with a housing need. Gilligan wants to thank the public for their continued help and co-operation.

Winning this Public Sector Award has meant a lot to everyone involved in vacanthomes.ie. Gilligan acknowledges the hard work and effort that it has taken to get to this point. “I want to take this opportunity to thank the Public Sector Magazine for naming us as Outright Winner for 2018. We are extremely honoured and delighted to receive this prestigious award”

“To date, with the help of the general public, we’ve thousands of properties from all across the country logged through the website. We know that people have good local knowledge of their community. We believe that every vacant property has a story to

Bringing homes back from the dead, converting eyesores to eye candy, breathing new life into communities and providing a muchneeded home to the homeless; that’s www.vacanthomes.ie

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North & East Housing Association 287, Block G, Blanchardstown Corporate Park 2, Dublin 15 P229 N

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nnovation in the area of housing design and maintenance.

W: www.northandeast.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS North & East Housing Association Social Housing Leinster Region

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CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 North & East Housing Association Services to Social Housing in Leinster Region

In 2018 North & East Housing Association celebrates 25 years providing quality homes and supporting communities.

North & East Housing Association (North & East) was incorporated in 1993 having been established in the previous year by a small number of volunteers who recognised the need for a locally based mainstream housing association in the north east of the country and chose to act on that need. The association is now a well-established housing provider with some 500 homes in management. It accesses both public and private funding (including loans from both commercial banks and the Housing Finance Agency) to provide its homes and achieves this via a number of different mechanisms including building, buying and leasing.

All of the families and single people housed are approved applicants taken from the local authority waiting lists.

“All of our homes are open to people on the relevant local authority housing list and when we are in a position to provide homes, we request nominations from the local authority who consult their housing list and nominate people based on their fit with the property we are offering as well as their place on the list,” explains Caroline Norris, Tenant Services & Engagement Manager.

The housing that North & East provides meets a wide spectrum of needs including families, older people, homeless households and people with physical and learning disabilities. Always striving to move forward, North & East continues to innovate in the area of housing design and maintenance. “We constantly review our services and procedures against the sector to ensure best practice,” adds Norris. “We are members of the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) and participate in the Housing Association Performance Management (HAPM) framework.”

Norris believes the sector will play a significant role in solving the current housing shortage and developing a vibrant housing sector into the future.

North & East have some very exciting projects and developments coming up over the next 18 months. “Right now, we are implementing a new Housing Management System that will enhance the delivery of services to our tenants and deliver efficiencies within the organisation,” says Norris. “In my role as Tenant Services and Engagement Manager, myself and my team are responsible for the delivery of a Tenant Engagement Strategy this year that will outline our vision and plans for greater tenant participation in our organisation as we grow.” She goes on to explain that engaging with tenants is a core objective for North & East as they recognise community involvement is central to the delivery of quality services.

To meet their housing delivery objective, they plan to bring at least 200 more homes into the sector in the North and Eastern Region by 2020.

“We are delighted to be receiving this award and we want to acknowledge the value of the strong partnerships we share with our public sector colleagues,” Norris says. “Housing continues to be one of the most important challenges we face as a society and will be for some time to come and at North & East Housing Association we are committed to playing our part in meeting the challenge by continuing to work in partnership with the public sector.”

While process and practice is essential, North & East always puts community at the heart of everything they do. Providing not only the infrastructure of housing in the form of ‘bricks and mortar’ they are also providing expertise in the area and are very much concerned with what makes a house a home for people and what community means to people. “Along with our local authority partners we work to develop sustainable housing solutions and communities where people thrive and actively participate in society as a whole,” adds Norris.

This sector is vitally important to the public sector.

Approved housing bodies like North & East have been tasked under ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ to meet up to one third of the social housing targets set by government and

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Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge do dhaoine atá ag dul in aois

Sprioc Ráiteas Sonas, Sláinte agus Fad Saoil ár Muintir, faoi shó agus faoi chompord, i gciall agus i réasún agus i dtimpeallacht na deachomharsanachta.

Seirbhisí Tithe Shóisialta, Ionad Lae, Tacaíocht Baile, Beilí ar Rothaí, Seirbhís Iompair, Áis Aclaíochta, Feirm Curadóireachta

Tearmann Éanna CTR, An Tulaigh, Baile na hAbhann, Co. na Gaillimhe. H91 W540 Fón: 091 505540 Ríomhphost: tearmanneanna@eircom.net

www.tearmanneanna.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Development of Social Housing for the Elderly

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A lárnaigh is atá sé dúinn tithe a chur ar fáil do phobal aosta an cheantair níl anseo ach cuid den chuntas ar an obair a dhéanann Tearmann Éanna.

Tá Ionad lae den chéad scoth á chur ar fáil againn a bhíonn oscailte chúig lá na seachtaine. Bíonn réimse leathan gníomhaíochtaí agus imeachtaí ar siúl san ionad mar aon le réimse leathan seirbhísí á gcur ar fáil d’os cionn 300 duine.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Tearmann Éanna Teo

Is eagraíocht dheonach pobal bhunaithe í Tearmann Éanna atá ar an bhfód anois le os cionn 20 bliain. Thosaigh Tearmann Éanna amach ag cur tithe ar fáil do dhaoine atá ag dul in aois i gceantar Ghaeltachta Dheisceart Chonamara.

Is grá, trust, cumasú agus barr feabhais príomh bhunluacha na heagraíochta. Thar na mblianta tháinig fás agus forbairt ar an eagraíocht agus de réir a chéile cuireadh leis an réimse seirbhísí riachtanacha a chuirtear ar fáil do phobal an cheantair. Tá soláthar tithe sóisialta mar chuid lárnach do chlár oibre na heagraíochta agus le trí bliana anuas tá cistí caipitil ar fiú os cionn j4 mhilliún ceadaithe ag an Stát do Thearmann Éanna chun cur ar ár gcumas líon na dtithe a mhéadú ó 32 go dtí 57 sna blianta beaga seo amach romhainn.

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Development of Social Housing for the Elderly

Táthar ag díriú isteach ar chóiríocht sóisialta do dhaoine atá ag dul in aois chomh maith le cóiríocht inacmhainne a chur ar fáil do theaghlaigh óga na Gaeltachta ionas go mbeidh siad ábalta cur fúthu ina gceantair dúchasacha ina mbeidh polasaí buanaithe Gaeilge ceangailte le go maire an acmhainn luachmhar (An Ghaeilge). Déanfaidh na forbairtí seo éascaíocht do theaghlaigh sa bpobal cur fúthu sa bpobal ar a n-áirítear sárú constaicí pleanála, pleanáil scéimeanna séarachais, forbairt leathanbhanda agus forbairt suíomhanna le bheith ar fáil do dhaoine ó cheantar an Chumainn nó do dhaoine atá fostaithe sa gceantar sin nó gar dó le tithe cónaithe dóibh féin a thógáil orthu.

Fostaíocht a chruthú don todhchaí.

I measc na seirbhísí a chuirtear ar fáil tá Ionad Lae/Gníomhaíochtaí laethúla, Tacaíocht Baile, Béile ar Rothaí, Áiseanna Aclaíochta, Córas Taisteal, Seirbhís riaracháin don Scéim folaireach na nAosach, Seirbhís tacaíochta agus cónascadh le Ionaid Lae Cheantar na nOileán, Rosmuc agus Chamuis tríd an gclár Seirbhís POBAL, Feilm Curadóireachta ag ceangail isteach leis na Scoileanna mór thimpeall.

An Teanga: Tuigeann muid a thábhachtaí is atá sé go bhfreastalófaí ar dhaoine agus ar phobal na Gaeltachta ina dteanga dúchais féin. Uaireanta ní thugann an Státchóras, ná go deimhin comhlachtaí príobháideacha a bhíonn i mbun na hoibre seo, aird mar is ceart ar an gcuid sin den chúram agus ní thuigtear a thábhachtaí is atá sé go bhfreastalófaí ar dhaoine, atá i suíomh leochaileach, sa teanga is mó go bhfuil siad féin ar a gcompord leis. Mar eagraíocht pobal bhunaithe agus gurbh í an Ghaeilge ár dteanga oibre agus cumarsáide is cuid lárnach dár gcultúr agus dár bhfealsúnacht í an Ghaeilge.

De réir Daonáireamh 2016, tá méadú ollmhór ag teacht ar an líon daoine atá ag dul in aois i gConamara agus go Náisiúnta. Daonaireamh 2016: Preasráiteas Próifíl 3 aoise na hÉireann Tá sé tábhachtach duinn agus don earnáil phoiblí réamhphleanáil a dhéanamh don todhchaí lena chinntiú go mbeidh aiseanna agus seirbhísí ar fáil le freastal ar riachtanais daoine atá ag dul in aois maraon leis an bpobal ina iomláine.

Tá foirgneamh eiseamláireach le tógáil a bheidh ag freastal ar riachtanais sóisialta cúraim, cúram néaltrú, taistil, cultúir, teanga agus traidisiún.

Cuideoidh na seirbhísí seo leis an gcúramóir teaghlaigh briseadh a fháil ón obair chúraim a bhíonn riachtanach don duine le Néaltrú/duine atá ag dul in aois.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Services to Housing with local Housing Associations

Under Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, Offaly’s target of providing 468 housing units from 2017 to 2021 will be achieved via the council’s direct build programme; working with the Approved Housing Bodies (AHB); leasing; addressing voids and the acquisition of housing units. Offaly County Council are confident that between projects commencing and plans at an advanced stage, that they will be in a position to surpass this target. Coolsivna Construction Group, Balinahowna, Mountbellew, County Galway were awarded the contract to build 14 Social Housing and 4 Traveller Specific Group Housing units at Chancery Lane, Tullamore, County Offaly Offaly County Council is currently building 33 houses in Blundell Wood, Edenderry and 18 social houses, including four group houses at Chancery Lane, Tullamore. These units will be ready for allocation in 2019. Other direct construction projects are moving through the department stage approval process, procurement and planning.

Mid Offaly Housing Association has four units under construction in Mount Bolus and Cluid are about to commence construction of six units in Birr under the CAS Programme.

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The council currently manage a stock of over 1,800 social housing units and lease a further 300 units. In partnership with Approved Housing Bodies a further 500 tenancies are supported.

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Offaly County Council as one of its many objectives, strives to implement national housing policy to ensure that every household that needs it has access to quality, affordable housing in an acceptable environment. Individual housing needs are met through a number of different schemes and initiatives.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Offaly County Council Excellence in Services to Housing with local Housing Associations

delivery, there are currently more than 100 social housing units either at construction or post tender in the county.

A total of 805 households on Offaly County Council’s housing list are supported through the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) scheme.

Offaly County Council housing staff work with a number of resident associations in local authority estates in an effort to develop programmes to improve their estates and build their capacity to work together for the betterment of their neighbourhoods. A number of residents associations were re-established in 2018 following the establishment by the elected members of an Estate Enhancement Fund. This fund was allocated to each of the municipal districts and a number of enhancement projects including landscaping, place name stones, sport and play areas, community centre enhancement, refurbishment of designated green areas and fencing projects were progressed. Earlier this year the newly revised Offaly County Council Tenant Handbook was distributed to approximately 1,800 Local Authority tenants.

Offaly County Council acknowledges the many challenges in the housing area but the elected members, management and staff are commited to providing the best housing service possible in accordance with the Council’s mission statement to make Offaly the best possible place to live, work, visit and invest in.

Expressions of interest were sought from AHB’s in delivering construction projects on council owned lands. Partner AHBs were seleceted for three sites, one in Edenderry and two in Tullamore. Túath AHB are about to commence construction of 27 units, including two CAS units in Edenderry and the Part VIII Planning process for 60 units across two Tullamore sites in partnership with Oaklee AHB is just commencing.

The council continues to advertise regularly for expressions of interest from developers to provide turnkey units. This process has yielded one scheme in Ferbane that has delivered 5 units in 2017 and a six unit development in Cloghan will be completed in early 2019. A further 24 units arcross two schemes which will be delivered in 2019 have been acquired. It is hoped that this process can yield more units as private sector building recovers.

Pictured at the Chancery signing; Back Row Left to Right: Councillor Dervill Dolan; Tom Shanahan (Director of Services); Councillor Declan Harvey; Monica Cleary (Senior Executive Officer); John Cunningham (Senior Executive Engineer) Front Row Left to Right: Anna Marie Delaney (Chief Executive Offaly County Council); Patrick Gardiner (Managing Director Coolsivna); Councillor Danny Owens (Chairman of

Through Direct Build, AHB build and turnkey

Offaly County Council); Peter O’Toole (Coolsivna)

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AIB Corporate Banking proud to support Social Housing

WE’RE BACKING BRAVE Allied 130 Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

#backedbyAIB

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Provision of Business Services, Social Housing

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 AIB Corporate Banking Excellence in Provision Business Services Social Housing

AIB Corporate Banking have extended their extensive range of products and services to include a range of specific supports for the social housing sector.

AIB Corporate Banking is a market leader in offering finance solutions to every sector of the Irish economy. “We are a bank with a reputation for forming lasting strategic partnerships with our customers and building strong relationships that add extra value and provide customers with a competitive advantage,” says Allan Barrett, Relationship Manager, AIB Corporate Banking. “With our customers we will build a partnership where we work together, team to team, business to business to support the establishment and future growth to allow our customers achieve their dreams and ambitions,” continues Barrett.

and efficient delivery of these properties. AIB Corporate Banking is working with a number of the Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies at present and hopes to work with many more in the future too.

AIB Corporate Banking, as part of the wider AIB Wholesale, Institutional & Corporate Banking Division, have a long history in supporting the public sector, through offering an extensive range of products & services to semi state bodies, including supporting Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects ranging from schools to road infrastructure.

Through this model O’Neill and his team plan to build long-term strategic partnerships and help deliver housing for those most in need. They also plan to deliver bespoke solutions to meet customers financial requirements and through this they expect to enable customers to maximise business opportunities.

More recently, AIB Corporate Banking have set about playing a part in assisting with the delivery of social housing properties in Ireland.

Working with a number of approved housing bodies and government agencies, AIB Corporate Banking can offer short term and long term funding solutions to allow these housing bodies acquire property for social housing.

“The development of a strong relationship and a deep understanding of the social housing sector helps us deliver a customised and personal service built around each Approved Housing Body’s financial needs and that is what differentiates us from our peers,” says a confident O’Neill.

“Our ambition is to offer these housing bodies a viable alternative to their current funding sources and allow them to do what they do best - acquire, manage and maintain a high standard of social housing properties,” says O’Neill, “At AIB Corporate Banking, we know that our sector knowledge, our flexibility and our unique customer-centric relationship model is our competitive advantage.”

AIB products and solutions can be sculpted to meet a number of different goals, from providing approved housing bodies with the required debt facilities to acquiring housing stock in a timely and efficient manner. AIB Corporate also work closely with their colleagues in AIB Real Estate Finance developing sites through their 100m social housing development fund.

“Our Real Estate Finance colleagues have funding in place for the development of upwards of 500 social housing properties, and are funding projects and considering proposals in various parts of the country,” says Eoghan O’Neill, Head of Social Housing Sector, AIB Corporate Banking. The social housing sector, as well as all public sectors, is clearly very important to AIB. “With regards to social housing, we at AIB see ourselves as an important stakeholder in the property industry in Ireland and are very keen to play our part in the delivery of more social housing properties to alleviate the growing number of people and families who find themselves on social housing waiting lists,” says O’Neill.

AIB Corporate Banking have an experienced team available to offer a variety of financing solutions and are ready to work with borrowers and advisors in order to bring about an economic

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Dublin City

Where Independence in Ageing is Valued www.dublincity.ie/agefriendlycity agefriendlycity@dublincity.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Community Services Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Dublin City Council - Community Community Services Award

With an ageing population, the Age Friendly Ireland initiative is all about actively promoting partnerships and collaborations with city and county-based alliances, involving senior decision-makers from public, commercial and not-for-profit organisations.

In Dublin City Council, an Older Person’s Council provides a citizen or service user perspective in monitoring the implementation of the strategies set out in the Age Friendly City Strategy.

The Older Person’s Councils are, over time, intended to be representative of the diversity of the older population in the city, linked to local older people’s groups and supportive of the participation of the most marginalised in society.

The Dublin City Council Older Person’s Council is composed of representatives from organisations throughout Dublin City.

Members include Active Retirement Groups, Senior Citizen groups, Men’s Sheds, Glór, and U3A (University of the Third Age) – lifelong learning groups. The council meets once every six weeks with the support of Dublin City Council.

The aim of the council is to represent the collective view of Dublin’s older people and to influence and inform policy and planning citywide. Alongside Dublin City Council and Dublin Age Friendly Alliance, the council are working towards improving the lives of older people in Dublin City in a number of ways: • • • • •

By influencing decision makers and service providers By being a voice for older people By having an input to decisions being made about older people By creating citywide links and networks for older people By providing education, awareness, and information to older people

The National Positive Ageing Strategy includes in its statement that in establishing an Older Person’s Council, local authorities should

ensure that their composition is representative of the diversity of the older population at local level; that the councils are linked with local groups or older people; and that the participation of the most vulnerable is supported.

Having representatives for people with dementia on the Older Person’s Council is a key principle of the National Dementia Strategy as it sees these councils as a significant voice for older people which enables people with dementia to live well as valued citizens.

Learning from each other’s experience, Dublin City Council aim to build a strong and unified Older Person’s Council which will be a truly representative voice for older people in Dublin. The ambition of the Older Person’s Council is to work creatively with the Age Friendly Programme and the Age Friendly Alliances on both sides of Dublin City.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to the Elderly

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AGE FRIENDLY COUNTY

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork County Council Services to the Elderly Award

Cork County Council’s Age Friendly Programme ensures older people can enjoy the very best quality of life in Cork County

The Cork Age Friendly Programme is a programme by Cork County Council designed to make older people’s lives more active and fulfilling than ever. It is part of the ‘Age Friendly Ireland’ initiative. Age Friendly Ireland co-ordinates the Age Friendly Cities and Counties Programme. The initiative works through the County Council to deliver solutions, which empower older people to live autonomously as part of their communities.

Cork County Council is working to create the kind of community in which older people can live autonomous and valued lives. They do this by undertaking focused activities which aim to fulfil ambitious goals related to each of the Age Friendly themes (Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Housing, Social Participation, Transportation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Communication and Information, Community Support and Health Services).

Partnership and collaboration are vitally important and Cork County

Council engages via the alliance with the most senior decision makers from the key public, profit and not-for-profit agencies dealing with supporting and providing services to older people.

Perhaps, most crucially, the County Council has established an Older Persons Council (OPC), with representatives from the local community. The OPC, ensure that the older person’s voice is heard and listened to by the Alliance. The OPC represents the view of the older person on the Alliance and is responsible for applying changes made during the consultation process.

The Cork Age Friendly Programme has a strategy for 2016-2021, which results from a process which began when Cork set out to make itself a county where older people can live healthy and plentiful lives and signed up to Ireland’s National Age Friendly Cities and Counties Programme (AFCC).

Since the initiative began, Cork has made Bandon, Cobh, Kinsale and

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Mitchelstown Age Friendly Towns and the programme has plans to expand the amount of Towns in 2019.

The Cork Age Friendly Programme has given their all to making sure that older people have an easier time with their everyday lives. This includes; Age Friendly parking spaces, Community age-friendly celebration events, seating and a local Link bus to the HSE Health Clinic Pilot. Their community events are also attended by the Older Persons Council, and County Network members to get first hand information on relevant services and events.

The age friendly initiative is a very important issue for Cork County Council. The Long Term Care Report produced by the HSE in 2006, has estimated that the numbers over 65 will increase to 1,105,000 by 2036 which increases the number of people over 65 as a percentage of the working age population from 18% to 39%. In addition, County Cork’s demographic profile indicates that there’ll be significant increase in the amount of older people in the period to 2026 and beyond. This will present a multitude of challenges, which Cork County Council is already moving to address.

In addition to the existing projects, Cork County Council also has many age friendly projects in development, to increase

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the older persons quality of life, for example, increasing the number of Age Friendly parking spots through the county, getting the Age Friendly Town of Cobh to pilot a dementia café and having an exhibition of Age Friendly Housing Designs from students of the Cork School of Architecture to name a few.

Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy, Mayor of the County of Cork said, “With the increases in life expectancy we must adapt and provide older members of our community with the physical, economic and social opportunities needed to ensure they enjoy the very best quality of life in Cork County”.

This is even more important considering the fact that, according to the CSO ‘Aging in Ireland’ report in 2007, the possibility that the elderly dependency ratio could rise from 16% in 2006 to 25% by 2026. This would mirror the Europe’s current situation where the elderly dependency ratio has already reached 25%. This clearly represents challenges to society at large and to services providers in particular.

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Mr. Tim Lucey added “A primary objective of an age friendly county is to achieve a place where older people can stay living in their own homes and communities, lead healthy and active lives, and are valued contributors to the lives of people in their communities”.

Welcome to the 30km way of life

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Elis is an international textile, hygiene and facilities services leader with activities in 28 countries across Europe and Latin America Head Office Elis Ireland +353 1 636 2900 info@elis.com Margaret.mullen@elis.com

www.elis.com

Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate Pottery Rd, Co. Dublin, Ireland

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Laundry Services for Nursing Homes

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Elis Excellence in Laundry Services for Nursing Homes

Elis Ireland is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Elis Group, which operates over 440 commercial laundries with 45,000 employees.

It is the largest supplier of healthcare linen in 28 countries across Europe and Latin America with an annual turnover of j3 billion.

patients and staff with a professional service delivered with a personal touch.

Elis was founded in 1883 and has over 100 years of experience in the textile market. The Elis group provides multiple services to more than 400,000 clients of all sizes working in hospitality, healthcare, industry, commerce and cleaning. In October 2017 Berendsen was acquired by the Elis Group and continues to work to improve and grow the business with a unique multi-service model.

Care Tex is unique as it has both fully traceability and accountability, we use 2D bar codes to identify every individual item during the process.

Weekly reports detailing all usage coupled with a wash process validated by Eco Lab, this allows you an assured level of accountability and peace of mind.

Elis have a specially designed unit Care Tex for Nursing Homes residents’ laundry on the Naas Road Dublin, which is dedicated to the process and finish of residents’ clothing and other delicate items.

Care Tex currently provides this service to 50 nursing homes in Dublin and surrounding areas very successfully.

A private laundry service for Nursing Homes with a personal touch, our “Bedside to Bedside” laundry service will provide residents,

All Elis sites are independently audited to the ISO 9001:2015 and I.S. EN 14064:2002 standards by the NSAI.

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A new era in

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention We’re working to prevent heart disease and stroke, save lives, and promote recovery and wellbeing.

Learn more at www.croi.ie

T: 091-544310 | E: info@croi.ie @croiheartstroke Croí, The West of Ireland Cardiac and Stroke Foundation • Registered Irish Charity CHY 7500 • Croí House, Moyola Lane, Newcastle, Galway, H91 FF68

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Healthcare (Heart & Stroke) to the Public Sector

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 CROÍ

Since 1985, Croí, the Heart and Stroke Charity, has been at the forefront of the fight against heart disease and stroke, particularly in the West of Ireland. Initially, Croí’s focus was on supporting the development of cardiology infrastructure, but now it is leading the prevention agenda by developing and testing a range of innovative prevention and recovery programmes.

Healthcare (Heart & Stroke) Services to the Public Sector

Croí’s re-focus to prevention and recovery programmes led to the opening of Ireland’s first purposebuilt Heart & Stroke Centre in Galway in 2012, staffed by a multi-disciplinary health team providing a range of programmes and interventions. The Croí Centre provides support to thousands of people every year and is a hub for the development of evidencebased initiatives. Croí also works to raise public awareness of the benefits of reducing/modifying the known risk factors for heart disease and stroke through community awareness campaigns, advocacy and collaboration with government-led initiatives such as Healthy Ireland.

Croí has close collaborations with the HSE and the Saolta University Health Care Group, working in partnership with the specialisms of cardiology, stroke, diabetes and obesity to deliver preventive and rehabilitative care. For example, the Croí CLANN Programme (Change your Lifestyle with Activity and Nutrition), is an intensive lifestyle intervention, targeting individuals referred from the hospital bariatric services at Galway University Hospital. The award-winning programme is the first and only of its kind in Ireland and is based on the principles of Croí MyAction.

The Croí Health Team work with participants, and their physician, who are seeking to make critical lifestyle and behaviour changes.

Participants receive individual advice and support from a team of healthcare experts, which includes specialist cardiovascular nurses, physiotherapists, physical activity specialists and dietitians.

In recent years, Croí has taken a national leadership position in prevention and recovery with the establishment of The National Institute for Preventive Cardiology (NIPC), which has affiliated with the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at the National University of Ireland, Galway. The NIPC strives to provide leadership through research, education and training, promoting healthier living, raising the standards of preventive healthcare and preparing a new generation of leaders to advance the prevention agenda in Ireland.

Recently, the NIPC has appointed Prof. Bill McEvoy, Professor of Preventive Cardiology, as its Medical & Research Director; and has been joined by Prof. David Wood, President of the World Heart Federation and Adjunct Professor of Preventive Cardiology, NUI Galway. “Chronic diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity remain the most common and costly of all health problems. The work of the NIPC aims to address these challenges by driving innovative research and education, to inform new approaches to health and wellbeing.” – Neil Johnson, CEO, Croí.

Croí’s work is entirely funded from its fundraising and revenue generating activities. “We rely totally on the goodwill and generosity of individuals and organisations who value what we do. We never take this support for granted, and we constantly aim to demonstrate measurable impact. I have been with Croí since 1993 and public support for our work has been unwavering. It’s so great to see that the work we do makes a real impact, not only on individuals, but in communities and with families,” says Neil.

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RUNNING TO STAND STILL Construction output has risen sharply in recent years but the industry is struggling to deliver the required volume of housing and capital infrastructure following a decade of under investment.

At the outset of this year, consultancy practice Linesight anticipated overall construction output of j20.1bn for 2018. However, this figure has been revised and it is now expected to fall just short of j21bn. This represents an impressive growth rate of almost 64 per cent over the last three years.

Nonetheless, construction output in 2018, will still only reach 55% of the 2007 peak output of j38 billion and it continues to lag significantly behind the optimum level of 10 per cent to 12 per cent of GDP. CSO statistics published during the Summer of 2018 show that building and construction output increased by 7.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 compared with the preceding period. This reflects increases of 5.6 per cent, 5.5 per cent and 1.1 per cent in the volume of residential building work, non-residential building work and civil engineering work respectively.

Employment in construction is also growing rapidly, with the CSO Labour Force Survey, published in August 2018, showing direct employment in construction at 137,400, reflecting an increase of 25,000 or 22 per cent in two years since the corresponding period in 2016.

The number of homes completed for the first half of 2018 was 7,909, which is 30 per cent more than were built in the same period of 2017. However, this level of output is still well below the

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numbers required and Project Ireland 2040 estimates that 550,000 homes are needed over the next 20 years.

Strong overall economic growth is contributing to higher output levels and Project Ireland 2040 should also provide the necessary infrastructural investment to support an escalation in housing output in a country with a rapidly growing population.

The most significant domestic challenges for the construction sector remain the skills shortages, increasing tender levels and construction inflation levels, which are fuelled by increasing demand, pressure on wage rates, increases in material prices and regulatory changes.

There were also some concerns expressed when the latest Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers Index - which tracks changes in total construction activity - fell to 52.9 in October down from 56.2 in September. While the level of construction activity in Ireland rose moderately during October, the pace of expansion was the slowest since March 2015.

However, Ulster Bank noted that while growth of new business also eased, the rate of job creation rose to a three-month high.

Despite the October slowdown of activity growth, total activity in the construction industry has now risen in each of the past 62 months.

The index covers three sub-categories - residential, civil engineering and commercial construction activity.

Residential and commercial construction activity increased in October, although at slower rates than September. As was the case in September, commercial was the best-performing sector.

But civil engineering construction activity declined in October, and at the fastest pace in 14 months.

“The October results reveal a notable loss of momentum in the growth rate of construction activity last month as the headline PMI slipped to 52.9 in October from 56.2 in September,” commented Ulster Bank’s senior economist Simon Barry.

He said that while that still leaves the sector comfortably in expansion territory, the PMI has now fallen for three months in a row, with the October reading marking the slowest pace of growth in over three and a half years.

The economist said it was not too surprising to see some cooling in the pace of construction growth given the extremely rapid expansion recorded in the summer and the similar signs of slowdown from elsewhere in the Irish private sector of late.

He also said the sector’s overall outlook continues to be underpinned by the housing supply shortfall and by the marked step-up in the growth of Exchequer capital spending.

“So while the headline PMI results for October point to a disappointing start to the final quarter of the year for construction activity, we would be surprised if the results in the coming months don’t show signs of renewed improvement,” Simon Barry added.

“There has also been a broadly positive reaction to the budget within the industry, particularly to the j2.3b housing package announced and the 24% increase in capital infrastructure funding. Meanwhile, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation, Tom Parlon was encouraged by the j300million human capital initiative which he said was essential in order to help stave off a looming shortage of skilled workers.

He also called for the Housebuilding Finance Ireland fund announced last year to be deployed as a matter of urgency. “This will ensure that regional housebuilders have the financial capability to deliver homes outside the greater Dublin area where there is viable demand,” he said.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

The CIF Director General warned of a significant ramping up of construction costs which is borne out by figures released by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland which show that prices quoted for tenders for nonhousing construction projects climbed almost 4% in the first six months and will likely reach boom-time levels sometime next year.

Construction tender prices will rise by an annual 7.4% by the end of 2018, and reach record levels early in 2019, according to the society.

Given the continued rise in tender prices over a relatively short period of time, it will be a concern for contracting authorities receiving tender proposals for national projects that contractors may well run into financial difficulty half way through — as evidenced in recent school delivery projects.

“If the current trend continues prices will be back at the peak boom-time level of 2007 early next year. The current rate of increase is simply not sustainable in the long term,” he said, citing “ever-increasing workload coupled with the skills shortage being experienced by both main contractors and specialist sub-contractors”, for the price hikes. said Des O’Broin, President of the SCSI. “Labour prices are also rising on foot of the sectoral employment order while the price of steel, timber, and other materials, as well as oil, are also increasing,” he added.

CIF Director General, Tom Parlon said the Government needed to accelerate its efforts to modernise procurement practices otherwise the National Development Plan and housing delivery will be costlier with more overruns and delays in addition to a continuing trend of liquidation in the industry.

“There is much to be welcomed in this budget for the construction industry. In 2016, SOLAS estimated that the industry would need an additional 100,000 workers to deliver on the Government’s stated ambition in housing delivery and in the National Development Plan,” he said. “However, we have not seen a concurrent increase in investment in increasing the numbers of skilled trades and craft people coming out of the education and training system. We are concerned that, having put in place a number of legislative and budgetary measures over the past five years, essential housing and infrastructure delivery will be stymied by skills shortages in construction.

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AWARD WINNING CONTRACTOR Commercial | Student Accommodation | Fit-Out | Retail | Educational | Data Centres | Industrial | Residential

OisĂ­n House, Dublin

5 Hanover Quay

111 Cannon St, London

The Exo Building

RCSI, 26 York St

City Quay Office Development

contact us T: 044 9346000 F: 044 9346040

info@bennettconstruction.ie

www.bennettconstruction.ie

Forest Park, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS

Bennett (Construction) Ltd is fourth generation family owned construction contracting and development company with offices and projects in Dublin, London and Germany.

With over 100 years in the industry year, the Bennett Group has grown dramatically in both size and reputation since it was established in 1917 and is now one of the leading contractors in Ireland.

Bennett Construction have a broad portfolio of successfully completed projects across a wide range of sectors. They built a strong reputation on their client focussed and hands-on approach and are justifiably proud of the fact that the majority of their workload comes from repeat business.

Ranking in the top four Irish Contractors in this year’s Linesight’s Handbook, Bennett’s turnover has increased from j234m in 2017 to j325m for this year. Coinciding with this increase, staff levels have also improved, with now in excess of 230 employees. Looking to 2019 continued growth is assured with an anticipated turnover of j380-400 million.

“The continued upturn in the construction industry has allowed us to develop staff numbers and roles both through internal promotions and through the new staff members,” says Paul Bruton, Joint Managing Director of Bennett Construction.

“The next 12 months are very positive for Bennett. We hope to continue to grow from strength to strength and in 2019, we hope to reaffirm our position as one of the top ten contractors in Ireland.

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AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 Bennett Construction Excellence in Service to the Construction Industry

Thornton on City Quay.

This impressive building steps down from nine to five storeys and incorporates a series of generous roof terraces with hard and soft landscaping and included a high spec fitout of six of the seven floors in the building. It now provides Grant Thornton with 115,000 square feet of floor space.

“We have also recently commenced works on the 180,000 sq ft Exo Building,” enthuses Bruton. This project consists of a new 17 storey office block between the existing 3 Arena and the East Wall Road.

The building is raised at ground level by approximately 8 meters and supported by three elliptical cores. The existing basement beneath the Point Square will be utilised as plant and staff facilities areas with the lid to the existing basement being demolished and replaced with a slab capable of supporting a LUAS line. A glazed restaurant/ bar unit will be constructed above the existing basement which will incorporate back of house facilities and a mezzanine floor.

Without a doubt this is a company worth watching and worthy winners of the Excellence in Service to the Construction Industry Award, 2018.

“We will continue to demonstrate to our clients our ability to deliver on award-winning projects. We will continue to build relationships with existing clients and develop new relationships that we feel will continue to our long-term sustainable goals.”

While the company has in recent years focused on private works, they have recently commenced work on Oisín House Student Accommodation for Trinity College, Dublin. They are currently the design and build contractor on this purpose-built student accommodation located on Pearse Street, which will comprise 250 bed spaces, disability services, retail units, a health unit, sports and recreation facilities and Estates & Facilities support space once complete. The overall floor area will be 12,110 square meters and the building will be six floors high.

Citing other examples of major works Mr Bruton points to the multiaward winning 26 York Street, for the Royal College of Surgeons complete with a state-of-the-art academic hub. “The brief demanded a highly complex programme of spaces on a compact urban site, including technically advanced simulated environments for clinical and surgical training as well as a new library, auditorium and sports facility,” explains Bruton.

Another major project is the new headquarter building for Grant

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BUILDING DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS AIB has been given our award for Excellence in Financial Services in the construction industry. As part of our research we spoke to AIB to help better understand what they have being doing in the sector over the last couple of years.

It is clear to us from following the press that AIB are leading funders of the housing industry with their publicised funding of many of the industry leading development groups. Their approach to backing the industry stretches beyond the private sector though as we have found out.

activities, and with Derek O’Shea who heads up Development Finance in the Bank. From these discussions it was clear that they believe that one of the key lessons from the property crisis was a need for the industry to be more professional in its approach, and to that end, AIB has become more professional in its approach.

We spoke with Donall O’Shea who heads up Real Estate Finance in the Bank, which includes Development and Investment lending

The Real Estate Finance team consists of over 50 staff which includes Property Economists, Chartered Engineers and Chartered Surveyors

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS

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AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 AIB Excellence in Real Estate Finance Services Construction Industry

AIB made a substantial commitment to the Social Housing sector by putting in place a fund to assist experienced developers deliver newly built stock to the larger Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in the state. The fund which was launched by CEO Bernard Byrne last February was set at an initial level of k100m.

working with over 40 lenders, all of whom specialise in Real Estate lending. AIB have specialised further, with half of the lenders focussed on investment facilities and the other half looking at development funding. In terms of the professional development of the lenders, while virtually all of them have qualifications in Finance, many of them also completed courses with the SCSI last year.

What else became clear was that AIB made a substantial commitment to the Social Housing sector, by putting in place a fund to assist experienced developers deliver newly built stock to the larger Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in the state. The fund which was launched by CEO Bernard Byrne last February was set at an initial level of j100m.

Donall O’Shea, explained that this fund assists private developers to raise an increased level of debt on more flexible terms than available for private schemes. The reduced equity required from developers has cut their cost of capital which has been achievable because Local Authorities and AHBs contract to purchase the completed units. This approach has been popular with developers

and AHBs alike and is leading to accelerated delivery in a number of schemes.

In terms of how this works, AIB provides up to 70% of the sale value as distinct from the more usual 60% of costs available for private schemes. AIB’s Real Estate Finance team has also been the sole funder for the last 3 years of an innovative affordable housing scheme in Ballymun, in Dublin. The next phase of that scheme is due to commence in January with AIB again providing the Finance.

AIB’s commitment to the social housing sector has also been evidenced through the funding of Tuath, one of the country’s largest AHBs, by the Corporate Banking team.

This started with a j15m facility which was provided, enabling Tuath to purchase 190 completed housing units throughout the country, and AIB has progressed more long-term funding in recent months on developments it couldn’t disclose.

AIB clearly are targeting the construction sector and their support of players across the industry looks to be working for them.

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THE ART OF BUILDING

WALLS CONSTRUCTION ROSEMOUNT HOUSE, NORTHERN CROSS, MALAHIDE ROAD, DUBLIN 17

T: 01 867 3800 F: 01 867 3850

CENTRAL BANK OF IRELAND Walls Construction

E: BUILD@WALLS.IE W: WWW.WALLS.IE

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Building Contractors, Public Sector

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A proud and distinguished history and a portfolio which includes some of Ireland’s most celebrated public buildings has earned Walls Construction the 2018 Excellence in Irish Construction Award.

When Irish Construction Magazine’s annual Top 50 CIF Contractors listing for 2018 was released earlier this year Walls Construction was ranked amongst the leading Irish building firms. Their position is a result of a major increase in the company’s turnover over the past four years and is a confirmation of the resilience of a business boasting a record of achievement which few companies in the sector can match.

Throughout its long and distinguished history Walls has been a progressive and modernising force in Irish construction, including its contribution to the development of critical state infrastructure. In its early years, the company was involved in some of the leading publicly funded projects of the day, including Shannon Airport and Tralee General Hospital.

The company was founded by PJ Walls in 1950 and in the early years was primarily recognised as a civil engineering contractor. However, in the 1970’s the company evolved into a major force amongst Irish building contractors and during the following decades and into the new millennium their portfolio of distinguished works included several buildings on the UCD Belfield campus, the Westin Hotel and Trinity Biosciences buildings in Dublin’s city centre and the redevelopment of the 3 Arena, while the Walls Cork office completed the new Cork University Maternity Hospital and UCC’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Therapies.

In 2015, the Company completed a management buyout that strengthened its position further in an improving economic environment. A key strategic objective has always been sustainable growth and the company’s turnover performance in recent years has demonstrated this. Walls is also proud that it managed its business during the economic downturn without having to make job losses through rationalization. This enabled the company to retain a skilled and experienced workforce and the opportunity and capability to take advantage of the upturn in the economic fortunes of the country.

By complimenting experienced construction teams with newly recruited professionals, Walls has won major construction contracts that will be delivered in 2019 and in some instances, will extend up to 2021. This workload puts the Company in an enviable position of being able to target various construction projects that align with its business strategy and its desire to deliver top class projects.

Recent evidence of the company’s success is in its management of major high-profile commercial projects such as the new Central Bank of Ireland headquarters on Dublin’s North Wall Quay.

The new Central Bank has been a multi award winning project and is set to be a landmark building in Dublin’s Docklands for many decades

to come. It is designed around a central atrium and flexible open plan offices with collaborative space creating an innovative working environment for almost 1,500 employees. The internal fit-out was completed to a very high standard, exemplified by the number of awards it has won, including Best Universal Design at the RIAI Awards earlier this year. It is also the first office fit-out in Ireland to achieve an “Outstanding” BREEAM environmental rating and the first BER A2 energy rated commercial development in Ireland.

The number of tower cranes that dominate the skyline on North Wall Quay is evidence of the extent of major building work Walls has completed in this part of Dublin during the past four years. This includes the Dublin Landings development which is a major mixeduse development on a 93,000m2 site that includes the new Central Bank, and will provide commercial office, residential and retail space together with restaurant and café bars on a superbly landscaped site.

Walls is also completing major commercial and residential projects in South Dublin city including a major development on Cardiff Lane. It also recently completed a major office redevelopment project on Charlemont Street in Dublin 2 that extends to 9,200m2 and will accommodate more than 1,200 workers based on its design occupancy rate.

Residential and student accommodation is also a vibrant area for Walls. The company is working on two projects on Dominick Street and the North Circular Road, in Dublin 1 and 7 respectively, which are part of GSA’s student accommodation roll-out programme across the country. The North Circular Road development, with a gross floor area of 16,548m2, comprises the construction of a purposebuilt campus with just over 400 bedrooms in nine blocks, ranging from one to seven storeys in height.

Finally, fit-outs are a major component of the company’s workload, accounting for close to 25% of the company’s turnover. Recently completed projects include the fit-out of the European headquarters for both Zendesk and New Relic and the fit-out of AIB’s new digital hub in Central Park, Sandyford, as well as several fit-out and refurbishment projects for public bodies.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Industrial Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Becson Industrial Services Excellence in Business Industrial Services Award

Originally established in 2002 as a commercial painting company, BCPD Ltd was rebranded to Becson Industrial Services in 2008 and today the company is an experienced and highly regarded industrial coatings, thermal insulation and cladding contractor.

Accredited Management Systems: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & Safe-TCertification and continually reviews new products and applications to improve quality, cost effectiveness and methods of insulation & coating applications.

BIS Ltd has grown significantly and is recognised as a leading industrial services company, providing high quality services to a broad range of clients across a variety of business sectors.

A full range of insulation applications is offered, including Mineral fibres, Cellular glass, Calcium silicate, Polyurethane and Phenolic foams. Cladding materials such as Stainless steel, Aludip, Aluzinc, Galvanized mild steel and alternative finishes including PIB membrane, Canvas and Glass cloths are also offered.

The company’s collective experience across many industrial sectors enables Becson Industrial Services (BIS) to tackle complex projects efficiently and the company has worked in every major industrial environment, including petrochemical, food processing, electronics, manufacturing, commercial offices, education, power generation, marine and offshore.

BIS Ltd work closely with clients to ensure timely delivery of high-quality services in accordance with the specific requirement of each client. The pricing structure is competitive and the company has all facilities and high calibre equipment as well as highly trained professionals to enable it to meet the demands of the most discerning clients.

The Industrial Services team at BIS specialise in applying protective coatings and thermal insulation & cladding for industrial clients, particularly on long-term maintenance contracts and large construction sites across the UK and Ireland. Work is also carried out on demanding intumescent coating (fireproof coating) projects where their technical expertise can be utilised.

The range of services provided by BIS include intumescent fireproof coatings and remedial works to structural steel, sandblasting, corrosion protection, industrial floor coatings, high temperature coatings, surface preparation high pressure water jetting, thermal insulation & cladding, with their own cladding & metal fabrication shop in Dublin.

The depth of technical knowledge and range of expertise available at BIS is unparalleled in the industry while the quality of customer service is one of the features most regularly referenced by the company’s impressive portfolio of repeat clients which include MSL Engineering, Dornan Engineering, Duggan brothers, PJ Hegarty, Ask Romain, Leo Lynch Engineering, Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd, Severfield (NI) Ltd, Duggan Allied Steel, Daldrop Gmbh, Walkair, Winthrop Engineering, to name but a few.

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Becson Industrial Services Limited is dedicated to delivering up its promise to customers and its mantra – “We look after our customers’ business as though it was our own” has ensured a consistent flow of business from some of the country’s most prominent companies.

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The company is currently involved in a number of significant projects and is providing insulation and cladding to newly installed pipework at a pharmaceutical facility at the Grange Castle complex where it is also carrying out a painting contract and applying coating systems to the pipework before insulation. In addition, it is providing acoustic and thermal insulation of the siphonic system at a Data Centre in Cork where it has supplied acoustic wrap, H&V sections and Armaflex for the principal contractor.

Becson Industrial Services Ltd is also involved in ongoing projects, insulating new pipework which has been installed at various locations around the country and it is also providing insulation to HVAC services for data centres, where it is working with some of the big Mechanical Contractors and Main Contractors. BIS is currently carrying out similar projects in the capital’s city centre for some of the same clients.

BIS are working on the majority of the Major Pharmaceutical & Data centre construction projects across the island of Ireland, whether it’s industrial coatings, thermal insulation, cladding application or fabrication, from their own fabrication shop in Fonthill, Dublin 22, 2019 is getting off to a busy start with insulation and cladding, intumescent coatings. Becson Industrial Services Ltd have contracts awarded for February start dates which will keep them busy up to the end of the year.

The company’s experience and reputation ensures that clients receive a premier service with quality results, safely and at the best value. Becson Industrial Services is committed to delivering outstanding operational performance and high value services and is recognized for going the extra mile for its clients.

BIS has a professional management team guiding operations as well as in-house NACE & ICORR qualified coating inspectors and full-time safety & environmental advisors, It has also achieved

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Surveyors to the Public Sector

Founded in Ireland in 1977, McGahon surveyors (MGS) have become one of Ireland’s leading professional quantity surveying practices, entrusted to oversee and manage a large portion of the government’s capital spend on various publicly funded construction projects across Ireland, including housing, education and health projects amongst many others.

MGS has an impressive track record in the housing sector and is making a significant contribution towards increasing the nation’s housing supply.

The company is currently delivering over 1,000 social housing units for local authorities and housing associations throughout Ireland, in addition to over 1,000 private housing units across the country.

MGS enjoy the confidence of various private clients, including repeat appointments from one of the world’s leading global real estate companies and repeat business from one of Europe’s leading independent investment companies. The company is also a major force in the education sector and has delivered new build accommodation for over 30,000 primary and post-primary students throughout Ireland – representing an investment of over j300m in the education sector.

MGS take pride in the fact that the vast majority of its client base is comprised of repeat business. These include many public bodies and organisations that partner the state including several local authorities, various housing associations throughout Ireland, the Department of Education & Skills, numerous education and training boards throughout Ireland, the HSE, OPW and the NDFA. In addition, the company is providing over 700 new bed spaces in both public and private nursing homes throughout Ireland.

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It is a philosophy which has resulted in significant and sustained growth over the years and the accumulation of a rich portfolio of eminent public projects.

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“We have always believed that our long-term success can only be achieved by providing the optimum service and attaining value for money on each and every project,” says Joe McGahon, who founded McGahon Surveyors over 40 years ago.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 McGahon Surveyors Best Surveyors Company to the Public Sector

was delighted to receive the 2018 Public Sector Magazine Award and commented on the company’s enduring service to the public sector.

“MGS have served the public sector for over 40 years with the business’s procedures and quality checks based upon and around the delivery of public funded construction projects, leaving us the ‘go-to-company’ for the provision of QS Services for schools, housing and healthcare in Ireland.

MGS are very proud of each and every project that we have delivered.”

Asked whether he thinks the public sector could be doing anything differently or more effectively within the construction industry, Joe’s response was immediate. “That’s an easy one!” he replied. “While there are many things that could be done differently, the key factor that I believe is lacking on many projects is the presence of a Clerk of Works (CoW). It is unbelievable that millions are being invested on projects, with no appropriate investment for the necessary quality checks, which would be minimal in comparison.

“There is an unrealistic expectation for the design team and/or the assigned certifier to provide the necessary quality assurances, which simply is not possible without a full time or at least a part-time presence on site. In my opinion, this should be provided on each and every construction project funded by the public purse. We need to be doing all we can to ensure that we protect and get the most out of our investment.”

Looking forward to 2019 and beyond, McGahon Surveyors aim to retain their status and reputation within the Irish construction industry and build upon its expertise, whilst ensuring quality levels and checks are maintained at all times. Despite the uncertainty of Brexit, MGS are looking forward to next year with a measured degree of optimism!

MGS continue to successfully attract the best talent in the industry and this focus and philosophy has been at the heart of the company’s success since it was founded. The team at MGS combine expertise, experience, energy and a level of commitment that ensures that all time frames are met and clients always receive the best possible service.

The approach of the company is exemplified by its motto of being: “large enough to deliver any construction project but small enough to ensure that your project really matters” and every individual in MGSs’ team being capable and prepared to drive the project. McGahon Surveyors’ team includes award winning staff members; experienced and focused individuals and dedicated team members who are committed to delivering high quality projects.

Joe Beggs MSCSI, MRICS (Managing Director of McGahon Surveyors)

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expect more, get more...

& Majella DanielDaniel & Majella

Cherrymore who have a large manufacturing facility at Ardlenagh outside Donegal Town and showrooms in Galway, Castlebar, Athlone, Ballybofey as well as Donegal Town employs over 120 people in administration, manufacturing, delivery and installation of kitchens and bedrooms. One of the projects Cherrymore are currently working on is the Center Parcs holiday village in Longford. Site works commenced on the new holiday village in September 2017 with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar turning the sod.

CenterParcs operate all year-round including Christmas and currently have five locations across the UK. Longford will be their first in Ireland with opening planned for August 2019. Following a visit to Cherrymore’s Donegal facility last year by a team of technical and development personnel from CenterParcs, Cherrymore went through the tendering process and to their delight received the contract.

Manufacturing of the 466 kitchens started April 2018 in the holiday village with a completion deadline of February 2019.

Cherrymore Director, Harry McLaughlin, said, “They knew right away that we were capable before they left the factory. As part of our presentation we manufactured a model kitchen for the team to view. We sent a team of 8 fitters to Longford in May 2018 and the plan is to fit 16 kitchens per week for the next 10 months which will complete the lodges and then we start the apartments. We are proud to be part of the biggest single job in the country at the minute and also that this can be done in Donegal thereby securing local employment.”

Iveagh Garden Hotel

Ardlenagh, Donegal Town, Co. Donegal, F94 C440 Tel: 00353 74 9722500

www.cherrymore.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Retail & Trade, Kitchen Industry

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cherrymore Excellence in Business Award

Cherrymore are long established as quality suppliers of kitchens and bedrooms to the trade and retail markets throughout the UK and Ireland. They design kitchens and wardrobes with your individual lifestyle in mind, giving you the ultimate living experience by shaping the space around you.

In business for over 20 years, Cherrymore is one of Ireland’s best premier kitchen and wardrobe manufactures. Throughout this period the company has been constantly expanding its product range and specialist manufacturing capabilities in order to be at the forefront of new market trends and styles. Continuously offering customers on trend designs, Cherrymore are easily accessible with over five locations throughout Ireland in Oranmore, Galway, Castlebar, Athlone, Donegal Town and Ballybofey.

“We pride ourselves on keeping all our showrooms up to date and we have large full-size kitchen displays,” explains Managing Director, Harry McLaughlin. “We offer a wide range of kitchen finishes including solid ash painted in a choice of Farrow & Ball paint colours, solid oak and HDF painted options. We also have our own range of acrylic contemporary kitchens in a choice of finishes including handle-less for that ultra-modern home.” The company bring together German engineering with a hint of Italian design flair but most importantly, Irish made directly by Cherrymore. This offers streamlined robust kitchen performance designed and engineered to meet the highest industry standard. “We have a wide range of top spec accessories to make your life easy in the kitchen and to maximise storage. We also manufacture wardrobes and our luxury wardrobe department offers custom made sliding door, hinged door & walk in wardrobes. Similar to our kitchens all projects are made to order,” says McLaughlin.

He continues: “Our northwest based factories, which produce thousands of kitchen cabinets each week, are fitted with the latest computer-controlled machinery, while our warehouses, covering hundreds of thousands of square feet, allow us to deliver our products direct from stock. Unlike many of our competitors, Cherrymore manufacture directly in our 100,000 sq ft factory where we use the most up to date computerised machinery to guarantee precision & quality.” Mr McLaughlin invites readers to take a tour of the factory on You Tube and get a glimpse into the manufacturing process. Such has been their success that the company are now exporting throughout Europe, setting standards that competitors cannot match. As a result, on a like with like basis of materials, style, quality & longevity, Cherrymore cannot be beaten.

for detail, guiding you from the design stages through to installation.

From sleek and stylish contemporary designs to the timeless and classic traditional looks, our highly skilled craftsmen take pride in perfecting every detail for you,” Director Harry Mc Laughlin.

Being a family run business, Cherrymore have acquired a reputation for supplying customers with their kitchen - how they want it, when they want it, and at the right price. “We take great care with your order at every stage,” Director Harry Mc Laughlin says.

“From our helpful office staff who receive, check and process your order, to the individual production cell that has total accountability for constructing your kitchen, to the delivery crew who’ll ensure your kitchen makes it into your home in the same condition it left the factory, there is a dedicated team making sure the whole process goes smoothly. And many of our clients are returning customers, who also show their satisfaction with our products by recommending us to friends and family.”

A visit to one of Cherrymore showrooms is a must for anyone who is building or renovating. Qualified and experienced designers are always on hand to help and offer advice including a 3D design service to make everything clear and make your dream space a reality. “At Cherrymore Kitchens & Bedrooms, we are constantly striving to provide the best service we possibly can, and as such, we welcome your comments. Feel free to contact us at any time with any questions you may have. Contact your nearest showroom or visit our website.

“Let us help create a room that is functional, beautiful, and above all exceeds your every expectation. Our aims is to create an environment that you will love spending time in.”

When it comes to design, Cherrymore also have the edge. “Our designers are renowned for their innovative use of materials and impeccable eye

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• Cycle stands and Shelters • Seats & Benches

IRELAND’S LEADING STREET FURNITURE MANUFACTURER IRELAND’S LEADING STREET FURNITURE MANUFACTURER Established in 1987, this Irish owned company has been leading the way for over 31 years in street furniture innovation, design and excellence since its inception.

“Castit has over 31 years’ experience by our team to deliver the best outcome for our customers projects.’’

Castit is renowned for its excellent service, quality and reliability with each and every one of our customers in the Public Sector and Construction Industry

• Cast Street Signage • Cast Directional Signage • High Density Cycle Storage • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cycle•stands and Shelters Bollards Seats & Benches • Tree Grilles & Guards Cast Street Signage • House Signs Cast Directional Signage High Density Cycle Storage • Cast Commemorative Plaques Bollards • Information Tree Grilles & GuardsDisplay Panels House Signs • Heritage Street Lighting Cast Commemorative Plaques • LitterDisplay Bins Panels Information Heritage • Street Lighting Litter Bins House Signs

Unit 612, Northern Extension IDA Business Park Waterford Unit 612, Northern X91 F896 Extension

Please call or email for a quote on our range of street furniture product s.

Please call or email for a quote on ††† our range of street furniture products.

IDA Business Park (00 X91 353) 051 370393 Waterford, F896 info@castit.ie (+353) 051 370393 www.castit.ie info@castit.ie +44 (0) 787205833 www.castit.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Award for Street Furniture Manufacturing

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Castit Street Furniture Manufacturing

Irish owned company Castit has been leading the way in street furniture innovation, design and excellence since its inception. Renowned with each and every one of their customers for excellent service, quality and reliability, Castit are worthy winners of the 2018 Public Sector Award for Excellence in Business for Street Furniture Manufacturing.

Established in 1987, Irish owned company Castit Ltd has been leading the way in street furniture innovation and excellence since its inception. Renowned and relied upon by its customers for excellent service, quality and reliability, Castit are worthy winners of the 2018 Public Sector Award for Excellence in Manufacturing Street Furniture.

From its factory and casting foundry in Waterford, the company supplies all across Ireland and the UK to both local authorities and building contractors. They also work with landscape architects, building management companies, as well as Tidy Towns groups, residents associations, individuals and home owners.

The product range available includes cast aluminium bollards, stainless steel bollards, cast decorative street signs, cast house signs, bicycle shelters and stands, tree protection and planters, seating, litter bins, decorative railing systems, and heritage street lighting. The company are the agents for Metcraft Lighting and Cyclehoop Ltd. Recent landmark projects for Castit Ltd. focus on high density cycle storage which has been installed in Harcourt Road in Dublin for Hiberenia REIT in the form of SemiVertical Bike Racks, as well as their Two Tier Bike Rack system in City Quays Dublin for Grant Thornton. The company were also involved in the supply and install of the team dugouts in Pairc Ui Chaoimh for John Sisk & Son Ltd. Regarding signage, their projects included decorative town entrance signs for Carlingford Tidy Towns and a bronze effect sign (cast coat) for the permanent exhibition of the Spike Island Exhibition for the Aud crew.

Connor Dunne - Sales and Estimating Manager and Brendan Dunne - Managing Director

Brendan Dunne, Managing Director, explains that Castit’s employees are the essential element of the company’s achievement in winning this award. “The award reflects our commitment to our customers

and future growth of the business over the coming years. This year we are celebrating 31 years in business and Castit has continued to expand our product line to meet the ever changing requirements of our market. We are constantly learning and always strive to be Irelands leading street furniture manufacturer and suppliers.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Interior Fit-Out Solutions

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Castle Group Ltd Specialist Construction Award

Castle has built its reputation on providing high quality fit-out solutions at competitive prices on a wide range of prominent projects across Ireland where it has routinely exceeded customers’ expectations.

The company also operates a high-level training academy which is committed to developing the quality of workforce required by the construction industry as well as training external companies such as the HSE and local builders in understanding the many systems associated fire ratings and acoustics in both partitions and ceilings.

Castle Group are regarded as one of Ireland’s leading interior specialists and offer a variety of fit-out solutions. According to Managing Director, Seamus Brady, the company has delivered on a wide range of prominent projects across Ireland and more recently in Europe too, working on a number of prime developments with some of the country’s principal contractors including Stewart Construction, John Sisk & Son (Holdings Ltd), The Elliott Group, JJ Rhatigan and Company and Bennett Construction.

“We have completed projects in data halls, hospitals, universities, schools, pharmaceutical and medical device facilities across Ireland where our experience and early engagement with the main contractors and design teams has been of benefit in the finalising of specifications to achieve the required performance,” he says.

“We work hard on building the portfolio of products we have on offer and in ensuring we have the back up and knowledge of these products in order to provide the required support to the end user.”

hundred trainees passing through the academy during the last three years.

This training programme enables trainees to learn, develop and practice the skills required for employment and career progression in the areas of dry lining finishing, ceiling fixing and partitioning. This is a City and Guilds NVQ award and has three stages involving seven weeks off the job training and thirty-six weeks on the job training.

In 2017 Castle Group Training Academy carried out their first classroom-based training course specifically designed to give HSE staff an overview of the products and systems installed to allow their facilities teams better deal with day to day operations on their sites.

While the construction industry is usually clamouring for additional capital expenditure and more projects to be rolled out, Seamus Brady is more circumspect and takes the view that quality is better than quantity. “Public expenditure is continually questioned and rightly so, but there is a fine balance which must be struck where quality and longevity of public projects should not be compromised for short term cost savings,” he says. “We all benefit whether directly or indirectly from better facilities in our schools, hospitals and other public facilities.”

Public projects remain a key component of Castle Group’s portfolio and it has demonstrated its expertise on a number of substantial fit-out contracts which were completed on time, within budget and to the highest standards of workmanship and design. The significant levels of repeat business is a testament to an impressive reputation and the company’s strong credentials in the construction sector.

“The public sector has been a mainstay in our portfolio of works over the years,” says Seamus Brady. “During the recent recession, public sector projects such as schools and hospitals were the only largescale projects being built and our involvement on these projects sustained Castle during a testing economic period. We have gone from strength to strength since but have continued working in this area even as the private sector has grown again. We are currently live on Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and The National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane”.

One of the unique features of Castle and one which sets it apart from competitors, is the high-level training academy that it established in order to help develop the next generation of City & Guilds qualified installers. Castle Group -Training Academy which was established in conjunction with GRETB (Galway Roscommon Educational Training Board), the CIF and City & Guilds, has assisted in building the quality workforce required by the construction industry with over one

Gordon Browne (pictured) – Castle Group Purchasing Manager

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Civil Engineering Construction Firm of the Year

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Clonmel Enterprises undertake many types of contracts for the Public Sector including building, civil engineering and asset maintenance contracts. On the civil engineering side they undertake a variety of projects, both for TII and various Local Authorities. These projects include road construction, widening and upgrade works, cycle tracks, construction of quality bus corridors and railway works. They have maintained their experience working in the water and waste water sector, undertaking projects more recently for Irish Water.

Clonmel Enterprises have regularly completed flood relief projects, upgrading drainage and watermain networks and river retaining structures. Throughout the history of the company, there has always been a keen interest in bridge projects, “We were one of the first contractors to construct ribbon bridges in Ireland, constructing both the Kilbarrack ribbon bridge for Dublin City Council and the Kilmacanogue Bridge for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council”, says Niall McElwaine – Contracts & Development Director for Clonmel Enterprises. “More recently we have undertaken a variety of refurbishment projects both of masonry and iron structures throughout Dublin City, including the historic Beaver Row Footbridge in Donnybrook”.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Clonmel Enterprises

Clonmel Enterprises Ltd. are a multidisciplinary building and civil engineering company, operating in Ireland for more than four decades and undertaking significant contracts in the areas of civil engineering, building and restoration.

Clonmel Enterprises Limited are a building and civil engineering company operating in the Republic of Ireland for the past 44 years.

From the beginning Clonmel Enterprises have worked building our nation’s infrastructure, starting with water and wastewater pipelines and soon expanding to roads, bridges, rail and flood defence works.

Along the way, Clonmel Enterprises have also built many residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The company has worked on some of the country’s largest road construction projects, such as the Blanchardstown and Lucan Bypasses and the N7 Naas Road Widening Scheme. They have completed many road renewal, widening and upgrade projects, including various link roads, bypasses and bus corridors. All of the above projects have made a huge contribution to the ease of travel of the public and improved the quality of life for those using this infrastructure.

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Civil Engineering Construction Firm of the Year

“When carrying out these projects we undertake all elements of the works using mainly our own plant and labour resources,” says McElwaine.

The public sector remains an important sector for Clonmel Enterprises Ltd. “We feel with our depth of knowledge and breath of experience we have the resources to carry out these projects in an efficient and mutually beneficial manner, delivering essential infrastructural projects that the public sector develop,” explains McElwaine. “We believe that our partnering approach to working on these projects ensures that none of the schemes we undertake suffer any unnecessary delay and are completed to a high quality, on time and in budget”.

Currently Clonmel Enterprises Ltd. are undertaking a number of public sector projects some of which are due to start in the coming weeks and months such as the improvement works on the Lower Kilmacud Road in Stillorgan Village. Clonmel Enterprises are nearing completion on a flood relief scheme in Sutton and are also working on a number of enabling works contracts for University College Dublin, who are constantly expanding their campus in Belfield. Works for Irish Water continue and the company are currently working on a project upgrading a watermain in Rathfarnham.

McElwaine welcomes the current trend in procurement towards awarding contracts with more of an emphasis on quality rather than purely on price, but also feels it is it is important to point out that the extent of requirements for the tender submission be appropriate to the scale and complexity of the project. “Our concern is that project requirements are becoming so specific and time constrained, that it will ultimately lead to reduced numbers of pre-qualified contractors being able to tender for public works.”

Clonmel Enterprises have a number of dedicated and fully equipped crews who manage and maintain assets throughout the national road network including, sign maintenance and refurbishment, traffic calming installations and school warning signs. These crews also operate a national emergency call out facility.

Clonmel Enterprises provide building services for a variety of public sector clients. They have constructed a number of salt storage barns for TII and a sludge treatment facility for Dublin City Council/Irish Water.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Construction Housing Partnership Award

Crosserlough Construction operate under an ISO accredited quality and environmental management system, and Safe-TCert accredited safety management system. They are also proud members of the construction industry register of Ireland (CIRI), Construction Industry Federation, and Homebond.

The company provide a wide range of services to the public sector including residential construction, commercial construction, office and retail fit-outs, civil contracting and reactive & scheduled maintenance services.

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“At Crosserlough Construction, we work closely with clients and design teams to ensure all their requirements are precisely met in an efficient manner,” explains Director Niall McGaughran. “We employ a driven and motivated team, who are expertly trained in their field to ensure all regulations and technologies are constructed correctly and to the highest quality possible. We engage in constant training and education to ensure our team is ahead of the crowd and ready for the ever-changing industry of construction.”

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Crosserlough Construction is a general contracting business established in June 1990.

Adopting the slogan ‘Quality Through Construction’ the company has a mission of producing high quality structures and fit-outs at competitive rates.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Crosserlough Construction Construction Housing Partnership Award

Business is booming and the company are actively tendering works for both private and public sector in the service areas listed above.

They have broadened their work locations recently to include the counties of Cavan, Meath, Monaghan, Leitrim, Longford, Sligo, Westmeath, Louth & Dublin. The company are also actively securing positions on numerous government body construction and maintenance frameworks further expanding their experience and knowledge to stay true to their message of ‘Quality Through Experience’. “In the coming years we envisage Crosserlough Construction being at the forefront of its field, with a reputation for high quality work, at a reasonable cost,” Niall says.

“We would like to thank everyone for reading our editorial. We would again like to promote our message, that should we cross paths on any project, Crosserlough Construction’s dedicated team of management, tradespeople, sub-contractors and suppliers will work relentlessly to bring your project in on time, budget and to the highest quality imaginable. Your project is our priority.”

“But the list of services provided is never a full stop with Crosserlough Construction,” explains Niall, “we endeavour to work alongside the client to turn their ideas into reality. We are always available for consultation, based on our broad range of knowledge and experience accumulated over our years of business. We work alongside clients to bring their project in on time and in budget.”

McGaughran says that public sector contracts are hugely important to Crosserlough Construction, social housing developments in particular being of major importance. Along with this education and healthcare is another key area for the company.

“It brings a smile to our faces, producing homes, buildings and services, that benefit a wide range of people in Ireland,” Niall says. “The Public Sector is a very satisfying sector, as you are often working to bring people in need and communities much needed buildings and services. Along with this, it is a secure sector for us, as payment is guaranteed, which is something we can then pass on to our employees, sub-contractors & suppliers – something that is refreshing in today’s world, and helps bring a motivated workforce and team together to produce 1st class projects.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Social Housing

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Daikin Ireland Services to Social Housing

With its latest Air to Water Heat Pump, the R-32 Altherma 3, Daikin, a global leader in heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, is setting new standards in terms of energy efficiency.

Social housing tenants in Ireland are feeling the benefits and the company’s Irish division, Daikin Ireland has been working with local authorities across the country to provide affordable heating solutions and more comfortable and energy-efficient homes.

The vast majority of people consider access to affordable, warm and comfortable housing to be a basic human right and the contribution of Daikin Ireland to improving the quality of Ireland’s social housing stock has been recognised with the presentation of the ‘Home Heating’ Award in the category of excellence in service to social housing.

In recent years, Daikin Ireland has worked with the majority of local authorities throughout the country according to John O’Shaughnessy, Manager Heating Dept, Daikin Ireland.

“In addition, maintenance requirements are minimal, keeping running costs low. Thanks to advanced compressor technology, the energy savings are even greater. Depending on the model and conditions, a Daikin Altherma heat pump delivers about 5kWh of usable heat for every kWh of electricity it consumes. This means approximately 4/5 of the heat is free! For anyone on a very tight budget this is so important.”

Daikin Ireland is the Irish sales office of Daikin Europe the world’s leading supplier of heating and cooling solutions for residential, industrial and commercial applications. Daikin are the only manufacturer in Europe with more than 50 years of experience in the field of heat pumps. With over 350,000 Daikin Altherma heat pumps installed, Daikin is already the Irish market leader in Air to Water heat pumps. With the introduction of their new generation R-32 Altherma 3 Daikin are bringing Air to Water Heat Pumps to a whole new level of efficiency.

The awards were presented to key figures that have made an outstanding contribution in Ireland to the Public Sector, so we are delighted to receive this recognition and to be contributing towards improving the warmth and comfort of Ireland’s social housing stock,” says O’Shaughnessy.

“We are working with most of the Local Authorities throughout Ireland at present due to the massive commitment they are making to build and refurbish homes and reduce the numbers of homelessness and helping to eradicate fuel poverty. The less money people spend on keeping warm, the more they have to spend on their family and other commitments.

“Daikin renewable energy systems can assist local authorities and housing providers in achieving cost effective heating solutions for reducing fuel poverty, improving energy efficiency and above all warmth and comfort in the home.

“We can also assist housing providers with the design and selection of the correct heat pump by offering help to assess which heat pumps will work best in homes and provide the greatest running cost savings.”

To date significant numbers of Daikin’s heat pumps have been installed by Local Authorities and Housing Agencies in Ireland and the benefits have been immediate.

“A Daikin Altherma heat pump can heat a home up to 5 times more efficiently than a traditional heating system based on fossil fuels or electricity. By making use of the heat in the outside air, the system uses much less energy, while you enjoy a stable and pleasant level of comfort in your home,” says O’Shaughnessy.

Calin Tasnadi, John O’Shaughnessy, Ian Killoch and Shane McCarthy from Daikin Ireland being presented with the Public Sector Award 2018 at the RIAI Conference.

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Eir Code: A91 HH93 Tel: +353 (0)42 9372365 Fax: +345 (0)42 9372464 Dromiskin Road, Castlebellignham, Co. Louth

www.elitefence.ie

www.eliteform.ie

Specialists in Sheet Metal since 1974

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to the Construction Industry & Private Sector

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 EliteForm Services to the Construction Industry and the Private Sector in Ireland

EliteForm team manufacture a wide range of products for the roofing, cladding, engineering and construction sector in Ireland and the UK. Catering for both trade and individual customers, the company operates from a custom-built premise and utilises the latest machinery available to provide a range of products which are unrivalled in terms of quality, design and price.

When the financial crisis erupted and decimated the Irish construction sector, EliteForm, the country’s leading manufacturing company for bespoke façade solutions in the architectural and building industry was left facing a dilemma: what to do with the machinery, materials and the highly skilled staff which were now being significantly underutilised as a result of the slump in demand?

Rather than cut their cloth to measure and retrench in the face of overwhelming adversity, the company opted to extend their operation and establish EliteFence, a new fence manufacturing division which supplies high quality fencing to contractors as well as the domestic market.

“EliteFence was borne out of the recession as we had material, machinery and skilled staff that we didn’t want to lose,” says Managing Director, Sandra Byrne. “We began to make garden fences for the domestic market to fill the gap when building stopped in 2009. This took on a life of its own and has grown exponentially year on year since it began.”

The company operates from a 20,000 m2 site in Castlebellingham Co Louth maintaining direct control of all production and administration from a single site. Located just off the M1, it is ideally located for distribution nationwide and cross channel with close proximity to several ports.

“Our own fleet of trucks ensures we have complete control on deliveries so we can respond in a timely manner to all of our customers,” says Byrne. “We also have the largest sheet metal facility in Ireland with highly skilled draughtsmen and women, fabricators and operators. We are continually investing in product development in order to constantly improve and enhance our product range.

Byrne also believes the future is bright for EliteFence which she says is particularly suitable for public areas and council buildings etc as it is maintenance free. “It has a 20-year coating guarantee and is strong, secure and aesthetically pleasing. It is a steel fence that looks like a wooden fence without all the annual maintenance work involved with a wooden fence. We are currently working on the requirements for getting a hybrid of EliteFence approved for use by the National Roads Authority.”

Meanwhile, the company continued to supply the sheet metal components they have traditionally supplied to shed erectors and builders and have benefitted from the economic turnaround and the sharp growth in construction output.

The company supply a significant number of pharmaceutical companies around the country which constitutes a prime market for their products. It has also supplied widely to the public sector, including Luas Stations, Iarnrod Eireann and numerous schools and hospitals nationwide.

Recent projects in which the company have been involved include Tottenham Stadium and The National Indoor Arena and it is currently involved in a number of key projects, including Dublin Airport redevelopment, Centre Parcs in Longford and Chelsea Stadium. The company is also focussed on expanding exports to the UK market and according to Byrne, it recently began exporting materials to Belgium and Denmark for a very prestigious client.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Air Quality Products

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Partnering with globally renowned manufacturers, we provide leading technologies with very favourable ROI schedules,” says Martin Curran, Managing Director.

“The public sector is a critical market for EMC Limited which offers a range of energy, water, environmental products and turnkey solutions which assist the public sector in reducing operating costs and improving thermal comfort levels while at the same time supporting the country’s commitment to Climate 2020.

“Our flagship product for the public sector is the Airius destratification system, which can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20% to 50% and at the same time, ensure quality air and thermal comfort for staff and clients,” says Curran.

The Airius system has been awarded outright winner of ‘Best Indoor Air Quality’ award at the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 SEAI Energy Show.

“Thermal stratification is the single biggest waste of energy in buildings today,” says Curran. Stratification refers to the everyday fact of life that hot air rises and cold air falls, leading to excessive heating and cooling costs and in a lot of cases, an unhealthy and uncomfortable working environment.

The Airius de-stratification system can be retrofitted into existing buildings or designed into new builds, and when incorporated into new builds, the fans can greatly reduce mechanical costs of HVAC and also ducting. The system works alongside all types of HVAC equipment and can stand alone or be integrated into the existing BMS. It reduces heating and cooling costs from 20% to 50% and reduces CO2 emissions by an equivalent amount.

Optimum working considerations are maintained through thermal equalisation and minimal running costs are incurred (fans range from 12 watts to 175 watts) which provides for a rapid ROI. The PureAir version kills 90% of airborne viruses and bacteria.

Curran also points out that combining Airius with EMC’s new Sitelink HVAC Gateway and Magnetic’s Demineralisation system offers even greater control and savings on heating and cooling systems and

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 EMC

Established in 2001, Galway based company EMC Limited is a leading supplier of industrial controls, energy and water saving technologies and partners with some of the world’s leading manufacturers providing innovative solutions aimed at helping clients to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.

EMC Limited is one of Ireland’s leading engineering services and distribution companies and operates from headquarters in Galway as well as offices in Cork and Athlone. Specialising in MRO spares and energy and water saving products, EMC assists customers in reducing operating costs and improving process efficiencies whilst enhancing environmental conditions for their staff and customers.

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Outright Winner for Air Quality Products

prolongs equipment life through eradicating corrosion in the system.

The Airius system is popular among public sector clients which is an increasingly important market for EMC. “Our initial project was through the OPW for the land registry offices in Santry,” recalls curran. “This was a very successful project and showcased the benefits and ease of installation of the Airius De-stratification system. Subsequent exhibitions and discussions with people working in the public sector brought home to both parties the vast opportunities there are for Airius fans, as there are so many applications and different building types.”

EMC Limited is currently working with the DAA looking at various applications and it is also working closely with a number of county councils and county energy agencies. Otherwise the company is embarking on a number of leisure centre projects and it also liaises closely with ESB Energy Services, Bord Gais and Electric Ireland where there is a commitment to utilise EMC’s products in upcoming applications.

Airius themselves are introducing a number of exciting new products in the new year which will complement the current range. There are major savings to be achieved across the vast majority of building types including offices, schools, warehouses, leisure centres, halls and gymnasiums, hospitals, atriums, museums and galleries and temperature-controlled buildings. “Airius fans are particularly suited to all these building types as there is full thermal equalisation arising from subtle yet 100% effective air, movement and mixing,” says Curran.

“We believe there are a number of applications within the public sector for Airius de-stratification fans. We are always available to sit down and go through applications, carry out free surveys and make costed proposals outlining ROI. We have frequently been able to enhance the existing HVAC systems for clients, creating efficiencies and reducing running costs.

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Solid Safety Solutions To suit your business needs

Managing Safety, Made Simple … at affordable rates for every industry.

• ASSIST COMPETENT CONTRACTORS TO ACHIEVE THE ROLE OF PSCS • DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR SMALL TO LARGE CONTRACTORS • ASSIST CONTRACTORS TO ACHIEVE SAFE T CERT ACCREDITATION • COMPANY SAFETY STATEMENTS

ALSO SPECIALISTS IN OFFICE/HOTEL/CATERING/FACTORIES – COMPANY SAFETY STATEMENTS, MANUAL HANDLING, VDU ASSESSMENTS, RISK ASSESSMENTS

Contact: Gerry Smith + 353 87 24 82582 Email: gerry@firstsafety.ie

www.firstsafety.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Safety Solutions, Construction Sector

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Excellence in Safety Solutions in the Construction Sector

First Safety Management Consultants Limited is a multi-disciplinary company covering a wide range of business sectors including construction and site services.

business through identifying and mitigating hazards and developing a safety management system that assists clients in their business endeavours,” Smith says.

“We have combined experience within the health & safety industry of over 35 years and have extensive experience in the provision of tailor-made solutions for organisations who seek co-ordinated approach to managing their risks and statutory requirements,” explains Director Gerry Smith. The work involves meeting potential clients and completing their safety statements, audits, risk assessments and assisting clients to fulfil the role of Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) if required. “We design, implement, manage and maintain safety management systems, assisting our clients in achieving Safe-T-Cert accreditation. We use practical safety solutions for effective safety performance.”

First Safety Management Consultants Ltd was established using the above statement as their core value in business. “It is our intention to assist organisations in their endeavour to ensure health & safety is a priority and in doing so achieving a stable, productive and cost-effective work environment. In the everchanging market of employment, the benefits of ensuring the health & safety of your employees is the best investment a company can make on their path to success.”

First Safety Management Consultants have developed a comprehensive online Health & Safety audit which clearly identifies lapses in management of health and safety on-site.

The objective is to lessen the likelihood of incidents which may give rise to an insurance claim by identifying and minimising risks.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 First Safety Management Consultants

First Safety Management Consultants provide a range of solutions and support, providing answers on health & safety issues at the time business owners and managers need them the most.

The company also carry out insurance surveys with a team of auditors working throughout the country carrying out on-site surveys on and on behalf of insurance underwriters. “We are proactive in our approach,” Smith says, “and we ensure, where possible, issues are closed out before we leave site. We have worked extensively in this area and understand minimizing the risk, both serves, the underwriter and the client.”

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Looking to the future the company will focus on health and wellbeing within the workplace environment. “We are currently developing a specifically designed course for employers on how to identify and manage health and wellbeing within the workplace,” explains Smith.

He concludes by saying that it is his belief that health & safety begins at the top, through leadership, open communication and the desire to ensure the safety and well-being of employees. “A happy, healthy workforce is a highly productive workforce. Through clear communication, inclusivity and an open-door policy, excellence in health & safety becomes habit in daily work life.”

The company provide the following services to the public sector: • Bespoke safety management systems for construction companies • Safety statements • Audits which include an in-depth look at onsite activities/practices, safety documentation, etc.

• Risk assessments • Assisting clients to fulfil the role of Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) if required.

• Accident investigation “Reducing Risk is an investment in life and

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Giving Life A New Home

Glenveagh

Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Ballbriggan, Co. Dublin

Glenveagh Cluain Adain

Navan, Co. Meath

Navan, Co. Meath Glenveagh, Cluain Adain - Navan, Co. Meath

Glenveagh

www.glenveagh.ie

Glenveagh

Greystones, Co. Wicklow

Glenveagh

Clonee, Co. Meath

Holsteiner Park

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Construction, Public Sector

The Glenveagh vision is backed by a carefully executed strategy. The Group comprises two complementary divisions, Glenveagh Homes and Glenveagh Living.

Glenveagh Homes delivers high quality starter homes to its private customers with selective developments of mid-size and executive houses and apartments in areas of high demand. The business has commenced construction on 12 sites, with 800 units under construction during 2018. Glenveagh Homes has assembled a pipeline of 9,520 units with an impressive 2,000 unit per annum output target by 2023.

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Glenveagh Properties PLC develops and builds starter, mid-size, highend and executive homes, with a focus on the Greater Dublin Area, and the regional hubs of Cork, Galway and Limerick. Ronan McKenna, Sales Director at Glenveagh Properties explains that their vision is about more than just building houses, “Our vision is to build homes and create communities,” he says. The approach of Glenveagh is to design homes that make life better for their customers. “We are community and people-focused, and our developments throughout the Greater Dublin area, Cork, Galway and Limerick seek to meet our customers’ needs within thriving integrated communities,” says McKenna, “We understand that good design makes life easier, more enjoyable and offers longevity in a home.” It is clear that Glenveagh believe in well planned, well designed and well-built homes.

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With more than 800 units under construction in 2018 and a recent IPO under their belt, Glenveagh Properties PLC is looking at a strong year ahead, delivering social, affordable and private housing in the Greater Dublin area, Cork, Galway and Limerick.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Glenveagh Properties PLC Excellence in Construction to the Public Sector

of Glenveagh’s commitment to the social housing sector in Ireland, which was a key part of our investor message at IPO,” McKenna is keen to point out, “Our relationship with approved housing bodies (AHB’s) and Local Authorities will support us in planning for a pipeline of housing delivery and encourages the delivery of social housing and mixed-tenure schemes.”

Glenveagh have a busy year ahead, where building will commence on four significant new sites: In Kilcock, Co. Kildare, Midleton, Cork, Tyrrelstown, Rush and in Donabate. In addition to this, Glenveagh will continue to roll out new homes on its existing sites. “We will continue to deliver high quality homes to our live sites in the greater Dublin Area and Co. Meath, with new phases coming soon in Taylor Hill, Balbriggan, Cois Glaisin & Cluain Adain in Navan, Cnoc Dubh, Ballyboughal, the previously mentioned Marina Village in Greystones and Proby Place, Blackrock,” says McKenna. Indeed, there was a real buzz about the Glenveagh stand at the recent Construction Jobs Expo in Croke Park where the team at Glenveagh showcased the range of opportunities available at Ireland’s fastest growing homebuilder.

Glenveagh are moving fast and are eager to do business, “We welcome any opportunity to engage with Local Authorities, Government Departments and estate agencies,” says McKenna. And after the successful IPO of 2017 and the significant deals done since then Glenveagh are in an excellent position to do just that.

Glenveagh Living delivers houses and apartments for the public sector and institutional investors. The Partnerships business focuses on mixed-tenure and joint venture opportunities with the public sector in Ireland. The PRS business delivers large-scale private rental product for institutional investors and currently possesses a pipeline of 1,850 units.

The Group has significant operational capabilities with headcount increasing from 85 permanent employees at IPO in 2017 to circa 230 today. Approximately 80% of new recruitment has been in construction, health and safety and commercial departments.

Glenveagh are experienced in public sector housing provision and already deliver housing for the public, including both social and affordable housing. In Marina Village in Greystones Glenveagh are part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Wicklow County Council. The Marina Village development is in an enviable waterside location. Perfectly positioned alongside the marina, beaches and village centre, the development features approximately 358 architecturally designed A-rated homes.

“Given the current housing crisis it is imperative for us in Glenveagh to collaborate with the public sector, our work so far is a demonstration

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10 Year Structural Warranty PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD 2018

EXCELLENCE IN STRUCTURAL DEFECT INSURANCE

WINNER Global Home Warranties Ltd are experts in arranging Structural Warranty Cover for social housing, nursing homes, schools, childcare facilities and other public sector projects. www.facebook.com/globalhomewarranties www.twitter.com/GHWLimited

www.globalhomewarranties.com Phone No: 01 690 4413

Global Home Warranties Ltd: Unit 3c, Fingal Bay Business Park, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin Global Home Warranties Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Peacock Insurance Services Limited.

Peacock Insurance Services Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules.

Peacock Insurance Services Limited is entered on the Financial Services Register under reference 603863.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Structural Defect Insurance

Global Home Warranties strive to stand out from the competition with their positive attitude and willingness to make the process as smooth and hassle free as possible. Their 10 year structural defect insurance includes many benefits including no defect liability period and cover from day 1 practical completion – the date on the New Build Insurance Certificate. In addition the cover meets industry standards and mortgage lenders expectations. “All our surveyors are CIOB or RICS qualified and fully insured”, adds Kathy McKenna, Managing Director. It is also worth noting that the cover is fully transferrable to subsequent owners and their lenders within the 10-year term.

Cover is provided by an “A” rated insurer with no defect liability period.

“In addition to our 10 year Structural and Latent Defect Insurance cover on residential and commercial properties we can also assist our clients in sourcing Performance Bonds and Insurance Backed Guarantees for a variety of professions”, says Kathy. A bond offers great peace of mind as it provides protection against the failure of a contractor to perform their duties under a contract. It is an undertaking from an Insurer to pay compensation to one party in the contract in the event that another party fails to perform in accordance with the terms of the contract.

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Global Home Warranties Ltd arranges 10-year structural and latent defect insurance for commercial and residential properties across Ireland and the UK. Structural Defect Insurance is a specialist insurance product that provides cover for new build and converted properties that are less than 10 years old and is a requirement for mortgage lenders across the UK and Ireland before they release funds to purchase a property. Structural Defect Insurance protects the homeowner for a period of 10 years against defects in the design, workmanship, material or the components of the property against destruction or physical damage. This ranges from water ingress to drainage and of course the structure itself.

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Global Home Warranties’ commitment is to provide a premium structural warranty service for commercial and residential properties, founded upon integrity, personal client care & dedication to quality.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Global Home Warranties Excellence in Structural Defect Insurance

adaptable approach.” Instead of the more common ‘call-centre’ as a first contact, Global Home Warranties have opted for a more clientcentric solution. “We offer a more personable approach enabling you to contact our team directly rather than an automated system”, explains Kathy “Each client has their own dedicated account manager and Building Surveyor to oversee the project under construction.”

Global Home Warranties can provide warranty cover on residential properties under the ownership of Housing Associations and Local Councils, on commercial units, nursing homes, offices, hotels, schools and mixed-use schemes. “The Public Sector plays a significant role in our business as we have worked with several large Housing Associations and local councils across the country in providing warranty cover on a variety of Social Housing projects,” says Kathy.

She goes on to explain “We have received a significant increase in warranty enquiries for Social Housing projects and are currently working with several large developers across Dublin and beyond who are building homes for Social Housing. This is an area of huge growth as there is such a shortage of social housing across the country.”

Global Home Warranties have also worked with private developers providing cover on crèches and nurseries within the larger development.

Global Home Warranties is a local company, who have extensive experience within the warranty market and in particular Social Housing. “We are keen to talk to anyone involved in public sector projects such as nursing homes, social housing and schools that may require warranty cover” says Kathy. “We have an office in Balbriggan and would be delighted to meet up to discuss your warranty needs.

We can be contacted on 01 690 4413 or by email at kathy@ globalhomewarranties.com”

Under the Building Regulations, which came into force in March 2014, it is a statutory requirement that an Assigned Certifier is appointed by the Building Owner to inspect and certify the building works and to coordinate and oversee certification by others. Global Home Warranties are delighted to offer Assigned Certifier services in conjunction with their 10 year Structural Warranty on new build projects throughout the Republic of Ireland.

Global Home Warranties are proud of their personal touch with clients. “We are committed to treating all our clients with integrity and respect”, says Kathy. “We strive to go the extra mile for our clients offering a flexible and more

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FIRE ENGINEERING ASSIGNED CERTIFIER ACCESS CONSULTANTS PROJECT SUPERVISOR DESIGN PROCESS

Mount Pleasant Business Centre, Ranelagh, Co Dublin (01) 907 3222 | info@goldsmithgroup.ie

www.goldsmithgroup.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Construction Specialist Award

“In existing buildings, we carry out fire safety audits assessments to identify any life safety issues and make recommendations for remedial works,” says Luke Goldsmith, Managing Director.

“Our assigned certification team carry out the role of assigned certifier during the construction process. We carry out a design review and develop a strategy for building inspection in conjunction with the design team and the contractor. Once we have submitted the commencement notice on the Building Control Management System (BCMS), we attend site during works to carry out thorough inspections and ensure all certification is in place for satisfactory and compliant completion.”

Goldsmith Engineering also offer access consultancy and PSDP services to complete these four critical roles in any design team. The company works across all building types and occupant profiles and its portfolio includes university buildings, hospitals, schools, mixed-use town centres, retail, office, entertainment venues, hospitality and large residential developments. While the majority of the company’s work is in Ireland, they also undertake projects in the UK, mainland Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. The company works extensively with the public sector and has carried out fire engineering services in the design and construction of public schools and hospitals. It has also worked on a variety of building projects for the Office of Public Works (OPW).

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With an exemplary track record and an impressive portfolio of prominent projects, the company has now set its sights on expanding its footprint overseas. The fire engineering team at Goldsmith Engineering offer specialist fire safety design for Ireland’s most prestigious and exciting building projects. As a key member of the design team, the company develops a robust fire strategy that integrates into the architect’s design and it also attains the fire safety certificate and specifies, inspects and certifies works on site.

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Goldsmith Engineering Ltd., specialists in fire engineering and assigned certification have been responsible for the critical fire safety elements in an increasing number of public building projects.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Goldsmith Engineering Construction Specialist Award

currently up and running for the next year including a new shopping centre in Bray, a substantial university building, several large residential developments for a variety of different clients both private and public.

We also are excited to be working with some of the housing associations in the provision of new housing,” says Goldsmith.

He expresses particular satisfaction with the progress being made by the assigned certifier team and the fact that clients are finding its “fire engineering, access consultancy, assigned certifier and PSDP” package to be excellent value for money.

“While all different roles, they are intertwined and complimentary,” he says. “Our assigned certifiers’ ability to draw on the knowledge of our engineers in-house is a valuable resource.”

Experienced and skilled staff are also being recruited to assist the company expand internationally. “We are having success in the UK and Caribbean markets. Hopefully it won’t be long before London and Barbados have a Goldsmith Engineering office too!” says Goldsmith.

He believes that the desire to build excellent, safe and sustainable buildings should be firmly planted into the minds of everyone in the industry and advises that the best means of attaining that to hire experts and make sure that competency exists in all areas of the design team and the contractor team. “The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations, aka BCAR, has certainly improved inspection and has had an immediate effect on quality. However, we are not there yet. Cost and tight timelines are always an issue but we must not allow these factors to impact quality.”

“Our main involvement with the public sector is through working with building control and the local authority fire prevention services in ensuring statutory certification is in place for building projects all over Ireland,” says Goldsmith.

“Having a close working relationship with public sector officials is a key part of our overall service. We are the link between building control and building developments. Our excellent working relationship with the local authorities ensures that projects are delivered on time and to the satisfaction of both our client and the local authority in terms of compliance with building regulations.”

Goldsmith Engineering is currently seeking to recruit “exceptional and ambitious” engineers to its Dublin team and the company has a substantial volume of work in the pipeline. “We have some very exciting projects

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Grange Castle Business Park www.grangecastle.ie

The ideal location for innovation and investment in Ireland

www.idaireland.com

www.idaireland.com

www.grangecastle.ie

www.sdcc.ie

www.grangecastle.ie

www.sdcc.ie

GRANGE CASTLE BUSINESS PARK IS OWNED AND DEVELOPED BY SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL GRANGE CASTLE BUSINESS PARK IS OWNED AND DEVELOPED BY SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Grange Castle Business Park Excellence in Business

Grange Castle Business Park is a strategically located, world-class business park which has attracted an impressive portfolio of leading global clients due to its model of continually re-investing in the campus, meticulous planning, cutting-edge facilities and unrivalled support in assisting the growth and development of client companies.

Dublin is Ireland’s administrative, commercial, and cultural capital and has become a prime business location for global companies to locate their European headquarters.

From its establishment in 1996, South Dublin County Council recognised the opportunity to be at the forefront of economic development through attracting Foreign Direct Investment and embarked upon a project that continues to expand, evolve and attract new FDI clients to the county.

Grange Castle Business Parks are made up of Grange Castle Business Park, Grange Castle Business Park South and Grange Castle Business Park West. The lands are owned, operated, managed and marketed by South Dublin County Council.

Grange Castle Business Park extends to 189 hectares (467 acres) and has been developed as a high quality Business Park by South Dublin County Council in association with IDA Ireland, with seven facilities on site including Pfizer, Takeda, Microsoft, Grifols, Aryzta, Interexion and Edgeconnex with the remaining lands being marketed for investment.

Located in Clondalkin, the park is designed in a low-density campus style format and is strategically located between the National Primary routes N4 and N7. The main access is from Grange Castle Road (R136) which is 4.8km (3miles) west of the M50 Ring Road and forms the eastern boundary of the site. A Facilities Management Building is located adjacent to the Lake area.

Multiple amenity options bound the park such as Grange Castle Golf Course, Grand Canal Green Route and Corkagh and Griffeen Parks and the park is located alongside the Grand Canal which provides scenic walking and cycling routes.

Grange Castle South Business Park is located to the south western corner of Grange Castle Business Park, the two are separated by the Nangor Road. The Park is approximately 43 hectares (106 acres) on plan and is being developed in a similar manner to Grange Castle Business Park.

It currently houses a Google data centre facility and the Eirgrid 220kv substation is currently under construction within Grange Castle South.

Two further FDI companies have committed to purchasing sites in Grange Castle South, therefore Grange Castle South is now full.

Grange Castle has attracted internationally recognised clients such as Pfizor, Grifols, Takeda, Microsoft, Google, Aryzta, Interexion and Edgeconnex into the country over the last 17 years and continues to not only attract further FDI clients but each one of the clients has or is expanding within the park.

Grange Castle is closely located to the motorway network radiating from Dublin to the South, West and North of Ireland with 70% of Ireland’s population living within less than a 2-hour drive. Dublin Airport and Dublin Port are within a 35-minute drive.

The business parks also have a range of onsite public transport options including bus routes through the park, adjacent rail services and a rapidly developing cycleway network.

Grange Castle has seven universities and third level institutions within 18 kilometres providing a highly educated and skilled workforce for FDI clients. High quality design and landscaping allied with continuous reinvestment has produced an attractive campus with city infrastructure and access.

Going forward all utilities and services including drainage, electricity, telecom, gas-mains, water-mains, fibre, roadways, CCTV and public lighting, are onsite with future-proofed capacity for business to grow and expand over time. As Grange Castle develops into the future as one of the largest strategic development areas in Ireland and as a ‘go to’ destination for regional, national and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it will provide a range of large energy anchor loads, making it a ‘living laboratory’ energy zone in South Dublin County. An evidence based and integrated stakeholder approach to local climate change mitigation at the Business Park, could add another dimension to the exemplar reputation of the Park and add to its attractiveness and competitiveness as a driver for inward investment in the Dublin Region.

Building on the success of Grange Castle Business Park, South Dublin County Council plans to extend the model to a future Grange Castle Business Park West and create one of Western Europe’s foremost locations for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, ICT, food, advanced manufacturing and internationally traded services companies.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Construction

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Grange Construction & Roofing Ltd. Excellence in Business Construction

Grange Construction & Roofing are delighted to receive the Excellence in Construction award, seeing it as an endorsement of the hard work and commitment by management and staff alike to quality service over the last 20 years.

A family run business set up in 1998, the company are heading for a quarter of a century with much to celebrate. “We are a roofing and cladding company that work all over Ireland and have completed projects in England, the Isle of Man and even as far away as Sweden this year,” explains Gregory Crinion, Managing Director. “We pride ourselves on giving the complete package from consulting at design stage on projects right through to completion,” he says.

With draughting services, site management to installers and safety officers on their team, every aspect of the job is considered to ensure a smooth transition from design to completion.

The company currently employs 40 staff members directly and they engage subcontractors on an ongoing basis. They carry out contracts across all sectors of business from public sector to private and commercial works. Clients include Kerry Foods, Abbvie Abbotts, Kingspan, Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Navan Shopping Centre and Collen Construction, to name but a few. “We have worked with Collen nonstop since 2001 and have a good working relationship that has gone from strength to strength,” Mr Crinion says, and the company now have six projects with them including two Dublin data centres, two warehouses in Horizon Business Park and The Hive in Sandyford.

The company pride themselves on using the latest in innovative products and to this end they have engaged with a leader in the field of Photovoltaic Systems and have just completed their first project of 150 kWp for a pharmaceutical company in Kildare with a second similar project underway at a pharmaceutical company in Sligo.

“We can go from providing design supply, install connection to grid and commissioning. We can even organise funding for any projects that are over 150 kw,” Crinion says.

Mr Crinion is proud of his highly skilled workforce saying that all employees have the experience and the knowledge needed to complete every job to the highest quality and standard. As a testament to this, the company has a strong reputation for adhering to the latest safety standards with staff attending all necessary training courses for safety. Safety is key and the company has two fully qualified safety officers with two further staff currently attending college to become fully qualified safety officers. These officers visit the many work sites ensuring that all work carried out is done in a controlled and safe manner. The company also has a consulting and design team that are fully trained and are more than capable to design even the most complex roofing and cladding systems.

Crinion is proud of the prestigious projects that his company are involved in citing Kingspan and the Innovation Centre as two good examples of their work. “We are at present reroofing Kingspan international headquarters and are also doing an extension to the Research and Development Innovation Centre. We also have a great working relationship with our suppliers from Kingspan Soprema Tegral to EQE Kingspan Benchmark.”

Grange Construction & Roofing have carried out several major projects in the public sector arena for schools and colleges all over Ireland.

These include Dundalk DKIT, Ballymakenny school in Drogheda, Coláiste Na Coiribe College Galway, National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks, Ballyfermot Library, St Helena’s Living Accommodations Finglas and waste treatment plants in Meath. They also carry out repairs in public buildings in Dublin for Dublin Corporation.

Crinion explains that his company’s services extend to carrying out inspections and reports regarding roof maintenance on an annual basis, from cleaning gutters to inspecting and repairing roofs.

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TO MA S E H C N A R B 7 N E OF OU R 2

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off your first HSS Hire Find all the tools & equipment you need to get the job done

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hss.com / 028 7161 6046 Safety / Value / Availability / Support

Range of plant equipment

MONTHLY OFFERS on DIY & Garden Equipment

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Ireland’s Best Hire Company

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 HSS Hire Ireland’s Best Hire Company

HSS Hire are a leading provider of tools, equipment & related services in Ireland and the UK with an extensive range of options including everything from conventional hire to specialist divisions.

“We have provided complete equipment management and hire services to big businesses, trade and DIY customers for over 50 years,” explains Regional Manager Daniel Doyle.

“Focused on safety, availability, value and support, we work with our customers to help keep their businesses working safely and efficiently whilst driving down their costs.”

Today, with a nationwide network of supercentres and branches, customers have easy access to an extensive range of tools and equipment. “We will deal with you whatever way you choose,” Doyle says, whether that be by phone, online, through a dedicated account manager or through the branch network.

HSS Hire provide the following services to the public sector: • • • •

Nationwide Network Traffic management service Out of hours service One stop shop service-largest range of equipment in the industry.

This is an important sector for HSS: “As investment grows, we

will be looking to continue providing an excellent service to all our customers working in this area,” Doyle says. He sees this service offering growing with continued expansion within the public sector “by assisting public authorities with their projects in 2019.” This support is available via 28 branches, a nationwide service and many different divisions including powered access, pumps, generators, VMS boards and large plant.

HSS is supported by an extensive fleet of liveried vehicles and underpinned by an industry-leading operating and distribution system. Customers also benefit from the expert workshop and refurbishment capabilities which are a feature of the HSS Hire network operations.

The commitment to quality is clear and to this end, HSS Hire are worthy winners of the Public Sector Magazine award as Ireland’s Best Hire Company. In accepting the award Regional Manager Daniel Doyle said: “We are committed to offering customers more safety, more availability, more value and more support to ensure an unrivalled hire experience.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Construction

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JAME’S STREET STEEL

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Jame’s Street Steel Excellence in Business Construction

A friendly and dedicated customer service policy allied to an unrivalled stock of high quality product and a rigorous regime to ensure quality is maintained to the highest standards has seen specialist rebar fabricators Jame’s Street Steel rise to the front ranks of the industry.

Established in 1974 by Joe Kavanagh Snr., Jame’s Street Steel and steel fixing services is Ireland’s largest manufacturer for reinforcing cut and bent and mesh for the construction industry. The family run firm now operates under the direction of Managing Director Sean Kavanagh and Joe Kavanagh Jnr., who have decades of combined experience in the industry.

The personalised attention and commitment common to many successful family companies is firmly evident at Jame’s Street Steel.

The strong relationship it has established within the construction industry allied to its formidable reputation for reliability, efficiency, cost competitiveness and the failsafe quality of its products and service have been the key factors underpinning the impressive growth of the company.

“We are specialist rebar fabricators and offer competitive rates for both cut and bent bar and mesh reinforcement,” explains Joe Kavanagh Jnr. “We also stock a comprehensive range of standard mesh sheets, reinforcement accessories, spacers and tie wire. We maintain the highest quality standards throughout our operation and all our reinforcement is to the relevant British Standards and Cares.”

site for waste operator Covanta while it has also been involved on the Croke Park project, the redevelopment of Smithfield and Trinity Biosciences for John Sisk & Son, G&T Crampton and Walls Construction respectively.

Elsewhere it supplied materials for Bam Contractors for the construction of the M9 Motorway in Waterford and was involved with JJ Rhatigan in the construction of the new Garda Divisional Headquarters adjacent to the existing Kevin Street Garda Station. It also worked with SIAC Construction on a j22.2 million investment which will deliver an upgraded wastewater treatment plant for Swords and was involved in another waste water treatment plant in Leixlip. It was also involved in the Tallaght Hospital project on behalf of CF Structures.

Other prominent projects in which Jame’s Street Steel were involved include Grangegorman where it worked with Clancy Construction and it also worked on Beacon South Quarter and the new Criminal Courts building in Dublin where it worked with both John Paul Construction and PJ Hegarty & Sons.

Jame’s Street Steel is also one of the largest rebar yards in Ireland and carries a stock of over 5000 tonnes of rebar and coil and 1000 tonnes of mesh. The premises stocks all sizes of mesh as well as merchant sheets spaces and tying wire and hychairs which are sold in 50 metres per bundle. The company is the sole agents for Ancon rebar couplers (see www.ancon.co.uk for a full range of Ancon products).

Quality is the uppermost priority at the company and Managing Director Sean Kavanagh takes direct responsibility for ensuring that all products which leave the company premises in Greenogue, Dublin 24 is of the highest standard. “Our company aims to be known within the industry in terms of quality of product and quality of service. Product quality is regulated by our commitment to adhering to our Quality System Management Manual and complying with the relevant British Standards, CARES requirements and our customer specific requirements. The company is certified by CARES for processing of steel reinforcement to BS 8666 and BS 4466 and for stocking and distribution to BS 4449 and BS 4483.

The company prides itself on providing a friendly and personalised service and it services a large range of contracts regardless of how large or small or how urgent the requirement.

It has been involved in a broad variety of projects this year and has worked with PJ Hegarty & Sons on the Dublin Incinerator

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Architectural Services

KCC’s product portfolio includes a combination of their own and internationally renowned brands of door hardware, automatic doors, access control systems, steel glazing, movable walls, steel doors and provide a full service and maintenance division operating nationwide.

The idea behind growing the business across these main divisions was to be able to provide clients such as architects or contractors with a ‘full package’ integrated solution, minimizing their need to deal with multiple suppliers on any project. “Everything centres around making life as easy as possible for the client by providing a professional, reliable and userfriendly service,” explains Chris Kilpatrick, Managing Director. The group currently has offices in Dublin, Cork, Belfast and despite the political upheaval and the oil crisis in the Middle East, KCC continue to serve this market from their Dubai office.

KCC have diversified their business over the years to enable them to serve clients such as architects, contractors, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors, building owners and facilities / estates managers. Within the Public Sector, KCC are best known for their service and maintenance capabilities and impressive response time made possible by a dedicated team of skilled engineers and installation experts across the country.

KCC offer preventive maintenance in the form of service level agreements and find it is the most economical way for clients to obtain optimal profits from equipment as it reduces the risk of incorrect performance, malfunctions and downtime. KCC’s preventative maintenance agreement covers all necessary servicing recommended by KCC at the correct intervals and in a proactive manner. It offers fixed routine maintenance costs and allows for easy maintenance cost forecasting. The maintenance plan can be customized and adjusted at any time to suit the client’s needs.

KCC offer a range of different service solutions with a focus on specific needs and budgets. “A service contract offers peace of mind with 24hour cover; this includes weekends, bank holidays and all the festive periods. A service contract offers over the phone support and priority call outs if required”, says Chris.

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Since its formation in 1998, KCC Architectural have become a leading provider of architectural goods and services to the Construction Industry.

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KCC Architectural have become a leading provider to architects and contractors with a ‘full package’ integrated solution including door hardware, facades, partitions, access control, automatic doors and fire doors with robust servicing and maintenance plans.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 KCC Architectural Architetural Services

glazing system, in particular the MHB Classic-ISO system, is popular in conservation / restoration work. It is an ideal choice for renovation of monumental and historic buildings that may no longer meet current building physical requirements and has the benefit of insulation, concealed drainage and includes a perfect sealing system.

Stephen Arkins, Service General Manager, says that the public sector is important to KCC and vice-versa, “because of our ability to provide compliant and tested solutions to everyday building issues such as fire safety, asset protection, access control and visitor safety.”

KCC prides itself on its people and their engineers are fully qualified and compliant with the relevant standards, such as European Standard EN16005:2012 relating to automatic doors, and therefore KCC have become a valuable asset and trusted partner to their clients.

KCC are continuing to roll out their fire door inspection service across the country. It is another valuable service for both new and existing KCC clients. Fire doors are a life-saving device, designed to buy building occupants time to escape a building in the event of a fire. The onus is on the building owner to ensure fire doors are maintained as per manufacturer’s instructions. UK and Irish legislation advise that fire doors should be inspected bi-annually and given the same consideration as other fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers. Unfortunately, they are overlooked far too often, leaving building occupants at risk. There is no need for any building owner to take this risk, advises Arkins “Our Fire Door Inspection service means that we will assess the door, report our findings and where necessary, correct any issues.”

In addition to offering service and maintenance support via service level agreements on products and installations such as door hardware, automatics, movable walls and partitions, and access control systems, KCC also provide a fire door inspection service, providing building owners with detailed reports on their fire doors and advising them of areas of non-compliance which may require remedial works or replacement in order to ensure that the fire doors are compliant and functioning effectively. KCC’s expertise on fire rated glazing and steel glazing systems also prove beneficial to public buildings and protected buildings. Their

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Structural Steel Design Steel Fabrication Steel Erection & Cladding Edge Protection Systems

www.kssl.ie

Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd Carrigglas, Longford, Co. Longford, Ireland Phone: +353 (043) 33 41445 Email: enquiries@kssl.ie

Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd 12 Walmgate Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB67LH Phone: 00 44 2088 108708 Email: frank.kiernan@kiernansteel.co.uk

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Construction, Structured Steel

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ENGINEERING SUCCESS

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kiernan Structural Steel Excellence in Business Construction, Structured Steel

Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd. is a family business that was established in 1989 by husband & wife Frank & Dolores Kiernan.

Starting from humble beginnings manufacturing agricultural sheds, Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd (KSSL) have become one of Ireland’s leading structural steel firms with approximately 10% of their annual output being exported.

Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd provides a wide range of services to the steel construction industry, including projects where clients request value engineering for their structural steelwork. For the public sector, KSSL provide the following services:

purchased an automated welding machine to produce lightweight SIN beams and they have secured the licence to manufacture and distribute this type of steel beam for Ireland & the UK. “We have some large projects in the pipeline & we envisage being very busy for 2019,” Kiernan says, inviting companies who can avail of his services to get in touch. “Please feel free to contact us regarding any project or indeed future project where we can advise clients/engineers on construction techniques and different design options for their structure.”

• Structural Design Engineering using steel frames • Steel Fabrication • Steel Erection • Cladding & Roof Metal Decking • Floor Metal Decking & Welded Shear Studding • Castellated Beams & Steel Trusses Manufacture • In-house Fire Protection Painting • Light weight SIN Beam Manufacture • Safety Netting Installation • Edge Protection Safety Systems “We have been involved on many state & semi-state projects over the past number of years,” explains John Kiernan, Engineering Manager, “and we are currently involved in the redevelopment of the new grandstand at The Curragh Racecourse.”

According to Kiernan, this is a particularly important sector in times of economic downturns when private sector clients are not investing and he encourages government to maintain spending on infrastructure projects if and when the economy slows down.

The company has invested heavily in the last couple of years on expanding their plant and equipment to modernise their production facility. They have also

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PL AN T HIRE LTD

Hinch Plant Hire is one of Ireland’s leading Plant Hire operators and supplier of Construction machinery and contracting to the Construction and Civil Engineering Industry

PLANT HIRE | CIVIL CONTRACTOR QUARRY SERVICES | C&D RECYCLING

Celebrating 50 Years Townparks, Mountmellick, Co Laois, R32 DH27 Phone: (0) 57 86 24201

info@hinch.ie

www.hinch.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Plant Hire Operator Services

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PLANT HIRE & CIVIL CONTRACTING

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Hinch Plant Hire Plant Hire Operator Services

From its base in Mountmellick, Co. Laois, Hinch Plant Hire has established itself as a leader in plant hire machinery and contracting to the construction and civil engineering industry. Demonstrating an impressive innovation streak, the company has also expanded into haulage and the production of road making materials.

Established in 1968, Hinch Plant Hire Limited offers the most modern plant hire equipment in Leinster and operates from a premises in Mountmellick, County Laois which features a workshop for plant equipment maintenance and repairs as well as stores and administration facilities.

With many years’ experience in the plant hire business, Hinch Plant Hire have established a formidable reputation for the quality of their equipment in addition to the professionalism and high standards of customer service which is intrinsic to the operation. Primarily a plant hire and civil contracting company, Hinch Plant Hire is also involved in quarrying, site development, road building, road haulage and car parks. In addition, the company also operates waste facilities and holds a waste permit.

The company produces their own crushed stone and aggregates for the local market and for the use on company contracts. Hinch Plant Hire holds waste collection permits and a road haulage license.

Hinch Plant Hire boasts a full complement of staff including plant operators, truck drivers, mechanics, site personnel and administrative support – all of whom operate under the direction of Managing Director, Trevor Hinch.

The wide range of plant equipment and specialised machinery available at Hinch Plant Hire has enabled the company to secure clients across a wide range of industries, including farming, forestry, construction, quarrying and local authorities. Particularly popular items include excavators (tracked and wheel), dump trucks, dozers, tipper trucks and contact crushing.

and bridge clearance for local authorities using our range of 15, 16 and 18m long reach excavators and we also use tree shears and mulching heads fitted onto excavators and rubber ducks for road side work.”

Other services provided include drainage installation and flood defences. The company also supply operated plant and self-drive options to local authorities and they work on the construction and maintenance of forest roads.

Trevor points out that community related projects are of particularly importance to the company. “We feel it is a key element of our business to be part of any improvements and maintenance to our local area, surrounding town and rural area,” he says.

Hinch Plant Hire is currently working on a social housing development in Tullamore, Co. Offaly and is also carrying out new reservoir site works at Killeigh, County Offaly. The company shortly commence works on two new schools in Mullingar and it is also currently servicing seven sites for construction company Ward and Burke with disposing and supplying of aggregate to their Irish water sites. ‘’Our objective is to have a well-managed and safe, efficient company to work in while growing to meet customer and market needs,” says Trevor. “We are also focused on continuing to reduce waste and adhering to all our responsibilities in relation to environmental and health and safety legislation. Maintaining our excellent levels of customer service and promoting good relations among staff and customers is also a priority.”

The company has evolved significantly since its inception, and it is continually seeking to capitalise on new opportunities to grow the business. According to Trevor Hinch, “We have focussed on developing a range of products and services to complement our primary plant hire and civil contracting service and we have been successful in this endeavour,” he says.

“Today, our range of services include earthworks contracts, cut and fill projects, onsite crushing and screening, road and car park building, culvert installation and drainage works. Quarry and gravel pit development and reinstatement, sports pitch construction, bulk excavation and disposal off site to one of our three waste facilities for C&D material.

“We produce crushed aggregate stone, from our facilities to supply the local construction sites. In addition, we specialise in waterways dredging

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Room to Improve, Donohill, Housing Development Mountrath, Co. Laois Leetherm were awarded the contract as main contractor and PSCS to complete 11 no. Unfinished timber frame houses in Mountrath, Co.Laois for Oaklee Housing Association.

The houses were roofed & weather tight externally but had been vacant for the previous 9 years. Internally the houses were incomplete with only a timber stud carcass present.

Leetherm had to strip & inspect all houses for fire breaks and upgrade the fire stopping to current building regulations.

Other internal works included 1st & 2nd fix mechanical & electrical services, ventilation extraction system, wall & attic insulation, slabbing & skimming, painting, tiling, 1st & 2nd fix carpentry including stairs, fitted kitchens & wardrobes. External works included foul, sewer, ESB & eircom connections, retaining wall, boundary fencing, footpaths & landscaping.

Leetherm are registered to all the associations below:

Dec 2017 to Mar 2018,

Leetherm were awarded the contract as main contractor and PSCS to complete a refurbishment and new extension on Dermot Bannon’s show Room To Improve on RTE. The existing house was a 2 storey farm house which we completely gutted internally and refurbished and there was also a new 2 storey extension built to the rear of the house. The house was finished to a very high quality under a very short timescale.

A strong emphasis was put into making the house energy efficient, high levels of insulation, airtightness, an air to water heatpump for the heating system as well as a demand control ventilation system and it achieved a BER rating of A3 when it was complete.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Construction in the Public Sector

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A leading energy expert across the south of Ireland, Leetherm is a one-stop shop for project management, construction, insulation, plumbing, heating, gas and electrical services.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Leetherm Services to Construction Public Sector Award

Leetherm began its journey 10 years ago when Managing Director Ken Lee formed Leetherm Insulation. Since then the company has seen substantial growth and now the Leetherm Group is made up of three companies, Leetherm Insulation, Leetherm Construction and Leetherm Project Management, with a current workforce of 40 employees.

“We specialise in renovations, refurbishments and energy efficient upgrades,” explains Managing Director, Ken Lee. “Our head office is based in Fethard in South Tipperary and we work throughout the Munster & Leinster regions.

We work in both the private & public sectors but a large percentage of our work is with local authorities and housing associations.”

Leetherm provide many services to the public sector including renovations and refurbishments, extensions & new-builds, deep retrofit upgrades and energy efficient upgrade works including insulation upgrades, ventilation upgrades & heating system upgrades.

The public sector is a key area for Leetherm as Mr Lee explains: “There are a large number of old buildings both domestic and commercial within this sector that need to be renovated and upgraded to bring them in line with current building regulations and standards over the coming years. We see a lot of potential work in the future for a specialist company like Leetherm. We have built up a good working relationship in this sector over the last 10 years and want to continue this growth into the future.”

Giving samples of some of the major projects currently underway, Mr Lee points to two projects in Waterford and Tipperary.

Boyce Cottages, Alms House, Tallow, Co. Waterford consists of the refurbishment of Boyce Cottages comprising of four dwellings

for Waterford City & County Council. Each building is a protected structure being upgraded and renovated to remain as a residential building. It is a challenging project for both the design team and Leetherm in trying to preserve the characteristics of the existing building through conservation works while also providing a high level of insulation in conjunction with renewable heating systems. The project is due for completion in October 2018.

In Tipperary, Leetherm have been working with Tipperary County Council on a project over the last 18 months upgrading their housing stock in South Tipperary. The works include cavity wall and attic insulation, ventilation upgrades & associated works. The project consisted of almost 800 houses and will be complete in early October 2018.

The company has enjoyed significant success for almost a decade, celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. Highly experienced in the construction industry and specialists in renovations, refurbishment and energy efficient upgrades, Leetherm continue to build on their outstanding reputation as energy efficiency experts.

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Data Centres

Healthcare

Data Centres

Healthcare

Data Centres

Healthcare

Education

Transport

Sport & Leisure

Education

Transport

Sport & Leisure

Education

Transport

Sport & Leisure

Financial & Commercial

Financial & Commercial Financial & Commercial

Managing your Building Information for the Asset Lifecycle Managing your Building Managing your Building Information for the Our Software and Services provide a secure data environment from Information the Design &for Construction Collaboration to the co-ordination & delivery Asset Lifecycle of Project Handover information to the Facilities Management team Asset Lifecycle Our Software and Services provide a secure data environment from Design & Construction Collaboration to the data co-ordination & delivery Our Software and Services provide a secure environment from of Design Project&Handover information to the Facilities Management team Construction Collaboration to the co-ordination & delivery of Project Handover information to the Facilities Management team

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www.ifacsolutions.com

www.ifacsolutions.com

www.ifacsolutions.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Business Management

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Integrated Facilities Solutions Services to Business Management

Founded by Kieran Beggan & George Harold in November 1998, Integrated Facilitates solutions (IFS) celebrate 20 years in business assisting public sector clients transform their building information management practices.

Beggan & Harold saw a gap in marketplace which they were well equipped to fill, “construction handover information was traditionally managed and handed over to building owners in unmanageable hardcopy and media formats,” explains Harold. “We set-up the business with the aim of enabling the Building Owner, Construction company and the Facilities Management team to take a leaner and more strategic approach to building information management.”

“IFS developed a structured Information Management methodology for the Building Lifecycle - from planning and design stage, through handover to operations and maintenance,” Beggan explains. “IFS cloud-based applications for Digital Construction Collaboration and Handover Coordination allow everyone to share and update all building and project information in a secure on-line environment which is accessible to all stakeholders on multiple devices.”

Central to IFS on-going service delivery and support is the set-up, coordination and management of project handover submittals and ensuring review and approval of all content as the project progresses, resulting in access to a comprehensive and accurate set of building information at project completion.

Referring to large bodies such as the public sector, Harold comments: “In our experience, software applications and processes supporting digital building information and asset lifecycle management, while being critical sources of information, are mostly unconnected or ineffectively aligned. This includes project collaboration, document management, building information modelling, commissioning & certification, operation & maintenance manuals and facilities management information.”

also been supported by growing concerns over regulatory breaches, environmental sustainability and health & safety risks.

As a response to the changing environment, the European Commission procurement directive in 2014 permitted that member states may require the use of specific digital tools to be adopted for public works contracts. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published CDM Regulations supporting the need for using digital technologies, especially in terms of handling important building information and health & safety files in digital formats.

More recently, The NBC Roadmap to Digital Transition for Ireland’s Construction Industry 2018-2021 outlines the vision for an effective digital transition in both private and public sectors, with the Irish government recognising the benefits of implementing digital technologies and processes to support both the development and management of building information for public buildings and infrastructure throughout the asset lifecycle.

Universities, Hospitals, Infrastructure and Correctional facilities are just some of publicly funded organisations that IFS have worked with on a long-term basis, providing strategic value to some of the state’s largest asset owners has given them valuable insights and experience for the continuous development of their software platform and digital strategies and has allowed them to be responsive to the specific needs of public sector building and infrastructure projects – as well as aligning with latest regulations and international standards.

Beggan continues, “As we celebrate 20 years in business, we reflect on how we have been supporting our public sector customers with their digital transformation processes. During this time, we have conducted many objective reviews of various design and construction processes.

We have also analysed underlying and frequently overlapping performance specifications outlined in preliminary tender/bid and supply chain procurement documentation.”

“During our review process, we identify opportunities for alignment and process improvement. This is supported by data simulation activities and allows us to propose information workflow efficiencies across the Asset Planning, Procurement and Operational supply chain,” Beggan explains.

For the past decade the pair have observed the rise of new strategic guidelines and improved regulations which acknowledge that digital transformation can radically improve productivity and reduce costs and risks in built environments. The urge to promote the use of digital technologies for project controls and monitoring in the industry has

Kieran Beggan, IFS Co-founder and CEO

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Lo Call (24Hrs) 1890 757575 Phone (+353) 1829 3979/81 Fax (+353) 1829 3978 EMERGENCY NUMBER (24HRS)

(+353) 86 084 0850

Taskforce Security specialises in the provision of uniformed and plain clothes security personel for commercial and industrial sites, shopping centres, business parks and governments departments.

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Manned Guarding / Static Security Mobile Patrols Alarm responses and Key Holding Opening and lock-up service Reception Security and Duties

info@taskforce.ie www.taskforce.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services To Security

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Taskforce Security Excellence in Services to Business Industry Award

This was achieved during one of the worst recessions, yet the company still managed to achieve turnovers in excess of j2.5 million in the past 3 years.

guarding. In this instance a patrol team will carry out regular/irregular checks of a location, tailored to the client’s requirements to ensure that everything is in order.

The company has demonstrated through its deeds, actions, honesty and reliability and the manner in which it deals with clients that it is here to stay. “Our services are not based on costs alone,” explains Director Richard Condron, “but on how the service is delivered.

It is our mission to provide the best service possible at the most reasonable rate. We are totally customer focused, therefore we never lost a contract due to poor performances or services.”

An opening/lockup service is available whereby Taskforce patrol teams have the duty of opening and closing a client’s premises. It relieves the burden of allocating this duty to a member of staff. “We will ensure that the premises are fully secured before vacating it,” explains Guarding Regional Manager, Jan De Jager. “This also offers the added benefit of weekend openings, combating situations where a key holder can’t be contacted, thus denying access to a location.”

Taskforce Security Management specialise in the provision of uniformed and plain clothes security personnel to the commercial, residential, construction, industrial and educational sectors as well as to business parks and government departments. Services include manned guarding, mobile patrols, key holding, alarm response, opening and lockup of premises, reception and porter duties and facilities management.

Clients can also choose to avail of a key holding and alarm response service. “You can safely entrust our team to respond to an alarm call that needs attending 24/7,” comments Richard Condron. “A full assessment of the location is conducted after such a call. If required, we will liaise with the Emergency Services and keep our client informed all the time.”

Richard explains the importance of service delivery: “our capability is based on our employment philosophies and practices that enables our service excellence and provide the foundation for our service delivery. We also provide a detailed operational structure that will be fundamental in delivering a security service based on best practices.

Our Operations Centre supports this service excellence and further enhances our proven capability to deliver quality solutions to local and national customers.”

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Since its establishment in late 2009 and its first contract in early 2010, Taskforce Security Management Services Ltd has grown from a workforce of 4 to 95 in the space of 7 years.

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“We have also put in place a number of strategic alliances with approved suppliers which allows us to provide a full range of Facilities Management Services.”

Taskforce continue to perform to exceptional levels, customising their services regularly according to client needs, thereby reducing any security risks.

Taskforce Security and their expanding customer base recognise the need for innovation to the traditional provision of security services.

The company’s experience with existing customers confirms their belief that such measures, including the expansion of service provision into related areas, ultimately delivers significant added value.

Citing an example of service quality, Director Richard Condron comments: “As outlined above, we provide manned guarding to several sectors. All our staff are PSA licensed, fully vetted and trained in accordance with the PSA standards and requirements.

Members of our management team are also fully certified trainers and provide further in-house training on arrests and detention procedures as standard to officers who join our team. In addition, each client’s requirements are unique, therefore additional training is provided to each officer according to the client’s specifications.”

The range of options is extensive. Mobile patrols for example is an alternative package available to clients who do not favour manned

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| Engineering | Facilities | Modular

Complete Lifecycle Care Plan | Develop | Deliver | Operate | Maintain

www.lmcgroup.ie

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Building Services, Construction Industry

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 LMC Group Best Building Services Award to the Construction Industry

A landmark year for LMC Group as they celebrate their tenth anniversary and achieve Award for Best Building Services Contractor to the Construction Industry.

LMC Energy Solutions trading as LMC Group is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and has plenty more to celebrate too, having been awarded ‘Best Building Services Contractor to the Construction Industry’

by Public Sector Magazine. “It is a great honour and privilege to accept the Public Sector Magazine Award, particularly as it is such a landmark year for us with it being our tenth anniversary,” explains Stephen McConnell, Partner and co-founder of LMC Group. “Winning such an important award really underlines our progression and growth as a company.”

The business was established by Martin Lydon and Stephen McConnell in 2008 to service the growing requirements of their clients. Martin and Stephen have since grown their business from its start as a small firm of just 4 employees to becoming a hugely successful engineering, facilities management and manufacturing company that now has more than 150 employees. This progress hasn’t come about by accident, however, and is testament to the leadership shown by the founders. Their combined efforts and drive were particularly important given that the LMC Group was forged in the midst of a recession. “During any recession there’s always the temptation to go with the flow of the market but we made a conscious decision to concentrate on government work and more challenging technical projects,” says Mr McConnell, “We therefore took on the likes of healthcare and laboratory works that really enabled us to showcase our technical expertise. Our success in tackling such projects led us to secure similar types of work as our profile increased.”

LMC is now comprised of three divisions, LMC Engineering, LMC Facilities and LMC Modular. LMC Engineering has been the core of the company’s success, providing Building Services Contracting nationwide. The founders have grown this area of expertise and developed into a leading hard services facilities management company with a comprehensive portfolio of clients. Their services range from design development, building services engineering, Building Information Modelling (BIM), project planning, procurement, project management, project execution and commissioning to asset register compilation and client handover.

“We pride ourselves on our reputation of always delivering projects to specification and within budget and we have successfully achieved this across the Medical, Educational, Commercial, Retail, Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Microelectronics sectors,” states Mr McConnell.

LMC Group has adapted BIM into their organisation. “We believe that through the use of BIM that we maximise our services to all our clients and ensure Construction Excellence at all times. BIM enables us to provide certainty of cost and design and to drive efficiencies throughout all aspects of a project - from design right through to life cycle care,” explains Mr McConnell.

LMC Facilities is the total life care company within the LMC Group.

Over the last year LMC Facilities Management has also expanded

- into the education, retail and healthcare sectors and is primarily focused on multi-site contracts that can complement their current clients. LMC Facilities have concentrated on the fact that they can offer centralised and managed solutions to a client’s facilities management issues that will allow for continuity across their estate in terms of quality, process and buying power. This has allowed for significant expansion of the Facilities department as it currently covers more than 80 disciplines. As an ISO 45001:2018 (Safety), ISO 9001:2015 (Quality) and ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental) accredited group of companies, LMC Group is committed to ensuring that all tasks are executed in a safe manner that ensure compliance to both the regulatory standards and industry best practice.

Reacting to changing market needs, LMC has entered into a totally new area, a manufacturing department was launched in mid-2017 called LMC Modular to produce the modular bathroom and kitchen pods that are currently in high demand on construction sites across Ireland. The company primarily manufactures bathroom pods for the student accommodation, residential and hospitality sector, but there are plans in place to expand the range to encompass one-off designs from its dedicated factory space in Birdhill in County Tipperary. With business booming in the first six months, LMC is already making plans for further expansion.

LMC Group is already a large company, but the very rapid growth of both the engineering and facilities management sides of the business, as well as the new manufacturing wing, means that they are hiring new staff on a weekly basis. LMC has been really focused and determined and has worked very hard to achieve their objectives – running and growing a large multi-disciplinary and well-managed group of companies, which finds reflection in the awards and construction market recognition.

LMC’s upward trajectory is clear, particularly as it broke the j27m per annum turnover barrier within the past year with the intention of increasing this figure to j33m per annum in the next 12 months. With a 10th anniversary to celebrate, Best Building Services Contractor title and constant growth, the company has plenty to look forward to in the future.

Stephen McConnell, Partner & Co-founder of LMC Group

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SERVICES DISTRICT HEATING LPHW & MPHW HVAC PLUMBING SERVICES STEAM SYSTEMS MECHANICAL REFURBISHMENT MAINTENANCE

For more information contact: DUBLIN OFFICE: Suite 2, Blackglen Village Centre Blackglen Road Sandyford Dublin 18 Tel: 01 5180 580 Email: info@mandp.ie

HEAD OFFICE: Derrycammagh Castlebellingham Dundalk Co. Louth Tel: 042 9379 090 Email: info@mandp.ie

www.mandp.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Mechanical & Heating Services to Public Sector

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 M&P Mechanical

Headquartered in Castlebellingham, County Louth and with a second office, strategically-located in Sandyford, Dublin 18, M&P Mechanical offers a large range of services across a variety of different sectors.

Mechanical & Heating Services to Public Sector

L-R: Janet Furlong, Kyle Murphy, Anthony O’Connell, Mark O’Rourke, Sarah Phelan

Established in 2011 by Mark O’Rourke, the company’s current Managing Director, the company has gone from strength to strength working with key clients such as Frank Fahy of Shannon Homes Dublin, Cosgrave Development and Laurence Goodman of Urban Life. “This has allowed M&P Mechanical to expend in to district heating project, commercial, hotel, hospital and establish a large after-sales and maintenance division,” explains Mr O’Rourke.

M&P Mechanical strive to offer extremely high-quality products, solutions and services, with an innovative approach and value engineering solutions which can offer a superior package tailored to clients’ exact requirements. Services offered include the design, supply and installation of heating systems, LPHW, ventilation and air conditioning, hot and cold water services, plant utilities, mechanical refurbishment and process systems.

M&P Mechanical Ltd. is the perfect choice to provide quality mechanical services to all sectors of the construction industry, consistently exceeding client expectations and delivering projects on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards.

Complex projects have been delivered under the guidance of Mr. O’Rourke and his team, lead by Senior Operations Manager Anthony O’Connell, in all sectors including commercial, industrial, leisure,

residential, retail and mixed developments. With a support team in place to assist end users with any issues or questions they may have or work they need clarified.

Consistently achieving high client satisfaction rates with their projects, all expertise and specialist equipment is provided in-house, from design and installation through to project handover and maintenance services. In the public sector arena, the company are involved in numerous maintenance and energy efficiency upgrade projects.

“We feel it is important from M&P Mechanical to stay involved in this type of work with the public sector, as these projects normally have the most efficient equipment and design, which helps keep M&P Mechanical up to date with the latest technology in the heating, plumbing and ventilation systems,” O’Rourke says.

Speaking with Mr O’Connell, ”We are looking forward to the next twelve months with a very busy pipeline, there a currently a number of large district heating projects on site and with several large-scale office fit-outs about to start, we are in a good position heading in to 2019. The team is busy with a number of hotels in the early stage of design, so it will be another busy and hopefully successful year for M&P Mechanical.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services To Construction

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Builders Hoists Ltd

The quality of advice and customer service allied to the highest standards of product and equipment provided by Builders Hoists has the company’s growing band of construction clients singing its praises.

Excellence in Services to Construction Industry Award

Established by Tommy Peate in 1995, Builders Hoists provides access and lifting equipment to the Irish construction industry. The company offers a broad and diverse product range encompassing everything from builder’s hoists and mastclimbing work platforms to suspended cradles and industrial rope access. The company also encompasses a services division which caters to clients requiring access provision, servicing and certification of all lifting equipment.

“We can accommodate most needs in the building industry,” explains the company’s founder and managing director, Tommy Peate. “We are happy to arrange a free site survey to offer solutions to any client experiencing access and lifting problems. We are equally comfortable working on either new builds or renovation projects and we have a fleet of equipment to suit almost all sites, whether large or small.”

Peate stresses the urgency of availing of expert professional advice from the outset when improving the accessibility of a historic building and says the correct advice delivered in a timely manner frequently results in a simpler, and more cost-effective outcome.

He is acutely conscious of the potential hazards associated with the profession and from the outset has ensured that the company applies the most rigorous safety procedures and that the staff are well trained and highly proficient. “health and safety is a priority and all our training is provided by approved instructors. We ensure that no corners are cut when it comes to managing risk and we have an exemplary record in this regard,” he says.

All indications point to a strong recovery and a bright future for the construction sector with numerous publicly and privately funded commercial projects currently in the pipeline. “All sectors are important as they generate business but particularly the public sector because of the certainty it gives to our company in terms of planning going forward,” says Peate.

“We have enjoyed a good relationship in the private and public sector arenas and we look forward to continuing to grow in the industry in the coming years. We would like to thank all of our staff for helping to develop the business to the high levels of customer service excellence to which we are operating at the present time. This has been vital to the company’s strong performance and growth and to the recognition we have received as a result of this Public Sector Excellence Award.”

Looking forward Peate is confident that Builders Hoists can continue to make advances in terms of capturing public sector contracts and he is also keen to capitalise on the broader construction recovery.

“The industrial rope access industry is growing and this is one area where we see strong opportunities in the coming years,” he says. “At present we have a good portfolio of public sector clients and we carry out works in Dublin airport, Irish Prison Service and various ESB substations and generating stations throughout the country. We also have contracts for mastclimbing work platforms and builder’s hoists in Dublin city centre as the level of activity has increased substantially over the last two to three years.”

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50% faster build

50% faster build DESIGN

PRODUCTION

DELIVERY

INSTALLATION

MHI’s Offsite Volumetric Unit DESIGN INSTALLATION PRODUCTION DELIVERY Manufacturing Process facility 20,000 sq.m.

MHI’s Offsite Volumetric Unit

Manufacturing Process

Quality Accredited

20,000 sq.m. facility Quality Accredited

www.mhi.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Residential Construction Firm of the Year

Given the tortuously slow delivery of both private and public housing in recent years, the building model deployed by MHI has the potential to contribute significantly to addressing Ireland’s critical housing supply deficit. With homeownership aspirations fading for a new generation of people being forced into the exorbitantly priced rental sector, the message that fast and affordable urban homes can be delivered comes at an opportune time.

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A market leading manufacturer of custom built, steel-framed homes built to high specifications in an environmentally controlled factory, Cavan based company, MHI enables developers to rapidly speed up delivery of new homes and save significantly on time and costs.

80% of the building process at MHI occurs on the factory floor and each unit is then transported to site and assembled on a traditional foundation system. The process typically enables developers to complete homes onsite within a 4-week programme, which is a considerably faster rate than a typical block built home constructed in a standard traditional build fashion.

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MHI Modern Homes Ireland (MHI) provide a quality assured, factory controlled, off-site volumetric build system which means that construction time on site can be reduced to just 4 weeks per house, providing substantial time and cost savings to housing developers across Ireland.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Modern Homes Ireland Excellence in Business Residential Construction Firm of the Year

its achievement in improving construction programmes, quality and safety standards for housing developers in Ireland.

To date MHI has completed almost 400 low rise residential units from social housing to high end developments giving MHI clients great flexibility from design concept right through to site completion.

Projects Notable projects in which MHI has been involved include Daneswell Place, a high-end private development of 35 units with a mix of 3 storey terraced 5 bed homes in Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The project was started in June 2018 and has a target completion date of Feb 2019.

Also nearing completion is Rahillion, another high-end private development of 70 units with a start date of September 2017 and completion due this month. The client for this prestigious development, which features 4 different house-types and a highquality finish, is Ballisk Homes.

to Build Precision Engineered Structures

The cutting-edge technology and precision engineering used by MHI is on a par with that used in the vast factories of the leading US and European housebuilders. Not only are the units provided by MHI delivered speedily and at competitive prices, but they are also subject to strict quality control criteria and governed by the same building regulations which apply to homes built on site.

Other prominent projects completed by MHI include Milltown, a 67-unit social development with 4 different house types located in Ashbourne, County Meath. The construction began in May 2017 and was completed in October 2017, providing further evidence of the rapid pace of construction afforded by MHI.

to Build Precision Engineered Structures

Furthermore, many commentators argue that the completed job offers the end customer a superior quality dwelling due to the meticulous quality controls and procedures which can be applied more rigorously and effectively in a factory setting.

The build system used by MHI has achieved NSAI AgrĂŠment certification and the factory production control system has achieved an EN1090-1:2009 certification.

These industry leading quality standards form the solid foundations from which MHI units are designed and manufactured for the end user.

The offsite phase even extends to mechanically and electrically serviced units rendered with bathrooms and ensuites tiled and kitchens installed as required. Each module is fully snagged and thoroughly cleaned before it is shrink-wrapped, sealed and ready for delivery.

A finalist for the Irish Construction Excellence Awards under Innovation for Construction, MHI was cited for

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NORDON LANDSCAPES LTD

LANDSCAPE SPECIALISTS & CIVILS CONTRACTORS

A “one stop shop” for all your landscaping requirements

Design Service Total Installation On-Going Maintenance

T: +353 (0) 91 846309 | E: nordonland@eircom.net

www.nordonlandscapes.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Business Landscape Services

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Nordon Landscapes Ltd is one of Ireland’s leading landscape contractors committed to providing clients with quality workmanship and attention to detail in all aspects of hard and soft landscaping works.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Nordon Landscapes Ltd Excellence in Business Landscape Services Contractor Award

The company has been trading since May 2007 and provides landscape construction/minor civil engineering and maintenance services to both the private and commercial landscape sectors throughout the country.

Under the guidance of its directors, and with great assistance from all the management and staff within the company, Nordon Landscapes has developed into one of the leading contractors within the landscape sector with an annual turnover in excess of j1.5 million.

The senior management have a vast knowledge of the landscape business with over 40 years combined experience in both the Irish and English landscape markets and all have worked for large national landscape contractors in both countries. “Over the course of many years working at senior management level for other established landscape contractors we have built up very strong relationships with some of the country’s leading landscape and building architects, main contractors, blue chip companies and private clients,” explains Oliver Donlon, Managing Director.

“We provide all of these services to the public sector,” Donlon says. “It accounts for 60-70% of the work that we do overall and that is split across areas like schools, hospitals, work for local authorities, recreation works, ground maintenance for county councils and city councils. This is a very important sector for us.”

Commenting on projects on the ground at the moment, Donlon says that his company are providing the landscaping at Regional Hospital, Waterford, Palliative Care and Ward Block; there are several road schemes such as the M7 motorway widening project in Naas, Co Kildare where Nordon Landscaping is working for the main contractor. The company are also carrying out works at the N61 Cootleigh Roscommon Road Scheme. A sample local authority project is that at “Gills Garden” at Nenagh Castle, Co Tipperary and there is a public realm enhancement scheme for Tipperary County Council developing and enhancing local tourist amenities in the town.

Donlon feels that the division of contracts between public and private contractors is disproportionate – congregated in Dublin which adds to problems such as infrastructure, homes etc. He says that he cannot stress enough the importance of public sector contracts, particularly to a company based in the west of Ireland. “To engage with a company like us is not only important to our company but also to the wider community.

“Public sector contracts provide the work, bringing jobs to the west of Ireland, creating employment in the region and there is a knock-on effect in the place where the contact is carried out. For example – we travelled to the hospital in Waterford to do the work taking our staff with us from the west. All of this is vital to us to provide employment to the west and midlands.

“Contracts awarded to us helps to redress the imbalance. They are vital for our survival.

It is up to the Public Sector to ensure that companies outside of Dublin can work & survive in their industries.”

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IS YOUR TRADESMAN A MEMBER? The National Guild of Master Craftsmen is an organisation dedicated to achieving the highest standards of quality and workmanship in all trades and disciplines.

If you would like to be referred to a qualified member in your locality or if you are a tradesman who would like to apply for membership please call:

1890 207050 3 Greenmount Lane, Harolds Cross, Dublin 12 Website: www.nationalguild.ie Email: info@nationalguild.ie

The National Guild of Master Craftsmen – Dedicated to Excellence

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Construction Industry

According to CEO Pat Doyle, one of the many advantages of the Guild is that it encourages an interchange of views among members endeavouring to unite these views and bring them to the attention of government and local authorities to safeguard the livelihood and welfare of members and their dependents. It brings together all skilled people engaged in a craft, art, trade profession or vocation to safeguard the interests of craftsmen and the public. This is assisted in part by publicising these standards through the national and local media, thus creating public awareness of the ideals and aims of the Guild and its members.

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The Guild protects the skills and integrity of its members and clearly defines the skilled from the non-skilled. It aims to assist all members, particularly the self-employed and to protect them against the growing menace and damaging activities of the unskilled against bureaucratic discrimination, against penal taxation and adverse legislation. Equally, it aims to protect the public by instilling among members a greater sense of responsibility, making members aware of the importance of the services they render, monitoring these standards to ensure that the Guild’s high standards are being maintained, and by encouraging members always to strive for excellence.

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With over 6500 (approx.) members nationwide the National Guild of Master Craftsmen is the largest organisation representing skilled and accredited tradesmen and builders in Ireland. It provides clear identification and recognition for members to enable the public to distinguish accredited members from unskilled or unqualified craftsmen.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 National Guild of Master Craftsmen Excellence in Services to Construction Industry

learning among apprentices and students in order to perpetuate the survival and success of their particular craft.

“It is important to promote research within the craft, trade, art, profession or vocation in which members are engaged, for their own benefit and that of the public,” Doyle says. To achieve this the Guild promotes sponsorship by persons, firms and organisations whether by financial support, endorsement of the activities of the Guild or by patronage.

For their continued work in encouraging excellence in the field of craft in Ireland, the National Guild of Master Craftsmen are worthy winners of the Excellence in Services to the Construction Industry award 2018. www.nationalguild.ie, info@nationalguild.ie, Tel 1890 207050.

“We ensure that the minimum qualifications for membership preserve the high standards of the Guild by excluding the unskilled,” explains Doyle.

“We promote to the public the trading assets of the members, their honour, professional expertise and integrity, their high standards and the value for money which they offer. We also act as a pressure group to seek the support of members of Dáil Éireann to make sure that someone speaks up for the interests of Guild members where it matters most.”

With a significant membership the Guild also offers excellent value to the public as the Guild has the ability to negotiate bulk buying power on group discounts. It equally encourages training and fosters

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SOLVING ALL YOUR LOCATION NEEDS  RD7100/RD8100 Cable & Pipe Locators  CAT4 & Genny4 Cable & Pipe Locators  FAST Leak Detection Equipment  FAST Plastic Water Pipe Locators  RD Ground Penetrating Radar

SALES - SERVICE - TRAINING

www.ude.ie

01 2852701

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Detection Equipment

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 UDE Ltd Best Detection Equipment Suppliers to Semi States Bodies

Solving all location needs, Underground Detection Equipment Limited measure the value of technology by how it benefits their customers.

Underground Detection Equipment (UDE) was established in 1986 by Jim Byrne & Keith Willis who have been representing Radiodetection Ltd., the manufacturers of the original CAT & Genny Pipe and Cable locators and the RD7100 & RD8100 series precision locators since they began trading. UDE are also agents for F.A.S.T GmbH for the last 15 years, supplying their full range of water leak detection equipment and ground microphones.

“Our team has over 30-years’ experience in the underground utilities Industry and with this, a level of knowledge and expertise to be able to deliver the very best to our customers in terms of equipment and technical backup,” explains Denise Byrne. “We believe that our customers deserve the best, and we strive to deliver high quality, reliable products with the latest in technology that customers can use with confidence. We work closely with our clients on the ground to make sure that we provide them with efficient customer service, the best practical advice and training while being cost effective.”

UDE measure the value of technology by how it benefits customers.

“It’s about what they need to do and what they need to achieve,” Denise says. “We love finding new things that help our customers so we work closely with suppliers looking for solutions and supplying the very best of what’s out there.” The customer she says is paramount; “that’s why customers who purchased products from us in the 80’s remain loyal to us today. We provide a full range of equipment to the gas, water, electricity and telecoms industries, from the basic CAT4 & Genny4 right up to the RD1500 ground penetrating radar.”

brings an exciting new range of products to customers that will benefit them going forward.

They have been providing the public sector with a one stop shop for sales, service & training of utility location products for the last 32 years. “What all our customers have in common, regardless of which utility they are dealing with, is a need to get the job done effectively and efficiently,” explains Denise. “They need reliable equipment with a complete backup service. If a problem arises our customers want it sorted fast.”

For UDE, the public sector is a large and important part of their business, providing opportunities and referrals that have led to a positive increase in business. “We are looking forward to what the years ahead hold and we are confident that we can and will continue to deliver the very best for our clients.

At UDE we simply say, If you need to locate it, Underground Detection have the equipment and knowledge to do it.”

UDE are delighted to have recently been appointed distributors for MADE S.A., manufacturers of equipment for the gas and electrical industries which

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URBAN REGENERATION

SOCIAL HOUSING

OUTRIGHT WINNERS van Dijk Architects

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 van Dijk Architects Architectural Services Awards

van Dijk Architects Ltd (VDA) is a long-established firm of Architects, Project Managers and Development Consultants. At the helm is Managing Director Jan van Dijk, an internationally renowned Irish Architect leading the challenge of resolving Ireland’s housing crisis.

“We help our clients by providing a world class architectural service in terms of vision, delivery, long term value and sustainability,” explains van Dijk. “We achieve this through our commitment, enthusiasm, integrity, creativity, knowledge, experience, research and inter-personal skills. Our people are key to our success and we encourage and support our staff to develop add-on expertise and skills in specialist areas such as conservation, energy efficiency, health and safety, and project management.”

The firm provide a number of services to the public sector: • Selected Architects and Assigned Certifiers on OGP framework and NDFA framework for social housing projects throughout the country.

• Selected Architects and Assigned Certifiers on HSE framework delivering healthcare projects including hospital, primary care centres, Community nursing units.

• Selected Architects on Dublin City Council Conservation Framework • Selected Architects on Department of Education schools framework. We are currently delivering multiple school projects throughout the country.

• Re-appropriating vacant premises in association with Louth county council and the Vacant Housing Repair and Leasing Initiative.

• High level feasibility studies from Master-planning to specialist Historic structures.

• Delivery of many unique public buildings including Local Authority administration buildings, fire stations and creative industries facilities.

praised for being great places to live.”

VDA are currently working on 14 separate social housing schemes delivering in excess of 500 dwelling units throughout the country including innovative schemes such as a high-density urban regeneration scheme at Croker’s Hill, Kilkenny within the historic centre. VDA is continuing to work closely with Louth County Council in their endeavours to refurbish previously derelict homes and bring them up to standard in order to try and tackle the social housing issue which currently exists in both Louth and countywide. The joint efforts by both VDA and Louth County Council have drastically reduced the number of former derelict houses in the county and statistics show that they are at the forefront of tackling this issue in comparison to other local authorities around the country.

Jan van Dijk believes that the key to social housing is to make it visually and aesthetically indistinguishable from high quality private housing. “If residents are proud of their community from the first day they hold their key in their hand and are proud to say they live there, then a host of benefits flow including minimal anti-social behaviour, more maintenance of the estate by the residents, community spirit and lack of social stigma. We have successfully achieved this in all completed developments and are working hard to implement the same approach with our on-going work.”

Van Dijk says that public sector projects are key for his firm and with 20-yearsexperience of working with government agencies, VDA are recognised for their consistency in delivering projects that exceed expectations: “Our residential work includes large scale apartment and housing developments and we are currently working on over 2000 residential units in various locations. In terms of social housing, we take a particular approach to design which applies private housing principles to social housing design. Our public housing developments do not feel like social housing and are universally

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YOUR PARTNER IN FIBRE CEMENT ROOFING & CLADDING FOR OVER 80 YEARS

www.tegral.com +353 (0)59 863 1316

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Building Products

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Tegral Excellence in Building Products Award

An integral part of the Irish building industry since 1936, Tegral have been the leading manufacturer and supplier of fibre cement and metal building materials for over 80 years. The company’s range of products includes Thrutone Endurance and Rivendale fibre cement slates, Equitone and Cedral fibre cement facades, profiled sheeting for agricultural and commercial use, as well as a comprehensive range of metal products including agricultural sheeting, composite flooring, decking, roofing and cladding systems.

“From a public sector point of view, we have many hospitals, schools and large social housing projects in the pipeline. Some recent completions will include the new Tusla Primary Care Centre, Cork University Hospital, Limerick University Hospital, Crumlin Hospital and the Office of Public Works in Letterkenny. Some of our products will support the rainscreen cladding and roofing requirements of a build, but others like flooring and decking are part of the support infrastructure of a build.”

As part of its initiative to raise the standards of roofing in Ireland, Tegral have been at the forefront of the industry in terms of product innovations, technical solutions, sustainable building and education.

The company runs the only dedicated training facility in Ireland for roofing contractors with the Tegral Roofing Academy, which opened back in 2015.

Tegral are at the forefront of sustainability in the construction industry and are particularly proud to have been awarded the “Excellent” rating in the BES 6001 standard for responsible sourcing in 2017. They operate a production process that is 100% environmentally friendly with 0% of waste going to landfill, a factor which Mr Kelly says has a positive impact locally, nationally and globally.

According to Managing Director, Paddy Kelly, the company is focussed on continuously improving its process and it recently announced news of an j18 million investment into its factory based in Athy, Co. Kildare where 160 people are employed.

Tegral operate to several high standards – ISO 9000, ISO 14000, OHSAS 18000. With regard to the BES 6001 “Excellent” rating, they are the only fibre cement slate company in the world that has this rating and it’s a testament to their commitment to long term viability of their products as well as customer demands to improve the provenance of the product. They are also members of the Irish Green Building Council, working with them to achieve more sustainable building practices across Ireland. Finally, as founding members of Guaranteed Irish, they are one of the largest employers in Kildare, proudly supporting Irish products and Irish jobs.

“Our slates have long been the strongest on the market with the highest quality paint and finish, giving a product that outperforms any other,” says Mr Kelly. “With changing weather patterns in Ireland, harsher winters, more storms and higher temperatures in summer months, the improved product is geared up to take on these challenges. Ireland is sitting on the edge of Europe, a windbreaker from the Atlantic, so it vital our slates are made stronger and more resilient than European standard dictates.”

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A market leader in the design and manufacture of roofing and cladding materials, Tegral is a company which is synonymous with quality and the significant role it has played in raising roofing standards in Ireland has earned Tegral the 2018 Public Service Award for Excellence in Building Products.

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Tegral work closely and on an ongoing basis with the public sector where they are involved in both new builds as well as renovation projects. The company’s broad range of building products, together with its unrivalled technical support and over 80 years’ experience and sustainability achievements make Tegral an ideal partner in a variety of public buildings, including hospitals, schools, housing developments, sport facilities and more.

“We work closely with various organisations across Ireland, including the Department of Education, the Health Service Executive, the Office of Public Works and local county councils on extensive projects,” says Mr Kelly. “We are also part of a framework to support the housing crisis that we are facing in Ireland at present. Social housing in particular is a critical factor and we support local housing authorities and developers with both technical and system solutions for housing.

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tel: 074 91 39539 mob: 086 250 6654 e-mail: sweeneyscaffolding@gmail.com www.sweeneyscaffolding.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Construction, Scaffolding

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“We erect, hire and dismantle scaffolding for all type of construction projects from small domestic renovations to large commercial contracts,” explains Alan Sweeney, Managing Director. “We keep safety at the forefront of all jobs having gained Safe T Cert accreditation back in 2015.

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Sweeney Scaffolding are the leading scaffolding provider in the Northwest of Ireland.

Established by Alan Sweeney, the company has been in business for over 15 years, achieving country wide recognition for the quality of their work.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Sweeney Scaffolding Ltd Excellence in Business Construction Scaffolding

“We are currently working at a multi-million-euro factory extension in Donegal Town. We are also working on a few of the Waste Water Treatment Plants in Donegal at the moment. It is great to see construction booming in Donegal again.”

“We can look after all of your scaffolding needs - no job is to big or too small. We offer free no obligation quotations and keen rates.

We also offer Plant Hire with operators from our sister company Sweeney Hire Direct.”

Sweeney says that he keeps a keen eye on upcoming construction projects but as no job is too big or too small, “whether you are building your own house, or are in charge of construction works in your job, keep Sweeney Scaffolding in mind for any scaffolding or plant hire needs which you may have. You can be certain you will receive a top-class service.”

The public sector forms a large part of their business and Sweeney Scaffolding is keen to encourage further growth in this area. To date the company has been involved in many restoration projects of heritage buildings as well as large scale bridges and new builds.

Mr Sweeney cites just some of his recently completed projects including the stunning new Courthouse in Letterkenny.

Concluding he says: “We are delighted to have received the Public Sector Magazine Award for Excellence in our field as true recognition of our work. All employees are fully trained and insured in what they do and have vast experience in all types of scaffolding.”

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PMB Construction Ltd. BUILDING YOUR FUTURE

PMB Construction Ltd – an established Construction company with origins in the midlands What can PMB Construction Ltd do for you?

• Main Contractor – Manage Large construction projects • New Homes – From development to turn key finishes • Pyrite Remediation – Repair your home and hand back fully redecorated.

• Home Projects – From repairs to extensions

PMB Construction Ltd. BUILDING YOUR FUTURE

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Pyrite Remedial Works

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 PMB Construction Ltd Excellence in Pyrite Remedial Works

Family-run construction firm PMB Construction have carved out a niche in pyrite remediation works. From humble beginnings in Offaly, PMB has grown to become the go-to firm for this specialist area of work, as well as the full suite of commercial and residential building works.

Based in Edenderry, County Offaly, PMB Construction offers its services to government agencies, insurance companies and its partners in the construction industry. PMB Construction provides services as main contractor on large construction projects and new home builds from initial development to turnkey finishes. A particular specialism of the firm is remediation works to resolve issues with pyrite.

PMB Construction is a family-run construction company, originally set up in Offaly in 2003 as a small ground works firm. In the early years the company operated only in Offaly and the surrounding counties, with most employees based locally. Some fifteen years later, the company has grown substantially to take on projects nationwide. The workforce has grown too, to more than 60 throughout Ireland and beyond. The company continues to go from strength to strength. “We are now a leading main contractor in pyrite remediation, commercial and residential building works,” says Pat McBride, Managing Director, PMB Construction.

Many people will have heard the term pyrite from recent news reports, but may not fully understand how problematic it can be nor how important it is to identify and correct. Pyrite or iron pyrite was formerly known as ‘Fools Gold’ and is an iron sulphide, which expands if it is exposed to air or water, and reacts with oxygen and water to form sulphuric acid. This expansion will over time cause cracks in the walls and foundations and without remedy ultimately will leave the home unsafe to live in. In recent years it has been discovered that pyrite has been used in the floors and foundations of vast new estates in Dublin and to a lesser extent in the midlands.

Unfortunately the remedial works require the occupants to move out of the home, usually for a period of 6 to 8 weeks. This allows for the ground floor to be excavated and removed down to a depth of approximately 3 metres. It sounds like a tricky job, but it does not faze Pat, “We are specialists in pyrite repair, with extensive experience and knowledge of the issue,” he says, “We also strive to achieve the least amount of disruption for the homeowner or client.”

PMB construction take care of all of the pyrite works including damage assessment, testing, digging out or conveyors, support works, infill and compactor works, insulation, finishing floor, right up to the final painting and decorating. The client can walk back into a home that Pat describes as “fully decorated, free of pyrite and better than new!”

So far the team have been working with the Housing Agency on several pyrite remedial projects in Balbriggan and Rush. They are also working with Liberty Insurance on pyrite remediation works in

the Naul, County Dublin and will soon commence pyrite remediation works in Waterville, and Blanchardstown, County Dublin as well.

The PMB Construction website is a testament to customer care, with many customer testimonials singing the praises, not only of the work quality but also the attention and care given to them by the PMB team during what must be a very stressful time. Clearly their hard work is paying off and Pat is proud of the team’s achievements “We are one of Ireland’s leading pyrite remediation contractors and have been for the last ten years,” he says. “We are proud of our long established working relationship with government agencies such as the Housing Agency and Liberty Ireland who can testify our works are of the highest standard since we began pyrite remediation works with both parties.”

The public sector is an important sector for PMB Construction, “With the upturn in the economy and in particular the construction industry, it is a market that is thriving now on all fronts,” says Pat. “We will soon begin to build new homes and are working with local county councils on social and affordable housing. At PMB Construction Ltd we have been involved on a wide range of projects ranging from private residences to Luas line construction. We have the ability, knowledge and expertise to handle practically any project.”

Such a busy work life doesn’t mean ‘no play’, however.

PMB Construction also takes pride in supporting the local community. The directors feel strongly about giving back to the local area and surrounding counties. “We regularly support boxing, football, GAA, rugby and snooker clubs as well as community projects such as The Acorn Project and Football for All,” says Pat, “and we are the proud main sponsor of Derry Rovers FC”.

PMB Construction certainly seems to be a solid gold choice for an effective and courteous construction partner.

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Phoenix Mechanical delivers value through skilled planning, budgeting, execution and management of mechanical construction projects.

OUR SCOPE OF SERVICES COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF MECHANICAL BUILDING ENGINEERING SERVICES INCLUDING

Air Conditioning Heating Ventilation Rainwater harvesting Heat pumps

Solar energy Soils & waste Fire protection Gas Services

WITHIN THE FOLLOWING SECTORS

Educational Retail Commercial Industrial Medical Pharmaceutical

FOR PROFESSIONAL, RELIABLE, EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO ANY REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE MECHANICAL SERVICES INDUSTRY CONTACT PHOENIX MECHANICAL ON T: 01 6120083 E: info@phoenixmechanical.ie For more information and to view previous clients please go to www.phoenixmechanical.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Mechanical Business Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Phoenix Mechanical Excellence in Business Services Mechanical to Construction

Established by Gary and Carol Brennan in May 2014, Phoenix Mechanical has quickly established a reputation as an extremely efficient and competitive mechanical services contractor. Gary boasts 30 years’ experience in the mechanical services industry in Ireland and abroad while Liam Duffy, a qualified services engineer joined the company in June 2015. The following year, Jason Ryan came on board as a director and quantity surveyor while the company’s co-founder, Carol, also sits on the board.

in Tallaght and Blanchardstown Hospitals and nuclear medicine in St Vincent’s Hospital.

“We have an excellent site team and we’re very strong in relation to our site activities, so strengthening the office staff was a priority,” says Gary.

“Liam is very gifted technically and gives us a CAD facility which is crucial for all our projects. He is now training for building information modelling (BIM) certification to ensure all of our standards are implemented to the highest possible level.

The outlook for the future is promising. “Working within our capacities and not overstretching ourselves is crucial,” notes Gary. “Repeat work is key and because of our extensive experience working in live environments, we have been able to secure major hospital contracts. Working in occupied spaces is our speciality and it has brought a lot of repeat custom and prestigious contracts like the EPA heating upgrade. It’s an entirely different discipline and mindset to working on a greenfield site, but it’s something I adapted to during the recession when there were no new builds and it’s really paying off now.”

“Jason is a very safe pair of hands at costings and budgets and gives us the capacity to efficiently and accurately price work and value engineer projects while I am more comfortable overseeing projects and having such a strong team allows me the freedom to constantly monitor progress and quality across our projects.”

Working to tight budgets and timelines, Phoenix Mechanical has consistently delivered 100% client satisfaction across a wide range of project types. Professional, efficient and imaginative heating, ventilation, air conditioning, controls, solar energy, rainwater harvesting, soils & waste, fire protection and gas services are delivered on time and without disruption across the educational, healthcare, commercial, medical, pharmaceutical and residential sectors.

Phoenix Mechanical’s personnel are experienced in the demands of working in live environments/occupied building and provides competitive, high-quality solutions on all projects, whether new builds, retro fits or maintenance. Gary is justifiably proud of the company’s impressive track record in securing repeat business. Fully committed to health & safety, Phoenix Mechanical holds ISO 9001/2015 certification, which is a testament to the management systems that are in place at all levels throughout the company.

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In a short period of time, Phoenix Mechanical Limited has built a reputation as one of Dublin’s leading mechanical services providers and already boasts an impressive portfolio of public projects.

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Commercial projects have been completed at AIB, Essentra Packaging, Irish Life, the Central Bank, Portmarnock Hotel and the Albany House Hotel while heating upgrades have been completed at Google Eastpoint and Barrow Street. Phoenix Mechanical has also been actively involved in the SEAI Warmer Homes Scheme.

The high standards insisted upon across every facet of the business are also critical. The company has already achieved the ISO9001/2015 certification and the fifteen site staff directly employed are highly-skilled and experienced and receive ongoing training to keep them up to date on all the latest innovations and systems.

The main goal is to move forward at a consistent and sustainable rate: “I want to maintain steady growth and continue to be the first-choice mechanical services company. Ultimately, it’s all about maintaining existing relationships and building new ones. We enjoy strong partnerships with our clients, our suppliers and subcontractors.

It’s a small city and reputation is everything, so it’s vital to provide excellent solutions and ensure that you are constantly maintaining and enhancing your reputation.”

Some recent education projects include a full mechanical upgrade to the existing building at Trinity College at Fenian Street; a full mechanical package including a new extension, a new sports hall and works to existing school at Beaufort College, Navan; and a full mechanical package including science rooms and classrooms at Lusk Community College.

Select healthcare projects completed include Bru Chaomihin - HSE Community Nursing, Dr Steven’s Hospital (canteen upgrade), Our Lady’s Childrens hospital, at Crumlin Hospital in addition to aspergillus works

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Suppliers & Erectors of all types of Farm Buildings, Industrial Buildings & General Steel Structures Barmoney, Ballyhogue, Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford

T: 053 92 40586 E: info@jpmurphybros.ie

www.jpmurphybros.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Steel & Cladding

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 JP Murphy Bros Structural Steel and Cladding Excellence in Business Services Steel and Cladding Contractor Award

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Set-up by John Murphy in 1998, JP Murphy Bros has grown to become a leader in fabrication and installation of steel from its base in the south east of Ireland.

The supply and installation of industrial and commercial steel buildings has been a key part of the business which John built from the ground up two decades ago.

When John Murphy started out, it was in a small shed in Barmoney.

Today he employs a staff of twelve and is still running the business with the help of his brother Patrick who came on board shortly after things got up running of – hence the name JP Murphy Bros.

Suppliers & and Erectors all types of Farm Buildings,

Industrial Buildings & General Steel Structures

reputation for its work within the Agri industry and is renowned for providing good quality solutions that stand the test of time and the weather conditions Ireland has to offer. Indeed, all of the agricultural buildings which JP Murphy Bros build are designed and manufactured to the exact specification of their customers. They are suitable for storage, workspaces or animal housing and are custom-designed to meet the needs of the farm or stables so they fit in with the customer’s existing farm buildings.

“What we mainly do is Supplying & Fitting of Structural Steel and T: 053 92 40586 Barmoney, Ballyhogue, Cladding which is tailored to each Enniscorthy, individual customer’s needs” John E: info@jpmurphybros.ie Co.Wexford explains. “We supply roller shutter doors as well, and are able to fit Wishing continued success to TOC Construcion those also, so there’s no shortage of what we can offer our clients.”

The firm have also supplied and installed many industrial steel buildings throughout the country for large corporate companies and private individuals. They recently completed a large project at Waterford Distillery and they have worked with many GAA clubs.

When John started out fabricating on his own it was in a workshop at home as a sole trader and he then made the decision in 1998 to expand in an effort to satisfy the demand from customers. After acquiring some land where he built a custom fitted premises, the brothers got together and grew the business venture.

A company renowned for the efficiently and punctuality in its work, JP Murphy Bros design buildings to the exact measurements provided by the customer from small sheds to large buildings for storing large-scale machinery. They can position roller doors anywhere on a building allowing larger farm machinery access and ease of storage of material and equipment. Windows and skylights can also be positioned anywhere on the agricultural building, barn or shed providing good interior light for work and internal use.

“When I left school, I went working with an uncle of mine and he was working with Hughes in Enniscorthy. So I went with them and eventually did my own thing in my spare time,” John says explaining the history of his company.

A worthy recipient of the Excellence in Steel & Cladding award, JP Murphy Brothers continue to go from strength to strength.

“That got to be too much so I went out on my own then full-time and my father gave me a little shed to get started. So then I went and got a few acres and built my own place – my brother came on board after and we’re going well ever since.”

Today, JP Murphy Bros provide solutions unique to their clients as they understand that not every building fits into one category, so if you have an idea, they have the knowledge and ability to find the best design solution without compromising on quality.

JP Murphy Bros are also experts in small bespoke and larger structural engineering steelwork and are committed to quality from start to finish. Their fabrication finishes include hot-dip galvanising, powder coating, primer and metal painting.

John himself makes no secret of the fact that business is thriving and he is grateful to have clients that continue to choose his company ahead of other competitors.

The company has managed to build an excellent

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OLDCASTLE • LAVEY • KELLS • CROOKEDWOOD • MULLINGAR • DRUMLISH • KNOCKMANT • RHODE

80 years in business Tel: 049 85 41477 Fax: 049 85 41311 E-mail: info@bdflood.com Web: www.bdflood.ie Hilltown, Oldcastle, Co Meath

Concrete Built Is Better Built

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Services to Construction

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THE FLOOD GROUP

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 BD Flood Services to Construction

Servicing the construction industry since 1939, The Flood Group supplies a range of concrete products to the building, farming and housing sectors.

The company was founded in 1939 specialising in the extraction of aggregates and later expanded into the production of ready-mix concrete and concrete blocks.

A family run business, The Flood Group was founded by Bernard Dominic in 1939; now his son John Flood is chairman with third generation family members also involved with the group’s future.

In 1979 Flood Precast was established to market precast concrete flooring products.

Since its introduction to the precast market the company has expanded its production and sales of Super Wideslab® flooring, hollowcore slabs, precast stairs, columns, walls and balconies across the UK and Ireland. Our new trademark precast concrete flooring products, Super Wideslab® and Super Voidslab® are so innovative that we have protected them by trademarking. These are flooring options which are unique to us, and which, because of their functionality and high quality finish, can offer real advantages in value engineering terms.

The Flood Precast team will work with clients to design a concrete flooring solution specific to the demands of each and every project, and will deliver the solution to the client’s complete satisfaction. Their success stems from a considered and analytical approach to planning and evaluating a precast concrete project.

The public sector has been a vital part in the success of this family business, due to a committed relationship with their clients. They have improved as an organisation to provide the highest quality products to the industry. In the past the Flood Group have provided products and services to a range of sectors, from commercial, health and education.

The Flood Group have always strived to produce a quality product and to continually improve production standards. “We take pride in our ability to provide a superior service to our customers within our product categories.”

Cystic Fibrosis Building, St Vincent’s Dublin

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MG • • • •

Excavators Telehandlers Dumpers and Rollers Backhoe - Loaders

Plant & Machinery Sales Ltd. • Machines Ready For Export • Trucks • Accessories

Swinford Co. Mayo T: 094 9251209 T: +353 (0) 872466111 www.mgplant.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Specialist Machinery, Construction Industry

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 MG Plant Machinery Sales Ltd Excellence In Business Machinery

Companies operating in the construction sector were decimated by the financial crisis and the industry is still struggling to recover. However, MG Plant & Machinery Sales Ltd. responded to the implosion by establishing a thriving new export division which now accounts for up to 30% of the company’s sales.

Established in the year 2000, MG Plant & Machinery Sales Ltd specialises in the sale and export of quality used construction equipment from the majority of the leading brands in the market place. The company is also the exclusive dealer for service and supply of the Eurocomach brand throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for sales, service and spare parts.

Based in Swinford, County Mayo, MG Plant & Machinery Sales is a family run business headed up by Martin Gleeson and his brother, Michael Gleeson. The business was initially established by their father, Mick Gleeson in the 1970s and the company started out as an agricultural machine stockist operating under the name Gleeson Farm Machinery before it began specialising in construction equipment in the mid-90s.

The company was renamed to reflect its diversification into construction equipment but the family-run business has always maintained the strong links which it forged with the farming community at the outset and farmers continue to account for a significant proportion of its customer base.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis which decimated the Irish construction sector, the Gleesons faced their most serious challenge yet. They responded by turning to the export market and began exporting machinery and equipment overseas, principally to Asian markets. There was a significant volume of expensive machinery lying idle as a result of the crash and the Gleesons were able to source high quality equipment at competitive prices, which ensured the company’s survival during a protracted recession. The export arm of the company now accounts for almost 30 per cent of its business.

The Gleesons are able to offer customers a cheaper alternative to expensive new equipment and they have an unrivalled network of contacts which enables them to source every conceivable item and ensure orders are sourced and delivered to a tight schedule. Quality is exemplary and all machinery is backed up with a warranty.

The company operates from a five-acre site in Swinford, which is only 10 minutes from Knock Airport (Ireland West Airport). A new store was opened on site in 2012 which carries spare parts for all types of machinery including hydraulic hoses, fan belts, filters, pins, clips, lubricants and hydraulic rams. There is also a yard stocked with machinery and a fully equipped heavy machinery workshop with fully-trained mechanical staff who carry out all machine servicing, repairs and spray-painting.

Looking to the future, Martin Gleeson says the company will continue to focus on diversifying into new export markets, expanding the company and generating further employment. “Our employees are the life blood of the business and usually first point of contact for sales, service, administration, etc.,” he says. “We hope to continue providing excellent customer service and supplying top class new and used machinery / parts and service.”

MG Plant & Machinery source their plant and machinery from across Ireland and throughout the UK and Europe and the company stocks all the leading brands, including CAT, Case, JCB, New Holland, Daewoo, Hitachi, Kubota, Kobelco, Bomag, Dynapac, Hamm and Barford. The majority of the excavators, dozers, dumpers, rubber-tyred machines, teleporters and peripheral equipment such as rock breakers and buckets are nearly new.

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Gorey, Co Wexford

OUTRIGHT WINNERS New Company Award [6 Years or Less]

Established towards the end of 2013, TOC Construction is a building contractor company based in Gorey, County Wexford and operating largely across the south eastern region of the country.

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This fiscal crisis and subsequent recession had a particularly catastrophic impact on the South Eastern area and there has been a lost decade in terms of the development of critical infrastructural and housing in the region. However, progressive and dynamic new construction companies such as TOC Construction have emerged and provided renewed confidence that the building sector in the South East can reclaim former glories.

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Albert Einstein had it right when he said “We cannot solve our problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Thinking outside the box has always been the mantra of successful companies and it’s an ethos embraced by Tom O’Connor of TOC.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 TOC Construction New Company Award [6 Years or Less]

sector has been an important market for TOC Construction and it has worked on a number of projects in the education and health sector and has also carried out a series of Local Authority projects.

“We have worked on a number of projects with the HSE, Teagasc, County Council and Department of Education and we also have a new dialysis unit in Portlaoise, which is in the pipeline,” says co-founder and Managing Director Tom O’Connor. “We are also currently in the middle of construction on a new social housing development in Enniscorthy, which will feature 28 different units.

“We have also recently completed a new dialysis unit in Wexford.”

Founded by Tom O’Connor, an engineering graduate of Bolton Street College and his wife, the company carries out projects in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. TOC Construction affords each project the same meticulous attention to detail and focusses on ensuring the highest quality standards, regardless of whether the project is a substantial or relatively minor commission.

Other projects in the company’s current portfolio include a new retail fitout in Waterford and the development of a large equestrian centre in Wicklow. TOC Construction is also involved in a number of domestic projects in the Leinster area and recently completed a new 15,000 sq ft retail unit on Wexford main street.

The company was established just as the construction sector was showing signs of emerging from the most devastating recession in generations which forced numerous contractors in the south east and across the country into closure.

However, as new projects began to slowly come on stream, the O’Connor’s saw an opportunity for a high calibre general building contractor to serve the region and spearhead the revival of the general contracting sector in Wexford and the South East.

In a relatively short period of time, TOC Construction built an enviable reputation by focussing on the highest quality building standards, establishing strong client relations through exceptional service and reliability and by prioritising the integrity of the company.

Since its foundation the company has amassed a portfolio of projects that would be the envy of companies with a far longer track record. The public

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Best choice for you and your property CONTACT DETAILS:

Address: Corlican, Killurin, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Email: info@stephencreanelectrical.ie Phone: 00353 53 900 6996 Mobile: 00353 87 061 0046 Web: www.stephencreanelectrical.ie Stephen Crean Electrical @stephencreanelectrical @CreanElectrical

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Specialist Award

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Stephen and his team have vast experience carrying out domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural works from inception to completion. When working with public sector clients they offer services from general electrical works from emergency callouts to planned maintenance and upgrading of systems. They also offer emergency lighting design, installation, testing and maintenance services. “Emergency lighting is a key requirement in the safety of public buildings and therefore we see this as an important service that we offer,” explains Stephen. “We also provide a PAT testing service for any portable equipment which Stephen has been specifically trained to do.”

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Stephen Crean Electrical

Established in 2013, Stephen Crean Electrical is a Wexford based electrical contractor with Stephen as owner manager and Hannah assisting with the office work. Since then the company has grown to employ 8 highly skilled people, who are key to the successful growth of the company.

“Our company offers a multitude of services from domestic to agricultural to emergency lighting to PAT testing and all in between,” Stephen says. “We offer electrical services to a wide variety of customers and no job is too small or too large. We offer excellent quality work at a reasonable price with a speedy turnaround.”

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Excellence in Business Specialist Award

Stephen Crean Electrical is a Safe Electric certified contractor who can offer a customised service with a personal touch to any customer.

During the last five years the company has grown from Stephen carrying out small jobs locally to the current team completing shop fit outs, hotel renovations and works with Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board. “Our skilled staff offer a professional and efficient services from start to finish,” Stephen says proudly.

“We are grateful for the recent success in both the Ireland National Electrical Awards and the Public Sector Awards.” The hard work of both Stephen and his staff is being recognised.

Public sector work he says is very important “as we view our role in the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings that we look after as a key element for those services to continue to operate.”

Stephen Crean Electrical are currently expanding the business and beginning to offer services in fire extinguisher maintenance and servicing, a course which Stephen has recently completed. The addition of this service in conjunction with current testing services such as emergency lighting and PAT testing will allow the company to offer customers in all areas a more comprehensive service in ensuring the safety of their building and equipment. “We are also hoping to continue to expand our workforce so that we can continue to grow as a company and offer our services to even more clients,” Stephen says.

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Quantity Surveying | Project Management | Building Surveying Property Reports | Insurance Claims | Design consultations

For more information; T: +353 (057) 9341748 (Offaly) T: +353 (074) 9735892 (Donegal)

www.mcfconsult.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Business Construction Education Schools Projects

The practice was established by Peter McFarlane who has extensive experience on all aspects of the industry from large-scale mixeduse development projects to small one-off residential houses and extensions.

Whilst originally established as traditional quantity surveyors, additional core services now include project management, building surveying, property reports, insurance claims and design consultations.

MCF Building Consultants work closely with clients to manage project costs. Their approach is geared towards maximizing the client’s budget potential while ensuring cost control on all projects.

The practice is a small friendly sized organisation within the industry, allowing them the flexibility to provide one to one attention to detail

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The practice specialises in all aspects of quantity surveying and are specialists in contract & budget control including private individuals, main contractors, developers, sub-contractors, and public and corporate entities.

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Based in Mountcharles County Donegal and Tullamore County Offaly, MCF Building Consultants was established to provide quantity surveying and project management services nationwide.

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on smaller projects whilst at the same time providing the resources to complete large and complex projects nationwide.

This flexibility and attention to detail has paid dividends with MCF having worked with many of the top architectural, engineering and construction firms in Ireland. The practice has quickly established its reputation of providing a full range of quantity surveying services for all of their clients.

“Our aim is to provide value for money in a highly professional manner for all of our clients,” Mr McFarlane says. “We have extensive experience in most building sectors where we take an approach ensuring the successful delivery of each project which we undertake, no matter how big or small.”

For their outstanding contribution to the industry and their work on many public projects, MCF Building Consultants are worthy winners of the Excellence in Business Award for Construction in Education & School Projects 2018.

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Phone: 1890 447 447 g4ssales@ie.g4s.com www.g4s.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Fire & Security Systems

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 G4S Fire & Security Best Fire & Security Systems

G4S Fire & Security offer bespoke state-of-the-art fire and security systems designed, tailored and installed specifically for each client using their own in-house design and installation team.

G4S Fire & Security, one of the largest security integrators in Ireland, has been operating in the Irish market for more than 40 years. G4S has a solid base, being part of the Global group ‘G4S Group’ with representation in 94 countries worldwide. G4S offers a full and comprehensive package of bespoke integrated security systems, designed and developed to cater for every individual client’s needs.

“We support a full in-house design and installation team in both the fire and the technical business,” says Allan Crinion, Managing Director, G4S Fire & Security Systems, Ireland. “We have designed major systems for our client base, always catering for their specific, unique requirements and offering a turnkey package to suit all applications.”

Crinion has a strong background in this field, having over 35 years’ experience in the security industry. He now heads up the technical business and is developing new markets while supporting the company’s highly valued existing business with the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Over the 10-year period that Crinion has been with G4S, he has seen the company grow and expand. He has worked closely with the OPW on numerous high profile and high security projects.

Crinion appreciates the professional approach that is taken by the OPW team in developing and rolling out their security systems.

G4S and the OPW have worked closely together to develop new protocols to support the varied buildings and risks, utilising a full range of equipment from very high-end security systems to the everyday systems with which most people would be familiar.

G4S has worked with the OPW for the past 35 years. “We consider the OPW as a major and valued client who has contributed greatly to the growth of the company over the years,” says Crinion.

Indeed, G4S is currently busy on a major project, carrying out a full, integrated CCTV installation for Dáil Éireann. “We are implementing some of the most advanced technology, to provide a sophisticated and user-friendly state-of-the-art surveillance system in this prestigious location.”

Crinion believes the company has been very fortunate to have been chosen as preferred supplier for the OPW and clearly values that position. “It has taken years of service for us to achieve this accreditation and it is something we will work hard to maintain.”

G4S is now in a position to offer full nationwide installations and full 24-hour backup via the 4 separate branches located across Ireland.

This allows them to achieve very efficient response times to any incident, whether fire or technical, countrywide.

“All of us at G4S are extremely honoured to receive the public Sector Award ‘Excellence in Fire & Security Systems’ for 2018,” says Crinion, “and we look forward to bolstering our position as a preferred supplier by ensuring we maintain the level of service and technical support expected by the Office of Public Works.”

G4S Fire and Security supply turnkey packages covering CCTV, access control and intruder and perimeter security. The company has a vast array of agencies to supply the leading brands of CCTV and access control products. They are the largest Gent installer in Ireland and are agents for both the Apollo and the Vesta systems.

G4S also caters for large gas suppression systems, giving the client a one-stop shop for all security and fire requirements. They have a substantial team of professional and experienced staff, with 90 engineers and a team of 12 designers, the majority of whom have been with the company for many years.

G4S has carried out some of the largest installations in Ireland, both commercial and industrial and has a dedicated ‘data hall’ design team to cater for this specific business area. The company has also been working actively with the OPW, catering for the historic and critical buildings that exist in this unique portfolio. “We supply and commission fully integrated packages with fire detection and gas suppression systems to cater for the specialist needs of this valued customer,” says Crinion.

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Roadbridge Head Office Crossagalla Industrial Estate, Ballysimon Road, Limerick V94 X2E1

T: +353 (0)61 414874 E: headoffice@roadbridge.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS

Roadbridge is one of Ireland’s leading civil engineering and construction contractors with a skillset that goes far beyond earthworks and constructing. With over 50 years in operation in Ireland the company specialises in the international delivery of complete infrastructure projects, including roads and motorways, wind farms, gas pipelines, industrial and commercial developments, water sewerage schemes and leisure and amenity projects.

The company currently operates in Ireland, United Kingdom, New Caledonia and in Qatar, employing approximately 800 persons worldwide. They have been involved in some of the largest civil engineering projects in Ireland such as the Limerick Tunnel, Corrib Gas Terminal, Facebook Data Centre, Dublin Port, Dun Laoghaire Golf Course and the Galway Wind Park.

The company has been involved in the construction of many public sector projects over the years, such as Limerick Main Drainage, Tramore Sewerage Scheme, Barna Sewerage Scheme and the Belmullet Sewerage Scheme in Mayo. They were also involved in all phases of Arthurstown Landfill in Kildare and have previously worked on Bottlehill and North Kerry Landfills.

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Excellence in Real Estate Finance Services Construction Industry

AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 Roadbridge Excellence in Civil Engineering Services to the Construction Industry

sustainability, “demonstrating that we are a company that is always looking to excel”.

“Roadbridge believe that we provide an excellent final product to all of our clients, which are delivered with a ‘right first time, zero defects’ approach and that the service we provide is delivered at great value to the client.

“We are renowned as an organisation that fosters nonconfrontational working relationships with our customers and clients and always strive first and foremost to finish the work within budget and ahead of time.”

The public sector has been responsible for awarding a large percentage of Roadbridge’s previous contracts in Ireland.

“We have developed great relationships with various public sector authorities, and continue to work together in a collaborative manner” explains Conor Gilligan, Managing Director. “In order to promote our company beyond our excellent reputation and from word of mouth, we also advertise in selected publications, such as the Public Sector Magazine.

“Roadbridge are fully committed to procuring projects from the public sector and will maintain our emphasis on safely delivering high quality projects on time and providing value for money to our clients particularly in areas such as public roads, water, wastewater and municipal waste sectors.”

Roadbridge are delighted to win the Excellence in Civil Engineering Services Award. Mr Gilligan says that the award will sit proudly alongside the many awards that the company has won in areas such as health & safety, quality, food safety, collaborative working, logistics & transport, environmental and

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TAKING OUR BUILT HERITAGEÂ INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

Wexford Courthouse

Services Cons ul ta t i o n, de sign & spe ci fi ca t i o n

Re me di a l s ur vey s

Conden s a ti o n & mou ld so lu t ion s Dr y & Wet rot er adicat ion

Dry rot

Ris i n g d a mp solu t ion s Tim be r t re at m en t s

Rot ec Vo r te x sto ne & brick clea n i ng

Li m e po i nti n g & re nd e ring

Br ea t ha b l e i nt e rior in su la t io n Wa te rpro o f tan king sys t em s Rad on g as c on t rol

Lime rendering

Fi nta n@f f cs . i e / 0 8 7 - 11 9 2 7 4 0 La ur a@f fc s.i e / 08 5 - 1 49 6 297 w w w .f arr e ll do y le c on s er va tio n .ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS

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Excellence in Services to the Construction Industry

AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 Farrell Doyle Conservation Services to the Construction Industry

The story of Farrell Doyle is a conservation story in itself and the idea of structural integrity, one of the cornerstones of their day to day work practices lies at the heart of that story.

The business was founded in 2011 by Fintan Farrell who has over 30 years of experience in conservation services and has a strong reputation in the industry for his knowledge and expertise. He is descended from generations of stone masons, engineers and construction project managers so he grew up with this in his blood.

Soon after, his daughter Laura joined the business bringing her own construction and conservation qualifications and experience to the table and in 2018 they rebranded the business from Fintan Farrell Conservation Services to Farrell Doyle Conservation.

Together, Fintan and Laura exemplify this cornerstone idea of “blending traditional building methods with new conservation technologies so as to ensure the longevity of historic buildings for future generations.”

With remedial building solutions for construction professionals and private clients, the company specialises in works of a conservation/heritage nature while also providing services for all building types.

“Our services centre on remedial solutions for your building,” explains Managing Director Fintan Farrell. “Dampness in buildings is a prevalent problem in Ireland, but thanks to changes in conservation technology, we can protect your home against water ingress.

“When dampness gets into a building, either from precipitation or vapour, it can create problems such as wet rot, dry rot, rising damp and falling damp for example.” This and all associated services are catered for with ease by Farrell Doyle Conservation.

The company continues to perform well and with activity in the construction industry set to rise next year, from a conservation point of view, Farrell Doyle welcome continued investment in this area. “Our built heritage has every capability to meet modern day needs when the right strategy of care is implemented,” Fintan says.

“For example, Ministers Josepha Madigan (Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) and Mary Mitchell O’Connor (Higher Education) announced a major investment of j9m in combined public funding that will go towards the forthcoming redevelopment of the RIAM’s Westland Row campus.”

This and many other public sector projects are an integral part of Farrell Doyle’s business. “Our public buildings need to stand the test of time and meet our 21st century needs,” Fintan says. “Ensuring these buildings are equipped with the right remedial works will allow these buildings to serve the public for generations to come.”

Citing some examples of current public sector projects, he points to works on Wexford Court House, Carrick on Suir Town Hall and Wicklow Garda

Station. “We’re also currently involved with the new student development at UCD where we are implementing the structural waterproofing for the development under main contractors JJ Rhatigans,” he says.

UCD have taken the initiative to build student accommodation. The project consists of three blocks, ten storeys high. The first storey is partially underground and so it’s imperative this storey is equipped to withstand moisture from the surrounding earth. Also in UCD, Farrell Doyle are involved in renovating an existing building, O’Reilly Hall, where this building is being brought up to modern standards.

“We are installing a radon gas protection membrane as well as structural waterproofing,” explains Fintan. “Ireland has soil rich in radon gas which doesn’t pose a problem in the open air, but when concentrated indoors, levels can reach unhealthy heights. This project is under main contractors Purcell Construction.”

The company are instrumental in a high-end redevelopment on Shrewsbury Road with main contractors GEM construction. The original building has been demolished and seven town houses are going in its place. Here they are implementing the structural waterproofing at basement level. Fintan also looks forward to starting on site shortly with main contractors John Paul Construction at the redevelopment of Parliament Hotel and with their appointment as specialist contractors for remedial works to Arnott’s Department Store on Henry Street, it seems work is by no means in short supply.

With an admirable mission to ensure that Ireland’s built heritage is capable of meeting modern day needs, it is clear that a love of conservation is at the very heart of this company.

Closing Fintan says: “We view each building as a living entity. We understand that when a building is allowed to breathe, it can be preserved and we know from experience that moisture and dampness hinder a building’s ability to breathe.”

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THE WRITECH GROUP A Global Leader In Fire Protection Systems

The Writech Group is an internationally recognised leader in Fire Protection Systems. Over the past 4 decades Writech have served some of the worlds best known companies, most of whom are leaders in their industry.

Clients range from private companies, large corporations, government departments and international consortiums.

Writech can take any public, commercial or manufacturing building, risk assess the operation with the client’s insurance company and develop a fire protection strategy. With this strategy a water or gas based fire protection system will be designed, fabricated in Mullingar, shipped to the site and installed. After installation, the Writech service and maintenance teams will head up customer support and maintenance of the system for years to come. Writech provide businesses with Fire Protection solutions and systems to help clients continue their successful growth in their various sectors by providing systems to allow business continuity and to minimise risk from a fire disruption. Risk Solutions & Fire Protection Systems are designed to the highest internationally

approved standards, manufactured , installed and serviced by the Groups various departments of excellence.

The Writech Group are internationally approved to Design, Manufacture, Install and Service to all standards and have experience in Fire Sprinkler Protection, Foam enhanced Fire Protection, Gas Protection, Firewater Mist Protection, Inert Gas Protection and Special Hazard Fire Protection.

The Company’s HQ is based in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland and have affiliated offices in 7 other countries covering the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

Writech boast Ireland’s largest Service & Maintenance Team and have become the most innovative and technologically advanced Fire Protection Service Company’s in the world with the industry’s first and most advanced ‘Service App’. The Writech App is designed to record the inspection and testing in the clients sites with the App the weekly schedule, detailed work, GPs coordinates for each site are issued to our team.

3D BIM DESIGN

Fire Pump Stations

Services APP

LPS 1048 Approved & ISO 9001 Certified

Writech Head Office: Mullingar Business Park, Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland.

T: (+353) 44 9349857 F: (+353) 44 9349858 E: info@writechltd.com W: www.writechltd.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS

FIRE STOPPER

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Fire Protection Services to the Construction Industry

AWARDS Construction Ireland Awards 2018 Writech

The success of Writech, a Westmeath based company which has risen to the front ranks of the global fire prevention industry provides invaluable lessons for ambitious, indigenous Irish companies on the importance strategic management, perseverance and investing in talent.

Excellence in Fire Protection Services to the Construction Industry

The committee established to investigate fire safety in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster called for sprinklers to be made a mandatory requirement in new care homes, sheltered housing and blocks of flats higher than six stories. Their installation should also be required in existing tower blocks where refurbishment work is being carried out.

was carried out the previous year. Experts claim that sprinklers could have been fitted throughout the 24-storey west London housing block at a cost of around £200,000.

It recommended the measures as the first steps on a “road map” towards making sprinklers mandatory in all homes across England.

The report said sprinklers, typically activated automatically by heat, almost completely eliminate fire deaths in buildings where they are installed. They also cut fire injuries by 80 per cent and reduce building damage.

Grenfell Tower, where 72 people died in a blaze in June 2017, was not fitted with a sprinkler system during a £9.2m renovation which

Subsequent research revealed that just two per cent of high rise flats in Britain have sprinkler systems installed.

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“You could have all the smoke detectors in the world but if somebody is deaf or blind or asleep at night on the 36th floor, then they can’t evacuate,” said Alan Wright, Ceo of Mullingarbased Writech Group, one of Europe’s leading Fire Protection and Engineering companies. “The only way of effectively combating fire is sprinklers and it should be mandatory for all high rise buildings to be retrofitted with sprinklers. This has been a requirement in the US for years which is light years ahead in terms of fire safety standards.”

Building owners in the US are legally obliged to install sprinkler systems in all existing high-rise buildings as a direct result of a devastating fire in the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas in 1980, which saw 85 people lose their lives mostly through smoke inhalation. Combustible exterior cladding systems are also prohibited by most US fire code.

Closer to home in Scotland, sprinklers are required for any building over 18m in height while in Wales, they have gone a step further and made sprinklers mandatory in all new houses.

“It is not just a case of protecting life,” says Alan. “It is also a matter of ensuring business continuity in the event of a fire in a commercial facility, whether it is a production line, data centre, manufacturing plant or office building. The system only operates in the area the fire is located leaving the rest of the building unaffected and ensuring delays to production and output are minimised. More importantly, there is no loss of life and we have yet to see a fatality occur in a fully sprinkled facility. “ In Ireland, sprinklers are not required for buildings under 30m in height and there is no obligation to install sprinklers when retrofitting an existing building. The Building Regulations that apply to a new building are those which are in force at the time of construction and there are many older buildings in Ireland which were built decades ago and which are not in compliance with any of new standards introduced since they were built.

Regulations need to be urgently reviewed, particularly as we being to construct taller buildings; a policy Alan believes is unavoidable if we are to adequately address the housing crisis.

“The tallest building in Ireland at the moment is currently under construction in Capital Docks and that is sprinkler protected. We also installed sprinkler systems at the Elysium, the tallest building in limerick and now Cork is embracing high rise and we are hopeful that fire safety will be a priority in all these new building.

trained with a Manchester based company Mather & Platt which at the time was the only company in Britain or Ireland manufacturing fire sprinklers, mechanical systems and pumps.

By the time Thomas returned to Ireland he was a leading authority in modern fire safety and prevention technology and he decided to establish a company specialising in innovative, state-of-the art fire protection services. Today, the Writech group is synonymous throughout Europe for fire protection.

The company employs highly trained design personnel to provide up-to-date design and hydraulic analysis for each project and customise solutions to meet the specific needs of each client.

Operating from a manufacturing and office facility based in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, the Writech Group are Ireland’s largest independently owned Fire Protection System Service and Maintenance operator. The company is approved to ISO 9001:2015 and provides clients with 24/7 back-up as well as experienced and professional guidance to all specific fire risks, Writech can take any commercial or manufacturing building, risk assess the operation with the client’s insurance company and develop a fire protection strategy. With this strategy a water or gas based fire protection system will be designed, fabricated in Mullingar, shipped to the site and installed. After installation, the service and maintenance teams will head up customer support and maintenance of the system for years to come.

In 2008 armed with a strategy to significantly grow and develop the company through the adoption of lean management practices and the cultivation of new export markets, Alan and his brother Ted Wright instigated a management buyout of the company. However, shortly afterwards, the collapse of Lehman Brothers sparked a global fiscal crisis and the ensuing economic collapse decimated the construction sector in Ireland and threatened the best laid plans of the Wright brothers.

The tumultuous events of the late noughties proved a mixed blessing and Alan believes the valuable lessons learnt during this challenging period were instrumental in steering the company through choppy waters and into a period of sustained and dramatic growth.

“However, we do have a stock of older buildings and facilities that are not protected to the extent they should be. There are standout examples such as Liberty Hall which is about 45m high and isn’t sprinkler protected. Fireman do a remarkable job and it is unreasonable to ask them to put their lives at risk without ensuring that we have failsafe fire systems installed from the outset. The industry are great fans and promoters of our technology, largely because it keeps them safe.

“We had to learn very quickly,” says Alan. “We had to learn to be efficient and we had to learn be fast and to be innovative Our staff were exceptional. They were solidly behind us and all of us made sacrifices. We were fortunate to be working with two very big corporations, both of which invested significantly during the downturn and that is one important lesson I learnt. If you look at the very big, successful corporations, they all invest during an economic slump in order to be fully prepared to take advantage of the upturn.

Their innovations were coming on stream when the market was recovering and they were way ahead of the competition.

Writech was originally established by Alan’s parents Thomas J Wright & Mary Wright in 1985. Thomas had previously

“We took this lesson on board and invested greater resources into training our people to make them more efficient and

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more productive. We streamlined our operations and processes and worked hard to incorporate lean manufacturing principals across the organisation. The strategy transformed the company. Turnover which was less than j4m in 2007 increased to over j25m last year, a six fold increase and we are hoping to double turnover again in the next five years. We effectively transformed from a domestic outfit to an international entity which brings with it a whole new set of challenges.

“By providing a valuable, high quality and efficient service to organisations which are in expansion mode enabled us to follow in their footsteps and also capture new markets. In many instances we entered new markets as a result of referrals and we also formed partnerships and affiliates in a number of countries.

Writech are unique in that we provide both internal and external turnkey solutions and customers appreciate our lean manufacturing processes because it greatly reduces the risk of accidents onsite.

Writech currently have a presence in eight different countries including Scandinavia, Germany, Spain, Malta, Morocco, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Next year it plans to open an office in Holland following the successful launch of its UK office, which it opened in Manchester last year.

Writech was delighted be awarded the contract for Silverstone, the training college for Formula One racing.

It was also was chosen to install a bespoke system for the London stock exchange.

The adoption of lean manufacturing principals which has considerably reduced waste and improved efficiencies has also been critical to driving growth. Production processes and assembly lines were reconfigured and enhanced to speed up output. “At this moment in time it is all about lean manufacturing and building off site and it has made a huge difference. We know all our components and system works before they leave our premises and it has resulted in considerable savings on labour and aftercare services,” says Alan.

Product development and innovation are also important factors and last year Writech was the first company outside of the Unites States chosen to install Vortex, a new environmentally friendly and highly efficient suppression system which was added to a facility in Berlin, Germany. “The project has been a resounding success,” says Alan. “It forms a mist and greatly reduces the volume of water required while the technology is automated to a greater degree and far quicker. The cost of putting these in is .2% of the total build so the savings achieved are phenomenal.”

Writech also created the world’s first paperless application designed specifically, for fire protection, service and maintenance. The app records the results of inspection and testing which takes place across different sites and vital information, including the weekly schedule, detailed work and GPS coordinates for each site are issued to the Writech supervisors. Writech also

employ a stable of engineers who are responsible for servicing and maintaining systems for all of its clients across the different regions.

There are plans to launch the app in the US via a franchise model in the second half of next year.

In addition, the company recently opened up a new training facility and purpose-built demonstration centre to provide fire system training and demonstration to customers and the Writech team. There is currently a six month waiting list for the training courses.

Writech’s expertise in the management of hazardous sites allied to its experience providing installations for the beverage industry has also opened up ancillary opportunities and Alan is leading a group, which has submitted a planning application for a j138m major whiskey maturation facility on a 100 acre site on the eastern side of Moyvore village.

It is expected that phase 1 of the project can create 20-25 full time jobs while eighty jobs would also be created during the construction process. According to Alan, there are commitments from three multinational distillers who would fill 80 per cent of the space in Phase 1. It is envisaged that a museum and interpretative centre would also be developed on the site during phase two and once completed it would be the largest independent standalone whiskey storage facility in Ireland.

The project has the support of Minister for Food and Agriculture, Michael Creed and the Irish Whiskey Assocation and it also has strong local support from residents and the business community.

“As time goes on, the more valuable whiskey becomes. A 3-year flagon of whiskey may cost a couple of hundred euro but after seven years, its value multiplies. If you have 20,000 caskets stored in these warehouses, they become extremely valuable. We have the expertise and know how to safeguard against any risks.

“Back in the 1880s Ireland produced 85% of the world’s whiskey and Dublin alone had between 60 and 80 distilleries. The industry was destroyed as a result of prohibition and the stringent tariffs. There was also a huge fire in one of the Dublin distilleries and there were no further distilleries permitted in the city of Dublin as a result.

Now high quality Artisan whiskey producers are fast emerging in Ireland and we believe that Vault Storage has the potential to revive the Irish whiskey sector and help recreate a leading global industry. That is our vision and our dream.”

And given his track record and accomplishments to date, it would be an act of folly for anyone to bet against him.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Best Construction Law Firm

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These questions are influencing the thinking in Europe today, and they have not gone unnoticed in Ireland. New procurement directives have been devised to guide public bodies toward a smarter way of purchasing goods and services, and of developing public infrastructure. In the purchase of goods, services and works, public bodies are encouraged to award contracts not solely based on cost-competitiveness, but also on societal benefit.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Herbots Solicitors

What if the Irish government had to consider the impact on society of every euro it spent, not just to keep voters happy, but also to improve the country’s societal function now and into the future? Bruno Herbots, Partner at Herbots solicitors talks about ending the false economy of public spending.

While most of us want to see our government spending less, should there be a trade-off between cost and value? Should we expect our government to spend more strategically? Should government spending in one sector achieve complementary benefits in another?

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Best Construction Law Firm to the Public Sector

It is in this context that Frank O’Rourke TD and Darragh O’Brien TD proposed the ‘Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill, 2017’ (the “Bill”) which is currently in the Third Stage Debate in the Dáil (there are five stages in total before a bill is passed to the Seanad). Earlier this year the Bill passed the Second Stage Debate and was referred to a Working Committee.

As a Dublin-based solicitor with one foot in Brussels, I welcome these developments in Europe and the movement toward this method of practice in Ireland.

This Bill proposes to put a statutory obligation on public bodies to “consider” social values whenever a procurement process

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To deliver societal value in public procurement, such values should be woven through each stage of procurement; not only at the final stage of tendering. These values must infiltrate the process from start (prior to the publication of any contract notice) to finish (to include contract monitoring). It should not be a contractual afterthought. commences. Whilst public bodies would not be required to include social value criteria in their scoring matrix (which ranks proposals according to pre-set objective criteria, such as price, timeframe, method statement etc.), they must consider how the procurement could improve the community interest that falls under that public body’s administrative area.

To deliver societal value in public procurement, such values should be woven through each stage of procurement; not only at the final stage of tendering. These values must infiltrate the process from start (prior to the publication of any contract notice) to finish (to include contract monitoring). It should not be a contractual afterthought.

The Bill would need some amendment to reflect this.

The Bill is not an end in itself; it is a tool to promote the wider uptake of social value. Like the English Social Value Act, 2012, and the Scottish Procurement Reform Act, 2014, the Bill encourages a new way of thinking that involves looking beyond the price of each contract by considering the collective benefit to a community. The contracting authority must “think and rethink” what it is procuring and how it could achieve social benefits to that authority’s functional area, before it issues any contract notice. The contracting authorities should do so as the outcomes are worth it and it can make a great difference to people, to service delivery and to the bottom line. For example, a county council might have to procure the supply of milk to local schools. After having considered how this procurement could benefit the wider community, this county council could widen the scope of the supply contract to include the provision of lessons on healthy living to the students of the local schools. This scope increase, and the inclusion of a community benefit award criterion in the scoring matrix, could incentivise tenderers to use the long-term unemployed (after some internal training) to provide the lessons. As such, the county council will not only have addressed the supply of milk, but would also have decreased the number of unemployed people; this is more value for money than the milk alone.

Having practiced in public procurement in Ireland for over a decade, I anticipate some potential issues in adapting to this new playing field. One major bugbear for contracting authorities will be measuring and quantifying the social outcome they are seeking, so as to incorporate this into a scoring matrix. Contracting authorities could note the UK website www.socialvaluehub.org.uk which provides invaluable information and insight into the outcomes of social values for public bodies. The authors of the Bill could consider the introduction of a similar website in Ireland.

The Bill, rightly I believe, does not define “social value”.

This term is to remain a permissive concept that can continue to develop through effective consultation, imaginative commissioning, and creative suppliers’ design; all demonstrative of the ability to “think outside of the box.” This does not mean that the language in the draft Bill cannot be improved.

One criticism of the draft language in the Bill is that the authors may create some confusion in their use of the terms “social value” and “community benefit” interchangeably.

It is best to use the broadest possible term and to use it consistently throughout.

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When assessing the social lifecycle cost, contracting authorities could also consider the Guidelines for Social Life.

Admittedly, this is complex. This is where the EU Eco-label could assist. Indeed, the procurement directives accept such labels as proof that what is proposed meets the requested social characteristics. Unfortunately, unlike Italy and France, Ireland has been unsuccessful in implementing many such labels. These failures are due to lack of resources provided by the Government to the National Standards Authority Ireland (the “NSAI”) to facilitate such Eco-labels.

The authors of the Public Services and Procurement Bill could increase the success of their social goal by increasing the NSAI funding of the Eco-label scheme. Social value criteria linked to Eco-labels are widely used in Italy and France. They provide clear benefits and improve national procurement in a legally acceptable and clever fashion.

The Cycle Assessment of Products, drafted by the United Nations Environment Programme could also provide assistance.

Such pre-existing methodologies assist by going beyond the initial price and delving into the life cycle costs, such as the maintenance and the end of life management costs.

We have a significant opportunity now to legislate intelligently to increase social benefits in Ireland. I welcome the new Public Services and Procurement Bill as a smart legislative decision, and encourage our lawmakers to avail of this opportunity in the fullest sense.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Kitchen Design & Installation

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Kube has been designing and installing the highest quality kitchens in Ireland for over 50 years. In addition, they provide fitted wardrobes solutions as well as living and dining furniture with showrooms in Dublin, London and Cork.

The company has gained recognition for providing kitchens and furniture at the leading edge of technology and design, providing products that are in line with the needs and budgets of their many public sector clients.

“Every consumer has a different lifestyle,” comments Brand Manager, Dave Fagan. “By focusing on consumer lifestyle needs we can have an impact on the lives of our customers. With our unique experience, we are particularly positioned to anticipate and meet those needs.

“We are structured to cater to a wide variety of customers. With the vast array of products available to the market, it can be quite

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kube Kitchens

Modern home design places the kitchen at a central hub of home life. It is arguably the most high-traffic and important room in the house often being used as a dining room, a social area and a generalised living space.

Design and quality therefore cannot be overstated when investing in a quality, functional kitchen.

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Excellence in Kitchen Design & Installation

overwhelming for a consumer to make the correct decision. We provide a professional level of service which takes the worry away from those difficult buying decisions.”

Fagan says that Kube’s product offering, design sensibilities and pricing are in line with the needs of the public sector employee. By establishing a workflow that incorporates the individual’s lifestyle, Kube can create a kitchen environment that is complementary to the needs of a busy household, saving time and hassle in the home.

“By developing strategic partnerships over many decades with top manufacturers we have positioned ourselves alongside the leading suppliers in the kitchen industry worldwide. We have the right products to match the expectation of public sector employees in a seemingly endless array of style and finish options. Through the extensive training of our designers, customer service, delivery and installation team, we can provide an exceptional level of product and service to a large selection of customers. Quality is key and our showrooms showcase the high quality of all our products. We are passionate about design and quality while also being mindful that value is very important for the customer.”

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St. Marnocks Bay Marketing Office - Portmarnock, Co. Dublin. Kube Ferro kitchen. Living and dining furniture by Calligaris.

The public sector is hugely important to Kube as the demographics of employees match their quality brand and products. Kube pride themselves on providing a very wellbalanced service. They understand that each aspect of the purchaser’s journey must be seamless while also providing a vast array of options. “We are positioned to anticipate and meet the needs of these households,” explains Fagan. “Kube is acknowledged to have a key understanding of the market landscape and consumer needs and we are prepared to meet these needs while providing value to the consumer.”

The upturn in the economy and current economic growth have brought significant challenges to the building industry and new housing developments will continue to play a major role. Kube has developed key long-term relationships with kitchen, furniture and appliance suppliers with the ability to scale up without any impact on lead times or quality

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along with rigorous training and certification processes for designers and installation teams. This puts Kube in the perfect position to support the building industry in the residential sector while still being the market leader for kitchens in the retail sector which continues to grow. “This is a great opportunity for builders to give their customers quality and design led products,” Fagan says. “We will continue to provide great service and superior products to the Irish consumer and to contract builders.”

Concluding he says: “call in and meet us in Dublin or Cork the next time you are in the market for a kitchen, a new wardrobe, or living and dining furniture. The selection of high-quality products at Kube is unmatched. The calibre of design and knowledge is top notch. The pricing is extremely competitive and we would be glad for the opportunity to show you what we have to offer.”

Your dream kitchen can’t wait to meet you.

Kube Feel, a kitchen to covet. The latest technology and unparalleled design come together in a timeless contemporary kitchen fitted to function perfectly with your household and your lifestyle. Picture yourself in a Kube kitchen.

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Features: • Soft Matt Lacquered Laminate doors in Kube Feel White.

• Dekton – Keon 20mm stone worktops.

• Bough Oak Platinum breakfast bar with matching splash back and open shelving.

• Calligaris Palm stool in Taupe Skuba and Natural Leg.

• Kube Emotion Lighting.

• Chrome Quooker Fusion Combi boiling water tap.

• Flush mounted Falmec Nuvola extractor with remote control.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Auto Breakdown Services

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Autoglass Excellence in Auto Breakdown Service

Autoglass® is Ireland’s leading vehicle glass repair and replacement company, serving more than 60,000 motorists each year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Autoglass is the largest vehicle glass repair and replacement (VGRR) company in Ireland. Autoglass works with all of the major insurance companies as well as fleet and lease companies to help them keep their customers safe and get them back on the road. This is the 40th anniversary of Autoglass working in Ireland and Managing Director Donal Lawlor is proud to say they are the market leaders in the industry in terms of innovation and customer satisfaction.

Behind this leadership position, however are four decades of hard work and attention to detail. Along the way, Autoglass have racked up a number of firsts. “We were the first to introduce repairing windscreens as opposed to replacing them in Ireland. We were also the first to get independent accreditation from a reputable international organisation, we were the first to get ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 together for all of our locations and vehicles and we were the first to launch a booking on-line service for our customers.” says Donal Lawlor.

The Public Sector in Ireland has been an important customer over those forty years of business and Autoglass has always been ready to adapt to the changing needs of its customer base. In 2015 Autoglass moved to a mobile model, meaning Autoglass travel to the customer rather than the customer having to go in to a centre for a repair or replacement. Additionally Autoglass can repair or replace glass on any make or model of car.

While repairing or replacing windscreens may seem straightforward, Autoglass Managing Director Donal Lawlor explains that as technology has advanced, windscreen replacement has also changed.

the slightest misalignment can cause essential safety features in the car to malfunction,” says Lawlor. To stay ahead of the game, Autoglass are in close contact with all of the major manufacturers around the world and receive regular briefings on the next level of ADAS. As extra safety features are channelled through windscreen-mounted cameras, the service Autoglass offer is inextricably linked to these cameras “We need to be ahead of any changes to allow for training and tools to be developed for the new future,” explains Lawlor.

ADAS is not the only safety consideration for windscreen replacement.

What most people do not realise is how vital correct windscreen replacement is to the safety of the occupants of a car. A windscreen accounts for up to 34% of the structural integrity of a car’s roof and if a windscreen is not correctly bonded to the vehicle, there is a high risk of airbag failure and passenger ejection in a collision situation. Autoglass financed an independent study which concluded that up to 10% of cars on Irish roads have unsafe windscreen replacements. Autoglass adhere to the strictest safety and quality standards with the services they provide.

The Public Sector in Ireland is a very important segment to Autoglass, as it has a huge number of vehicles under its control, both directly and indirectly. Autoglass are an Irish company entering into their 5th decade in business, “Serving the state in this way gives us great pride.” Says Donal Lawlor, Managing Director, “It is extremely gratifying that many in the public sector also consider us the go-to VGRR provider. The public sector is a very influential and great sector to be working with and we look forward to continuing this relationship well into the future.”

“We are also Ireland’s leading ADAS calibration specialists, catering for all dynamic and static systems in existence today.” ADAS – Advanced Driver Assistance Systems include such features as rear view cameras to aid parking to more complicated systems like Lane Departure Warning (LDW) that can detect a vehicle’s surroundings. There are also more advanced systems that can actually take some control of the vehicle, such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). Whether a car has adaptive high beams, a collision detection system or autonomous night vision, these are all classed as Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems.

ADAS systems rely on a combination of cameras and sensors to work as intended.

With a windscreen replacement, some of these cameras can get knocked out of place. This could have a significant impact on the functionality of an ADAS feature.

“When we replace the windscreen of a car, which has ADAS features, we have to re-calibrate the windscreen-mounted camera, through which a lot of the ADAS actions flow. It is vital that this is done correctly, as

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CLEAN ENERGY Energy groups urge Government to set 70% target for Ireland’s renewable energy by 2030

Eight bodies representing renewable energy interests have issued a joint call to the government to commit to a target of obtaining 70 per cent of energy from clean sources such as wind and solar.

They made the request while launching a report from energy and utilities consultancy, Baringa, which showed that it was technically possible and cost neutral to the consumer to use renewable energy to supply 70 per cent of our electricity needs by 2030.

This would make a substantial contribution towards meeting Ireland’s share of a new EU target of 32 per cent of EU’s energy – across electricity, heat and transport – coming from renewables by 2030.

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The EU agreed the new renewables targets last June and Ireland’s share of that target will be negotiated with the EU in the coming months. It follows confirmation from the Climate Change Advisory Council last summer that Ireland will miss its overall 2020 target for renewable energy.

At the moment, around 30% of Irish electricity comes from renewables and while Ireland will fall short of its overall 2020 target it is expected to still reach its 40% electricity target.

The eight organisations calling for the government to commit to the 70% target by 2030 include the Irish Wind Energy Association;

the Irish Solar Energy Association; the Irish Bioenergy Association; the Irish Wind Farmers’ Association; Host in Ireland; Irish Energy Storage Association; Marine Renewables Industry Association and Smart Grid Ireland.

The Baringa Report points out that renewable transport and heat have traditionally been much slower to develop and therefore a target for electricity of 70 per cent is essential if we are not to fall further and further behind our European neighbours. “A target of 70 per cent renewables in the electricity sector, coupled with the electrification of our heat and transport systems, will ensure we play our part in making Europe’s energy vision a reality,” it states.

Having fallen short of our 2020 renewable energy target, Ireland has considerable ground to make up. Our goal was for 16 per cent of our energy to come from renewables, which was our contribution to achieving an overall EU target of 20 per cent.

Although the EU is likely to exceed its target Ireland has lagged far behind. To hit our target 40 per cent of our electricity should come from renewable sources along with 10 per cent of our transport and 12 per cent of our heat.

Record-breaking growth in wind energy in recent years means that our electricity target could still be reached but we will fall well short in the other categories. And the extent of our failure is alarming.

In June the Climate Action Network identified Ireland as the second worst country in Europe when it came to tackling climate change. The following month, the Climate Change Advisory Council confirmed that our greenhouse gas emissions are increasing, not falling, and warned we are ‘completely off course’ in addressing climate change.

According to the Baringa report. there are seven critical steps which we need to take in order to meet the 70% target by 2030. Firstly, we need to increase both on and offshore wind power from an expected 5,400 MW5 in 2020 to 10,000 MW and we also need to develop at least 2,900 MW of solar power, including both smallscale installations on buildings and larger solar farms.

Our electricity transmission system will need to be strengthened so that it can accommodate up to 90 per cent renewable electricity at any one time and we need to reduce the minimum amount of fossil fuel generation required on our system from 1,000 MW to 700 MW. In addition, Baringa recommends that we build an additional 1,450 MW of interconnection from Ireland to neighbouring countries. Finally, the report recommends the construction of 1,700 MW of new batteries and the electrification of our heating and transport systems

using heat pumps and electric vehicles.

Baringa acknowledges that the plan is ambitious and challenging, but argues that is absolutely achievable.

“There are already plans for thousands of MW of new wind and solar generation with more than sufficient resources available to achieve a 70 per cent target and we have not even begun to exploit the potential of offshore wind,” the report states.

ENERGY NEWS

“Work on developing the interconnectors to France and to the UK is already underway but it will require a complete rethink in our energy system and a determined effort to electrify our transport and heating sectors with electric cars and heat pumps.”

Their detailed analysis by Baringa shows that the cost of adopting these measures will be at least balanced out by the savings generated.

“More wind and solar farms and a stronger transmission system, will certainly require investment. But renewable energy drives down wholesale electricity prices, while electrifying heat and transport will also deliver savings and dramatically reduce our foreign fossil fuel imports,” Baringa states.

Speaking at the launch of the Baringa report in Dublin, Irish Wind Energy Association chief executive Dr David Connolly said there was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape Ireland’s energy and climate action policies. “The evidence from the Baringa report is clear.

An electricity system using 70 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is not only practical, it is – at a minimum – cost neutral for the consumer.”

The Baringa analysis shows a likely cost in the order of j4 billion – including market supports – and savings of a similar order including reduced transport and heat costs.

Chief executive of the Irish Solar Energy Association Michael McCarthy said that in advance of completing a draft national energy and climate plan by the end of 2018, there was “a unique opportunity” for Ireland to lead by example across the EU, while making best use of solar, wind and other renewable resources and facilitating the electrification of the heat and transport sectors. “Increasing the renewable electricity target will lead to more clean energy production, more jobs, more local investment and a better environment.”

The chairman of Smart Grid Ireland Paddy Turnbull said Ireland was already a world leader in using renewables to supply the national electricity grid and the role of grid network was critical to the achievement of this strategic goal. “There will be key benefits for the Irish economy as it will encourage innovation in renewable energy which will have long-term benefits for consumers,” he said.

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Project Solutions for Water & Waste Water Glan Agua are industry leaders in providing project solutions for the water and wastewater industry including design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance.

Turnkey Design and Build Solutions Projects that drive the future Innovative Process Designs Winner of Engineers Ireland Project of the Year 2018 Completing the water Cycle

IRL: +353 (0) 91 880 332 | UK: +44 (0) 203 114 2135 Ireland Offices Railway House, Station Road, Loughrea, Galway, Ireland Tel : +353 (0) 91 880 332 Email: info@glanagua.com

UK Office Unit 3, 4075 Kingswood Road, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland Tel : +353 (01) 5514515 Email: info@glanagua.com

Churchill House, Suite 301, 120 Bunns Lane, London NW7 2AS Tel : +44 (0) 203 114 2135 Email: info@glanagua.com

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Waste Management Treatment Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Glan Agua Ltd Water Management Treatment Award

Glan Agua specialises in providing design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance services within the water and wastewater sector.

Water is a precious resource, essential for all life on earth. Managing our water so it can meet our current and future needs and also continue to support the ecosystems that depend on it is vital for Ireland’s future, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

One company doing just that is Glan Agua Ltd., a private limited company providing project solutions for the water and wastewater industry. Glan Agua, who commenced trading in January 2008, specialises in providing design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance services within the water and wastewater sector. Glan Agua has undertaken projects with a large number of Local Authorities and Private Clients in the Food and Pharmaceutical Sectors. The company continually strives to improve their skill set and investigate new technologies to efficiently manage Irish water resources and the environment on behalf of their clients.

John Fox, Operations Contracts Manager for Glan Agua explains, “We have the capacity and the experience to provide complex project solutions for the water and wastewater industry including design, construction, operation and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure.” Glan Agua strive to offer complete solutions to clients utilising the best available technology and the most modern equipment combined with innovative engineering solutions that are tailored to what they need. “We always adopt the most up-to-date specifications and operate all our infrastructure to the highest safety, quality and environmental standards,” says Fox. Some of these innovations include Mixed Liquor Vacuum Degassing (MLVD). Glan Agua integrated Mixed Liquor Vacuum Degassing (MLVD) technology into its ground-breaking design for the Cavan Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrade Project. The MLVD technology is an innovative patented process, which conditions the activated sludge and makes the wastewater treatment process easy to control and operate. The MLVD Process changes the properties of activated sludge, facilitating higher performance characteristics of the wastewater treatment system and reducing the overall size of the plant.

This technology has been utilised on over 40 Waste Water Treatment Plants worldwide but Glan Agua were the first to bring this process to Ireland and UK for the j14.5m Cavan WWTP which was officially opened in January 2017.

“Glan Agua Ltd. are fully committed to delivering a high standard of products and services, and at all times strive to achieve our policy requirements based on continuous improvement and development” Fox explains.

in conjunction with our sister company, MEIC, are delighted to announce that we have recently been awarded and have signed the Thurles Regional Water Supply Scheme Contract No.2” says Fox. The j16.6 million investment at Thurles, in partnership with Irish Water and Tipperary County Council will involve construction of new water treatment plant and associated network. The new supply will replace 10 existing water treatment plants which are vulnerable to water quality issues.

The project will involve the construction of a new water treatment plant at Killenyearda, along with intake works and a pumping station at Rathkeenan and associated mains. For Glan Aqua this contract involves the design, build and operation of the Thurles Water Treatment Plant which will produce 8,600m3/d, utilising state of the art technology.

“This represents a strategic award for Glan Agua and MEIC, further establishing our position as market leaders in the water services sector,” says Fox. Glan Agua and MEIC designed the facilities at tender stage utilising innovative Building Information Modelling (BIM) and 3D modelling to avail of all the benefits they bring such as clash detection, design ‘walk through’, advanced planning, faster project delivery, and reduced safety risk.

Glan Agua recently completed the Kerry Central Water Supply Scheme, and this Project Won Engineers Ireland Project of the Year 2018.

This new state of the art facility was successfully designed and built over the past 24 months by Glan Agua and MEIC in an environmentally sensitive and large tourist area. As a result of the upgrade and investment, it was confirmed a number of weeks ago that the Kerry Central RWSS has been removed from EPA’s Remedial Action List (RAL), the list of ‘at risk’ water supplies. This contract represents the continued growth for Glan Agua in the DBO Water services market and successfully demonstrates an ongoing commitment to working collaboratively with Irish Water, to deliver such a substantial projects on programme and on budget. This new Plant provides a safe and secure water supply for 62,000 people and an estimated 1.2 million tourists annually.

This busy company has many more projects underway. “Glan Agua,

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Health & Well-being Award

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A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Institute of Technology Carlow Health and Well-being Award

A Smoke Less Campus initiative, introduced by the Institute of Technology Carlow earlier this year across its Carlow campus was deemed a resounding success and the Institute has been awarded the Health and Well-being Award 2018 at this year’s national Public Sector Awards.

Six months after confining on-campus smoking to three designated smoking shelters at strategic locations across the campus in order to create a smoke free environment, the campaign conceived and implemented by Institute of Technology Carlow has been hugely welcomed by students and staff, with little fuss or resistance.

selector Michael Dempsey and international rugby player and Leinster Women’s Captain Paula Fitzpatrick.

“With the exception of one or two small incidences in the first few days, our students and staff are to be commended on embracing the change,” said David Denieffe, Vice-President for Academic Affairs.

“In fact, such was the success of the initiative, that students from our Wexford campus have also requested a smoke-free campus, which will be implemented shortly”.

The first day of Smokeless Campus kicked off with a series of fun events. An on-campus broadcast by Beat102 103FM led the events that took place as the policy came into effect to coincide with National No Smoking Day. Students and staff had the opportunity to engage in ‘no-smoking’ activities such as the ‘Toss the Habit’ ring toss and selfie competitions with prizes allocated to the winners.

The health-led initiative, entitled ‘Smoke Less Campus’ and designed to provide a clean air environment for students and staff, was implemented on National No Smoking Day (14th February). Its introduction followed a survey of more than 1,300 students and staff on the idea of introducing a smoke free campus.

Fresh flowers and plants on outdoor litter bins, along with balloons and posters, provided plenty of colour as the health-led initiative got underway. The Institute of Technology Carlow’s nurse and medical centre were also on hand to inform students about smoking, accommodate students with packs to help quit smoking and to provide Smokerlyzer carbon monoxide breath test monitors. Since launch day, Institute of Technology Carlow’s nurse has delivered smoking cessation clinics to students interested in quitting – a first in her time at the Institute.

The Smoke Less Campus policy was a direct response to the 85% of staff and students who support a healthy air environment for staff, students, service users and visitors to Institute of Technology Carlow. Over 44% of the respondents were in favour of a smoke free campus and a further 41% supported the initiative, with a request for designated smoking shelters on campus.

One of the keys to the success of the initiative was the collaborative cross-campus committee comprising: a senior executive; student support services; the communications office; the students union; staff from the faculties of sport and computing; the estates department the campus nurse and student representatives.

A second viral video featuring comedy outfit Simple Craic and the Institute’s own porter, Bernard, achieved 18,000 views.

Dr Patrick Doorley, the chairman of ASH Ireland, the country’s leading anti-tobacco visited the Institute to support the first day of the initiative and thanked students and staff for implementing the health-led policy.

The organising committee also collaborated with some of the Institute’s high-profile sports students in communicating the initiative. International athletes Molly Scott and John Fitzsimons, Waterford senior hurler Colin Dunford and Republic of Ireland women’s soccer international Roma McLaughlin participated in a photo opportunity featuring huge cigarette props to announce the campaign which garnered significant national, regional and online coverage.

Student advocates such as Cystic Fibrosis ambassador Lauren Dempsey, and student volunteer Richard Morrell, took part in an informational video along with well-known staff such as Kilkenny senior hurling team

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Kildare County Council Comhairle Contae Chill Dara

Ă ras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co Kildare Telephone (045) 980200 Email customercare@kildarecoco.ie

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Heritage Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kildare County Council Heritage Award

Bridget Loughlin is County Heritage Officer with Kildare County Council and the winner of our Heritage Award 2018 for the animation “The Blooming Bees”.

Heritage Officers are employed by local authorities, in partnership with the Heritage Council. The role of the Heritage Officer is to promote an understanding and appreciation of our natural, built and cultural heritage within the local authority and to the wider community. Through their collaboration with other local authority officials and elected members, they work strategically to safeguard our heritage. Often Heritage Officers provide a bridge between the community and the local authority, helping the local authority to value, protect and record our heritage for the good of the community.

Bridget Loughlin is County Heritage Officer with Kildare County Council and the winner of the Public Sector Magazine Heritage Award 2018 for the animation “The Blooming Bees”.

“Our heritage is everything of natural, historic and cultural value in our urban and rural environment,” says Loughlin, “It’s the significant public and private buildings in our cities, towns, villages and countryside. It’s our local parks, woodlands, lakes, rivers, mountains, farmlands and coastal regions.”

Heritage Officers empower local authorities to facilitate community development through social, economic, environmental and cultural projects in their areas. Heritage Officers encourage the celebration of our heritage in cities, towns, villages and countryside through year-round activities and especially during National Heritage Week.

Heritage Officers work with conservation architects, archaeologists, ecologists, forestry and agricultural advisors, local historians, cultural and eco-tourism businesses, researchers and innovators. Each Heritage Officer develops and implements county/city heritage and biodiversity plans, in partnership with City and County Heritage Fora and contributes to new heritage policy at regional and national level. Heritage Officers have a role in the implementation of other government initiatives such as the Creative Ireland Programme.

bring together pollinator initiatives across the island and is the start of a process for collectively taking positive steps to protect Irish pollinators and the service they provide.

Ireland has 99 different species of bee, including one honeybee, 21 bumblebees, and 77 solitary bee species. Together, they pollinate our flowers, hedgerows, trees, and food crops, making an enormous contribution to our wealth, health and quality of life. “Key fruits such as apples, pears, strawberries, tomatoes and blackberries, and food crops such as rapeseed oil and clover would not exist without bees to pollinate them,” Loughlin reminds us, and indeed this is a sobering thought.

Unfortunately, our bees are in trouble; since 1980, more than half of Ireland’s bee species have suffered huge declines. Today, one-third of our 99 species are threatened with extinction.

The Blooming Bees: The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan animation, developed by Kildare and Wicklow County Council, is aimed at a general audience and illustrates the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, with messages in a story arc that incorporates the three main areas of focus: why pollinators are important, challenges for the bee population and the possible impacts for us, and solutions and what we can do about the problem.

The animation was launched in Athlone at the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Conference “Council’s Making Room for Biodiversity” in March 2018. The animation can be viewed at this location: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=uBIKqFywxTY

In the implementation of the County Heritage Plans the Heritage Officers work in partnership with the Heritage Council, other organisations and often other local authority Heritage Officers. In 2017 Kildare County Council and Wicklow County Council secured funding from their respective Creative Ireland County funds to work with the National Biodiversity Data Centre to develop an animation, “Blooming Bees: The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan,” which sought to explain and promote the All Ireland Pollinator Plan in an interactive and inclusive manner.

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020, an initiative of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, identifies 81 actions to make Ireland pollinator friendly. It provides an important framework to

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DICK

E S U E R O T E CHOOS

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Public Sector Environmental Awareness

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Following a trial of on-street segregated waste bins – Dublin City Council found that coffee cups contaminated all waste streams.

Most disposable cups are made from paper with a plastic lining to make them waterproof in order to hold hot drinks. But this makes them unsuitable for recycling in Ireland. With Irish people using in excess of 200 million disposable cups every year, this is having a seriously negative impact on our environment.

To further compound the issue, disposable coffee cups have become a major source of on-street litter across Dublin.

According to Fionnghuala Ryan, Executive Environmental Scientific Officer, Dublin City Council, the aim of the campaign was to raise awareness among coffee drinkers in the Dublin region that disposable cups are having a detrimental impact on the environment as a source of litter and that they are not currently recycled in Ireland. The campaign urged people to ‘Choose to Reuse’.

In June 2018, three Dublin Local Authorities (Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council), with additional funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Authority Prevention Network, engaged JWT Folk to develop a major awareness campaign to tackle the issue of disposable coffee cups in the Dublin region.

Introducing Dick…

The campaign, ‘Don’t be Dick’, highlights how careless actions can have serious consequences on the environment, and asks consumers to think about their coffee drinking habits in a new way. Running across radio, Dublin Bus, cinema, digital and social media over three weeks in June and July, the campaign was aimed at a broad target audience of Dublin Adults (20-44 years old) who regularly buy take-away coffees.

“In the video ad, for example, we take the idea that disposable cups are not really disposable to an exaggerated conclusion and we show how ridiculous using non-recyclable take away cups are,” says Fionnghuala.

“Our mission was to point out and challenge these habits, so that people might stop, think and change it. For this we personify the behaviour as the character Dick. We recognise Dick and his behaviour; we can all be guilty of it occasionally. But if we point out that it is no longer acceptable in an entertaining way, it will

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Dublin City Council

‘Choose to Reuse’, the awareness campaign launched by Dublin City Council to highlight the serious environmental issues caused by disposable coffee cups in the Dublin Region has caught the public imagination and is a deserving winner of the 2018 Public Sector Magazine Environment Award.

The issue of single use disposables has garnered a lot of national and international attention of late. One of the issues that has been highlighted is the use of disposable coffee cups - a completely avoidable waste stream.

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get people’s attention and start the conversation we need around disposable coffee cups.”

The ad has achieved approximately 90,000 views on Dublin City Council YouTube channel. According to Fionnghuala, digital ads were a particularly effective way of getting the ad and its message into the public domain and a six second edit of the video was used on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify and Facebook.

Radio ads also proved effective, and two radio adverts were prepared one to cater for the spike in the number of take away coffees purchased during the morning rush hour as well as an office-based sketch for later in the day. Some 73,000 20 to 44-year-olds are heavy radio listeners and roughly half of these are classed as heavy coffee drinkers, according to a study by Carat Media. The adverts featured the same character of Dick and finished with the same call to action, ‘Choose to Reuse’ and they played on national stations like RTE Radio 1, 2FM and Today FM which ensured that the campaign went beyond Dublin boundaries and complimented the work being done by Environmental Awareness Officers in other local authorities.

For out-of-home Dublin City Council used Dublin Bus and Big Belly litter bins to remind members of the public of the ad they heard in their morning commute or saw/heard on their Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, YouTube and Facebook feed previously.

The campaign proved popular with both the public and the media and the press release was picked up by numerous media outlets. “The message was well received and the humorous tone of the ad was appreciated,” says Fionnghuala.

“While it is difficult to quantify behaviour change, feedback received from members of the public through emails and telephone calls was that many people feel helpless when it comes to avoiding much plastic. This campaign has provided them with one way they can make a difference.

Reusable cups are now widely available and highly visible among commuters.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Energy Efficiency

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THE EV REVOLUTION

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Garo Excellence in Energy Efficiency

The Electric Vehicle Revolution is focussed on the massive changes going on in the auto industry towards electrification.

The last year in particular has seen a major escalation by governments to incentivise electric vehicles as an important component of their strategy to meet emission targets. As car manufacturers reduce and withdraw their diesel ranges, the range of full EV and Hybrid models is increasing. EV infrastructure including charging stations, is rapidly developing to support these changes.

For institutions & organisations, the benefits of installing EV charging stations are far reaching. Switching to EV’s gives an immediate and substantial impact on fleet operating costs (fuel and maintenance) and carbon footprint.

As an employer, attracting and retaining top talent can be a challenge, hence the rise in employee benefit schemes. Adding EV charging options to company parking spaces is one more benefit that enhances the reputation and attractiveness of an organisation.

Against this backdrop, GARO Electric’s comprehensive range of EV charging stations are ideally suited to fulfilling this demand.

GARO, in Ireland since 1982, is part of the GARO Group including Norwegian and Swedish operations. Their Nordic counterparts are market leaders in the region and have completed numerous high-profile installations including Volvo Sweden’s R&D facility, Swedavia Airport Car Parks, Sweden’s Green Highway, McDonalds Sweden and multiple energy utility companies & service stations.

For charging at work or home, a wall mounted charger is the most common option. With Garo’s GLB charger, a hybrid EV can be fully charged in around three hours, and a pure electric EV in around six hours.

For public locations, car parks and larger workplaces, a faster, more robust option is appropriate. Built to withstand the elements, Garo’s LS4 charger can charge a pure EV in just three hours. Its raft of features includes premium design, smart metering and connectivity and enhanced safety features.

With a charging time from as little as just 7 minutes, DC ‘Fast’ Chargers are the premium option for EV users. Mainly found in service stations, these high-performance chargers allow owners to experience minimal disruption to their journeys. All are fitted with cloud billing functionality to ensure total & accurate charging control for operators.

The entire range has been built with robust quality materials and smart technology including load balancing, connectivity and metering.

GARO bring this extensive experience, innovation and expertise to Ireland, offering a premium quality complete range for the local market.

Over the last 12 months, they have completed installations across a number of high-profile organisations including Fingal County Council, National Treasury Management Agency, Facebook, Musgraves & Boston Scientific. They are the only supplier in Ireland to provide Fast & Super-Fast Stations, providing local service and after care.

The comprehensive range offers charging solutions for institutions, workplaces, offices, shopping centres, car parking spaces, service stations & more. GARO’s product development team are continually developing and enhancing the charging range to meet the future requirements of their customers.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Provision Energy Efficient Solutions

“Our customers get to choose the equipment they want, and we work with their trusted facilities management teams to install and manage the equipment. They get the benefit of a building upgrade, reduced energy and maintenance bills and reduced emissions without any capital spend, and their staff have a more modern and comfortable work environment with better lighting and more stable temperatures for example which has the added benefit of reducing sick days.”

Technical Director, Paul Boylan continues: “We will consider any proven technology that reduces the amount of electricity that an organisation uses – LED lighting is an obvious example, but we do air conditioning, heating, insulation, on-site solar, efficient treatment of waste water and other measures. Our approach enables a more comprehensive upgrade programme encompassing deep retrofit of lower performing assets which become viable when combined with the more obvious quick wins.”

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“We help our customers to use less electricity, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and provide a better work environment for their staff,” explains Eimear Cahalin, CFO. “We provide energy efficient equipment under a full-service agreement. We offer choice.

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Vivid Edge provides energy efficiency as a service helping customers to implement the energy efficiency projects they want to do but where cash has been allocated to competing priorities. People have become used to the idea of Software as a Service (SaaS); Vivid Edge are doing the same thing with energy efficiency.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Vivid Edge Excellence in Providers of Energy Efficiency Solutions to the Public Sector

professionals Vivid Edge have the expertise to do the heavy lifting to structure a contract that is commercially beneficial and meets the Eurostat guidelines if feasible and appropriate for both parties. “Our role is to make projects happen and help us avoid the enormous carbon fines that will otherwise be incurred.”

CFO Eimear Cahalin says that “our model is getting a very positive response in the market and we have completed office building and hospital projects that are now revenue generating. We have an exciting and rapidly expanding pipeline of further projects across a range of technologies in office, health, education and transport sectors.”

The team believe that the public sector can lead the way in helping Ireland to avoid penalties for missing its 2020 targets. Using Vivid Edge’s energy efficiency as a service they say you can achieve comprehensive building upgrades that are fully funded etc. “You can enhance your working environment and at the same time generate cash savings to use for other purposes.” With Vivid Edge you can do so much more.

As a result of the process, the total life cycle of an asset can be considered and enables higher value assets which greater longevity and operational robustness and lower maintenance costs to be selected in preference to cheaper alternatives that may cost more in the long run. Vivid Edge have particular expertise in looking at bundled solutions and understanding the interactive effects of different technologies, for instance installing LED lighting will usually mean that heating bills increase in winter and air-conditioning costs in the summer reduce; it’s important to understand the full picture to ensure that a project delivers as expected.

CEO, Tracey O’Rourke feels that actions taken by the public sector organisations are key to ensuring that Ireland meets its 2020 energy and emissions targets. “Indeed, we believe that we as a country are much more likely to meet our targets if the public sectors leads by example,” she says. Eurostat has issued guidelines to make the accounting for energy efficiency projects more attractive and support the transition to sustainability. As experienced finance

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Engineering Construction Maintenence

• Specialists in Renewable Energy Solutions and Energy Efficiency.

• Full Turn-key EPC - Engineering, Procurement and Construction.

• Energy efficiency partner to Local Government and Housing Associations.

• Operations and Maintenance to renewable asset portfolios throughout Ireland and the UK

Unit 1, Greenview Business Park, Edgar Rd, Carryduff, Belfast BT8 8NB Tel: +44 (0)28 9045 5136 Email: info@saliis.com www.saliis.com

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Energy & Environment

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 SALIIS Excellence in Provision of Communication Energy & Renewable Solutions to the Public Sector

Established in 2012, SALIIS is a market leading specialist which provides a range of renewable energy solutions to homes and businesses throughout the UK and Ireland.

The company provides a full scope of services from design and installation through to the operation and maintenance of renewable energy systems. In addition, SALIIS holds a wide range of qualifications and numerous certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, SSIP, CHAS, MCS, NICEIC, RECI, Gas Safe, OFTEC, Achilles and Constructionline.

“We are a leading provider of renewable and energy efficiency services to the public sector including Solar PV installation and operation, EV charger installation and operation, LED lighting, energy controls and battery storage solutions,” explains Michael Burke, Managing Director. The company has completed major renewable projects for multiple public sector clients across the UK and Ireland. Key projects have included the installation and operation of over 1,000 Solar PV systems for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the engineering and construction of a 5 mega-watt PV system on a land-fill site for Swindon Borough Council, battery storage installation for Flintshire Council in Wales and Solar PV rooftop installations on County buildings for Mayo County Council.

According to Michael the Public Sector is a very important market for SALIIS and accounts for almost 90% of their turnover. “Our success in delivering services into this sector is a reflection of our approach to meeting the demands of the industry. This includes having robust procedures in place relating to health and safety, as well as a company-wide commitment to delivering the highest levels of quality across all of our services.”

SALIIS has a strong pipeline of work in all target markets, having recently secured a number of Solar PV roof-top projects to schools

and public buildings for Northumberland County Council, Scottish Water and West Sussex Council. They are also making in-roads in the developing Solar PV market in the Republic of Ireland. Recent wins include contracts with Irish Water to carry out works at the Nenagh Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Co Tipperary and the Newcastle West WWTP in Co Limerick.

SALIIS is delighted to have picked up two accolades with the Public Sector Magazine, scooping the ‘Energy and Environment Award Outright Winner 2018’ prize as well as the ‘Excellence in Provider of Communication Energy and Renewable Solutions to Public Sector’ award. On receiving the awards, Managing Director Michael Burke said: “These awards demonstrate the commitment of SALIIS to delivering the highest Standards of service to the Public Sector and consolidates our position as one of the leading providers of energy and renewable solutions to the market.”

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Business Development Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Gas Networks Ireland Business Development Award

Gas Networks Ireland own, operate, build and maintain the natural gas network in Ireland and connect all customers to the network. The company’s core purpose is to ensure that over 688,000 homes and businesses receive a safe, efficient and secure supply of natural gas, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Approximately 60 percent of thermal energy in Ireland is supplied from gas (natural gas and LPG). The popularity of gas is easy to understand. It is the cleanest of fossil fuels offering a flexibility that few other thermal energy sources can. Gas can be turned off and on quickly and can be adjusted at speed for different temperatures.

In addition, it is also more cost effective than other heating options.

Because of this, businesses and homes demand gas.

designed CHP systems, makes use of almost all of the heat generated in the generation process locally – in 2014 the useful heat output was estimated at 98% of the total heat generated

by CHP plants. The efficiency of a CHP plant can exceed 90% if designed and installed correctly, and is typically 20-25% higher than the combined efficiency of heat-only boilers and conventional power stations.

While gas is the lowest emitting conventional fuel in the Irish market and is a key transition fuel as Ireland seeks to decarbonise, Gas Networks Ireland recognise that Ireland’s energy needs are growing and changing and so we are adapting. By 2030, 20% of the gas on our network will be renewable. Renewable gas is a carbon neutral, versatile, clean and sustainable fuel. Used in the same way as natural gas in our homes, businesses and in transport, it offers energy customers a cleaner future.

Benefits of Renewable Gas and Gas CHP

The first Renewable Gas injection facility is commissioning in December 2018, marking the commencement of a national rollout strategy that will enable farming sectors and commercial waste sectors. In addition to supporting the decarbonisation of heat and commercial transport energy consumers, Renewable Gas will also be a key tool for decarbonisation of the agriculture by displacing chemical fertiliser and slurry/crop residue emissions.

• • • • • • •

Significant reduction in energy costs Short project payback times achievable CO2 emissions reduced or eliminated with renewable gas Lower carbon tax or no carbon tax with renewable gas Security and continuity of power supply Highly efficient and/or renewable fuel resources Directly and indirectly support the decarbonisation of Agriculture in Ireland Worthy winners of this year’s Excellence in Business Award, continued development will see renewable gas delivering up to 80% of Ireland’s gas demand in time so “the 20% target for 2030 represents the first step in a longer journey of supporting full decarbonisation of the gas network by 2050 by combining other emerging technological solutions including carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen,” concludes Ian Kilgallon, Innovation & Business Development Manager.

Combined Heat & Power (CHP): Also known as ‘co-generation’, is the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat from a primary fuel such as natural gas. Due to potential inefficiencies in centralised electricity generation and transportation, plus the resulting cost of electricity from energy suppliers, significant financial savings can be made by generating electricity on site to meet local requirements. Using cogeneration to provide both heat and electricity on site allows a business to reduce overall energy costs resulting in a significant competitive and productivity advantage. This is particularly true in Ireland, where electricity prices for large industrial and commercial customers are among some of the highest in Europe and where the price of natural gas has reduced dramatically over the past 12-18 months.

In conventional centralised electricity generation, much of the input energy (over 50%) is lost to the atmosphere as waste heat. Distributed electricity generation, through the installation of suitably

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Cost effective, energy efficient and quick to install; create a modern, adaptable and highly professional environment where your business can thrive.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Energy Services to the Public Sector

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KES Group’s SmartBuild technology can construct your bespoke building offsite and have it craned onto site and fully functional within 24 hours of arrival – all this and renewable energy too!

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 KES Group Excellence in Energy Services to the Public Sector

Design. Innovate. Deliver. This is the mantra that the KES Group lives by. KES Group is an energy and modular construction company based in Omagh, Co Tyrone, and is divided into two sub brands, Energi and SmartBuild. The Energi Division specialises in solar photovoltaics, Biomass heating solutions and prefabricated packaged plantrooms.

The SmartBuild division contains bespoke modular buildings designed to meet the specific requirements of the domestic or commercial user.

Forget everything you think you know about modular construction, SmartBuild is a new generation of ultra-high specification, fully relocatable buildings, precision engineered for ultimate flexibility and efficiency across a range of sectors.

KES Group SmartBuild modular buildings are manufactured in the controlled environment of their factory. Crafted to millimetre tolerances, each individual steelframed module is fully fitted with electrics, plumbing, heating and internal finishes before it leaves the factory. The modules are then transported by road to site; ready to be craned into position for final fixing. “As a general rule, your SmartBuild will be ready to use less than 24 hours after it arrives.” Says Conor McCrossan, Managing Director/ Owner at KES Group.

McCrossan, who scooped Business Person of the Year 2018 at the Omagh Business Awards in June has recently announced the purchase of a substantial site in the Strabane Business Park where the SmartBuild and Energi sub-divisions of the business will co-exist under one roof in a brand new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art 40,000 sq. ft. factory.

“With SmartBuild, KES Group can achieve dynamic, flexible, affordable buildings that are tailored precisely to the needs of each client”, explains McCrossan. “SmartBuild can go places and do things that conventional construction techniques simply cannot.” Precision engineering and advanced insulation makes them comfortable and economical to run while modular construction leaves endless scope in the design process.

Crafted in cold-rolled steel and cutting-edge Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs), SmartBuild delivers the structural performance of bricks and mortar, without any of the drawbacks.

SmartBuild uses sustainable materials whenever possible in its manufacturing process, which is carried out in a controlled factory environment to ensure maximum compliance with environmental regulations. Assembly on site is swift and simple with minimal impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

All SmartBuild’s are constructed off-site, which enables businesses to accurately predict and plan their future growth without the worry of time delays or unexpected costs. And because SmartBuild represents the most up-to-date in sustainable design, its benefits can be quantified across the life of the building, representing a real investment in success.

In addition, it is worth noting that KES give a fully project managed service from beginning to end with complete after-sales support, “therefore our level of service is incomparable to anyone else in the market”, stresses McCrossan.

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The SmartBuild range offers a full turnkey option, which includes everything from the kitchen sink to the smart TV mounted on the wall. SmartBuild adopts an innovative design and intelligent construction method, which makes a smart building extremely convenient and visually appealing.

SmartBuilds are especially convenient for business owners as they are ready for occupancy the day of delivery. This construction process eliminates all the negative factors associated with onsite construction.

“SmartBuild represents the very latest in construction efficiency and environmental consciousness. SmartBuild ultimately has the power to transform the way our clients live, work and do business”, says McCrossan.

At its Energi sub division, KES Group is a pioneer in energy efficiency and an established authority on sustainable energy, specialising in solar PV, biomass boilers and high-tech eco plant rooms. “The public sector is very important for the KES Group, as we believe it is a major beneficiary of renewable energy and the utilisation of modular buildings,” says McCrossan.

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“Our range of biomass boilers boast the latest technological innovations for reliable performance and optimal efficiency.

We supply and install boilers all over Ireland and the UK,” he adds.

“Our Energi division currently has a pipeline of 5MW of Solar PV and with the announcement of the government backed Support Scheme for Renewable Heat; we are in an advanced stage with the key stakeholders for the installation of our biomass Energi cabins in conjunction with the installation of an ETA boiler,” says McCrossan.

KES group is delighted to have won the Excellence in Energy Services to the Public Sector Award. McCrossan expresses the feelings of the whole team at KES group “It is an absolute honour to be recognised by the public sector for the work we do across Ireland. We aim to continue working with the public sector supplying innovative energy efficient technologies which will significantly reduce organisations’ energy bills and create a better working environment.”

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Excellence in Flood Protection

Dublin City Council also takes an active role with other local authorities and major stakeholders at a regional level to make County Dublin and the eastern region reach its development potential.

The City Council is actively working on making Dublin an even smarter city with more efficient uses of existing resources, better information transfer, and better communications by exploiting many new initiatives particularly in the information technology area.

Gerard O’Connell is the Senior Engineer of the Flood Projects and Water Framework Directive Division. His division performs a vital function for Dubliners in the area of flood protection. “My main role is in the area of flood alleviation, flood emergency forecasting and planning and reducing pollution to our rivers and tidal areas through the Water framework Directive,” he explains.

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It provides over 400 services to the public. Housing, roads, traffic (vehicular, cycle and pedestrian), libraries, parks, cleansing, fire brigade, planning civil defense, emergency services and social & community projects and centres being a few of the larger ones. It also employs 5,800 people to carry out these public services, 500 of these are on a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Irish Water.

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Dublin City Council is the largest local authority in Ireland representing a population of 30,000 residents (not counting millions of visitors each year) and has a turnover of over €1bn.

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Dublin City Council Services to Flood Protection Award

In the Pipeline Future flood schemes are being progressed on the Poddle River, the Dodder River upstream of Clonskeagh, the Wad River in Clontarf and the Liffey Estuary. The Camac River flood defence scheme is being re-evaluated. Most of the above schemes are being developed through close co-operation with the Office of Public Works through its Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Studies (CFRAMS). These studies look at all of the major rivers and coastal zones in Ireland which have a flood history or are likely to be at significant flood risk and develop, where possible, schemes to reduce flood risk.

“Flood awareness and flood warning are non-structural ways of reducing flood risk. Flood walls and embankments, flood storage and flow diversions are typical forms of flood mitigation measures scenario’s proposed by these studies,” explains O’Connell. “These scenario’s are then assessed economically, environmentally and socially for their viability. Likely global warming scenarios are also looked at and incorporated into the design if possible.

One of the main responsibilities of Dublin City Council is to minimize flood risk to its citizens as far as is reasonably possible. The highest ever recorded tidal flood event to 1st February 2002 flooded over 1250 buildings mainly homes in the city area and this highlighted that something urgent had to be done with regard to coastal flooding. This flood caused around j60m in reported damages at the time. Since then, j25m of flood defences have been carried out at Spencer Dock, on the tidal region of the Dodder, on the lower Tolka and elsewhere in the city. An even higher tide occurred on 3rd January 2014 and thanks to the old and new flood defences, only j0.1m of damages were recorded as a result. The new coastal defences have already paid for themselves within a period of only 12 years.

In October 2011 a large rainfall event caused the flooding of over 1200 buildings in the city Area. Falling out of this, further flood alleviation projects are progressing on the Dodder River, a local scheme is completed on the Camac at Lady’s Lane, a scheme is substantially completed on the Wad River in Clontarf and local flood storage schemes are completed in Finglas, Cabra and Ashtown. A cycle way with some coastal protection is completed in Dollymount between the causeway and the wooden bridge. A further 5m coastal flood protection scheme is substantially on the south campshires between Butt Bridge and Cardiff Lane to protect over 3,000 building between this new wall and the railway line up to the National tidal flood standard of a 200-year tidal event plus a provision for sea level rise to the year 2100.

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According to O’Connell, a scheme has to be buildable and it cannot increase the flood risk significantly elsewhere.

For a scheme to be economically viable, the cost of the proposed works and associated activities, environmental, social, 50 years maintenance, etc. when added up have to be significantly less than the estimated flood damages protected by the flood scheme.

“The Flood Projects and Water Framework Directive Division in Dublin City Council (DCC) manages all schemes as the client. Dublin City Council sometimes taking the role of designer, PSDP and PSCS on some of the smaller projects.”

Planning for the Future The Office of Public Works (OPW) is the national competent authority for the implementation of the European Union Floods Directive in Ireland. Following the development of a flood alleviation scheme under the CFRAMS process which leads to a CFRAM Plan for most major rivers and coastal bodies; any viable flood alleviation schemes are then progressed by the local authority to the planning stage with the approval of the OPW. Many of the larger schemes require an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Statement which goes to An Bord Pleanala for approval. The CFRAM Plans for Dublin City were published in May 2018 and are available on www.floodinfo.ie

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Once planning for the scheme is approved by DCC, funding can be applied for; either partially or in total, to the OPW. The OPW carry out some schemes using their own direct labour force and this can greatly speed up the construction of the project as procuring a contractor to do it can often take a year.

The OPW and their hydraulic consultants can also provide advice throughout each project. Often proposed minor changes required in construction works can be computer modelled to prove no changes in flood levels. The OPW also have a country wide knowledge in river and tidal construction methodologies and can quickly assess construction options. Each construction project is a close liaison between the OPW, the local authority and the construction consultants to produce the best solution. “The OPW also have a pride in their workmanship which is to a very high standard. Many of these schemes are in very high-profile areas,” observes O’Connell.

“Even so, many of the proposed schemes would not progress without the help of the public and local residents’ associations giving their support, especially if they have been flooded in the past.”

For their continued work protecting Dublin from one of its greatest assets, Dublin City Council Flood Projects & WFD Division are worthy recipients of the Public Sector Magazine award for Excellence in Flood Protection.

WORKING TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE FROM FLOODING

Adaptation - Resilience - Protection Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath, Roinn Comhshaoil agus Iompair Tionscadail Tuilte agus Rannán um Chreat-treoir Uisce Dublin City Council, Environment and Transport Department, Regional Projects & Water Framework Directive Division

 www.dublincity.ie

Cork City Council Comhairle Cathrach ChorcaĂ­

Cork City Council, City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork, Ireland.

www.corkcity.ie +353 21 4966222

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Environmental Services Award

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Cork City Council Environmental Services Award

Cork City Council’s Environment & Recreation Directorate is responsible for the protection of the environment in a sustainable way which meets the needs of existing and future citizens.

The Street Cleaning & Litter Management Division of the Environment & Recreation Directorate of Cork City Council provides a sixteen hour a day, seven days a week street cleaning service in the city centre and provides a five-day street cleaning service outside the city centre. The Litter Warden Service provides consistent enforcement of litter legislation and bye-laws and operates a system of prompt collection and investigation of illegal dumping in the public realm. Cork City Council also raise awareness of littering issues, with particular regard to; cigarette litter, dog fouling, fly posting, graffiti and chewing gum through various education and publicity activities. Cork City Council also promote and support community activities to achieve a tidy local environment.

been carried out. It is hoped that the SBIR Graffiti Prevention and Mitigation Challenge will produce innovative solutions to help tackle the issue of graffiti. In addition, Cork City Council will also shortly be making new bye laws on the presentation and segregation of waste which will assist in the prevention of illegal dumping.”

Cork City Council took a proactive, inclusive approach by seeking the views of households and businesses regarding new draft bye laws on the storage, segregation and presentation of household and commercial waste. While Cork City Council provides services which protect and enhance the local environment “it is only with the help of all citizens taking personal responsibility for environmental care that our goals can be achieved,”

“The work of the Street Cleaning & Litter Management Section is very important in maintaining the public realm to a high standard as it contributes to the experience and enjoyment of the city by both citizens and visitors,” explains Valerie O’Sullivan, Director of Services, Environment & Recreation.

“Cork is an attractive, vibrant and welcoming city in which to work, live, visit and invest. It is an outward looking, ambitious and competitive city and the upcoming boundary extensions will enable it to grow into a global city.”

Referring to some recent projects, Ms O’Sullivan says “a deep cleanse of the city centre streets and the removal of graffiti from lamp standards on both St. Patrick’s Street and the Grand Parade has

The work of the Environment & Recreation Directorate has to date been hugely successful and Cork City Council are worthy recipients of the Public Sector Magazine Excellence in Business Award.

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS Road Safety Initiative

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In an effort to make roads safer and to save lives, Dublin City Council extended the 30km city speed limit to residential areas between the Royal and Grand Canals as well as in the vicinity of schools.

Getting the community on board is very important says Senior Executive Engineer, Dermot Stevenson: “This is about getting the community involved, about slowing down. Statistics show reducing speeds reduces the number of fatalities and accidents on our roads.

We all want improved road safety for all road users.”

Everything he says is being done on an evidence-basis, “we are confident that this will save lives. This will help us to create calmer, safer communities.”

There was widespread endorsement of the scheme during the consultation process including that of victims like Roseann Brennan whose son Jake died in a road traffic accident on the estate in which she lives. “To all road users I want people to be aware that no one wants to live with regret in their lives due to a small mistake that could easily have been avoided,” she said. “The 30km/hr speed limit expansion makes so much sense. Just stop and think before you get into your car and drive, especially in residential areas.”

A Positive Sign Promoting awareness of the campaign and encouraging the public to see it in a positive light, signage around the streets of Dublin saying ‘Welcome to a better way of living D30,’ have been placed on the north and south side of Dublin with some signs replacing that postal area with the new limit, such as “D7 is now D30″. Images of the signs have also been shared on social media from many parts of the city in College Green, St Stephen’s Green, Sandymount and Phibsborough.

Big belly bins and Adshel bus shelters showcase Dublin 30/D30 posters, fostering a community spirit and encouraging every community to participate. Running in tandem with this a radio campaign was run on Dublin city stations, Live Drive and traffic/ news programmes.

It’s all about saving lives Stevenson says as well as enjoying the outdoor amenities of the capital city: “With this campaign we aim

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Dublin City Council

The faster a car is going when it hits something, the more damage that is done. As the saying goes, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out but even though everyone should know better, speed is a common factor in traffic fatalities.

Dublin City Council with the support of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) earlier this year launched an innovative campaign called ‘Welcome to D30.’ The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness among drivers about the 30km/hr speed limit in effect across the city centre and also to highlight the quality of life benefits for slowing down on public roads.

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Road Safety Initiative Welcome to D30 Campaign

to encourage Dubliners to get out enjoy where they live, get active, get their children back into walking to school and playing outdoors.

Improving road safety and lowering pollution levels through lower speed limits is one way we hope to achieve this.

For their innovative campaign and continued work on improving road safety in Dublin City, Dublin City Council have been awarded the Excellence in Business, Road Safety Initiative Award for the D30 Campaign.

OUTRIGHT WINNERS Public Road Safety Award Kerry County Council.pdf

06/12/2018

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Excellence in Business Awards 2018 Kerry County Council Public Road Safety Award

Busy lives mean that we’re more distracted than ever, so it’s crucial that whenever behind the wheel of a car, driving safely must always be the top concern. Kerry County Council are working hard to drive home the message of road safety.

Kerry County Council (Comhairle Contae Chiarraí) is the local government body responsible for the provision and administration of a wide range of services in the county of Kerry in the southwest of Ireland. The council provides services and facilities ranging from housing, planning, economic development, business supports, environmental protection, roads and infrastructure, tourism and arts promotion, community facilities, libraries, fire services and much more.

The Roads Department is responsible for the design, maintenance and construction of public roads in Kerry where some 435km of National Roads and 4,446kms of other roads exist. This includes safety considerations and ongoing maintenance in order to provide a safe and efficient network to serve the needs of the county for Industrial, Agricultural, Tourism and Community Development.

In 2017 Kerry County Council published a five-year road safety plan for the county. The plan, which aims to develop a co-ordinated approach to the issue of road safety is well underway and covers the period up to 2020.

The plan focuses on progress on the four ‘E’s of Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation and involved the input of many other organisations including An Garda Síochána, the HSE, the Road Safety Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority and the Department of Transport.

In the decade between 2006 and 2015, a total of 119 people lost their lives on Kerry’s roads and the Plan aims to significantly reduce serious injury and fatality on the roads of Kerry. It sets out four main objectives in the areas of education, engineering, enforcement and evaluation in the years up to 2020:

This will be achieved through educating drivers and those using our roads, improving road standards, and enforcing legislation,’ he said.

Chief Superintendent of An Garda Síochána in Kerry, Tom Myers, said: “I am resolute in ensuring the people of Kerry and the many visitors to the county engage in safe driving practices. A key priority is the enforcement of road traffic legislation. We will use targeted enforcement based on intelligence and analysis, as well as education and prevention programmes to reduce serious injuries and fatalities,” he said.

Engaging with schools in the county, primary school pupils from around the county demonstrated their artistic skills to highlight road safety in the 2018 Kerry County Council Road Safety Calendar competition.

Pupils were invited to enter a picture containing a road safety message.

Cathaoirleach of Kerry, Cllr. John Sheahan congratulated each of the pupils on their wonderful drawings and said that “the standard of the competition is extremely high and it is great to know that these pupils, through their drawings, are contributing to raising awareness of road safety throughout the County”.

Eileen Cunningham, Regional Road Safety Education Officer praised the pupils on the high standard of their drawings and said that “the competition reinforces the message of Road Safety, encourages school children to use their imagination and illustrate road safety issues that are important to them”.

In recognition of their continued efforts on road safety, with a specific focus on safety for schools, Kerry County Council Road Safety have been awarded the Public Sector Magazine Excellence in Business Award for Public Road Safety.

• Raise awareness of road safety with a view to changing attitudes and behaviour at individual, community, and organisational levels • To make Kerry’s road network safer and more forgiving of inevitable errors by road users • Ensure viable and appropriate enforcement, acting as a deterrent and increasing compliance with road traffic laws • Ensure sustainable reduction in road fatalities and serious injury by constant research into the efficacy of actions undertaken The outgoing Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Michael O’Shea said: ‘The successful implementation of the Plan will be dependant, not only on the various organisations responsible for road safety, but also on the assistance and cooperation of all road users.

‘Through working together, and sharing our knowledge, expertise and experience, we aim to develop a safer environment for all road users.

L-R: Maria West of the Operations, Safety and Infrastructure Unit Moira Murrell, Chief Executive David Doyle of the Operations, Safety and Infrastructure Unit

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OUTRIGHT WINNERS EU Commission

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Environment Award 2018 EU Commission

The 2018 Public Sector Environment Award goes to the EU Commission in recognition of the success of the European Green Capital Award which is presented to cities which have excelled in sustainable urban living.

The European Commission has won the 2018 Public Sector Magazine Award for its European Green Capital Award initiative. It was presented in Dublin to the Director General of DG Environment, Daniel Calleja Crespo by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy TD. DG Calleja was accompanied by RPS Director, PJ Rudden and RPS Project Manager, Louise Connolly, who are part of the EU Commission Secretariat for the European Green Capital Award (EGCA). The Secretariat is responsible for the technical, environmental and communications management of the awards. The Award was made to the EU Commission for its 10 years in initiating and growing the success of the European Green Capital Award. This is an annual award set up by the EU Commission in 2008 for a city that excels in sustainable urban living, has ambitious future goals and is capable of acting as a role model for other cities. RPS has been secretariat for 8 of the last 11 years.

Pictured at the award presentation in Dublin Castle: PJ Rudden RPS Director, Minister Eoghan Murphy TD, Daniel Calleja Crespo Director General DG Environment, and Louise Connolly RPS Project Manager. The

The European Green Capital Award (EGCA) is open to cities with a population over 100,000. Due to its success a similar competition, the European Green Leaf Award (EGLA), was created in 2015 for cities with populations of 20,000 and up to 100,000 inhabitants.

Since 2008 there have been 11 EGCA winning cities – Stockholm, Sweden (2010); Hamburg, Germany (2011); Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain (2012); Nantes, France (2013); Copenhagen, Denmark (2014); Bristol, UK (2015); Ljubljana, Slovenia (2016); Essen, Germany (2017); Nijmegen, Netherlands (2018), Oslo, Norway (2019) and Lisbon, Portugal (2020).

To date there have been seven winners of the European Green Leaf drawn from six Member States. The cities of Mollet del Vallès, Spain and Torres Vedras, Portugal were awarded the European Green Leaf Award in 2015, Galway, Ireland, in 2017, Leuven, Belgium and Växjö, Sweden, in 2018 and Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain and Horst aan de Maas, The Netherlands, in 2019.

Cities are initially technically assessed by an international panel of experts on 12 environmental indicators for the EGCA and six topic areas for the EGLA. Shortlisted cities then present to an international Jury chaired by the European Commission with members drawn from representative bodies including the Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors, European Environment Agency and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.

This annual competition among cities has grown to be a very significant environmental initiative across the Member States from north to south and from east to west, according to the Director General of DG Environment, Daniel Calleja Crespo.

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image was provided courtesy of Paul Holmes Photography.

“Each city has its own unique character and environmental problems to address but by sharing these issues and solutions that learning is transferred from city to city. Examples of issues addressed include the need to adapt to future climate change, to better manage our water resources and transform waste management into circular economy solutions,” he said.

“This Award celebrates the many cities who have entered the competition, have been shortlisted and who have won – all of whom are determined to exchange ideas, learn more sustainable practices, to inspire others and to collaborate in the future as a network of European cities.

To date, some 86 cities have entered the awards drawn from 26 Member States which indicates a high level of engagement over the past 11 years.

We will continue to build on this enthusiasm of cities to be leaders of urban sustainability and to inspire other cities.”

The European Green Capital 2020 award winner was announced at the Awards Ceremony in June 2018 from a shortlist of three cities – Ghent (Belgium), Lahti (Finland) and Lisbon (Portugal) with Lisbon being designated the 2020 EGCA winner. The winners of the European Green Leaf Award 2019 are Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain and Horst aan de Maas, The Netherlands.

Winning Cities 2010: Stockholm 2011: Hamburg 2012: Vitoria Gasteiz 2013: Nantes 2014: Copenhagen

2015: Bristol 2016: Ljubljana 2017: Essen 2018: Nijmegen 2019: Oslo 2020: Lisbon

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