Shopping local this Christmas

EDITORIAL

WITH the entire country on tenterhooks in advance of next week’s Budget 2013, people across the spectrum of Irish society will be looking very carefully at their finances ahead of Christmas.

 

People on social welfare and low incomes, mortgage holders, small and large businesses, those involved in the education and health sectors are terrified what measures Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan will introduce next Wednesday. Calls have come from all quarters for him to show restraint and mercy in his second budget.

With some householders either unable to pay bills or paying in rotation or by instalments, a few euro less in weekly income could sink them.

While extravagant Christmas spending has been greatly curtailed over the past few years, the average person will be hoping to enjoy at least a moderate level of the traditional trappings, including gifts and seasonal food. The shape of the Budget could, however, force them to reconsider their spending plan, holding on to the little they have before any cuts kick in.

There are, unfortunately, those in the poverty trap, for whom Christmas will be just about survival, just like any other time of year. The razzmatazz will just pass over their heads.

For local retailers too, this is a worrying time. Christmas defines their year; a decent level of support can mean break even and a small profit; a dip in sales can lead to a deficit and job losses.

The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises (ISME) association has this week repeated its call for the immediate introduction of a Retail Strategy Group. The association has claimed the Government’s failure to address the concerns of the sector is a scandal, with nothing being done to stop the hundreds of company closures and thousands of job losses.

“The retail sector is hanging by a thread. Any further policies by Government that lead to cost increases or undermine consumer confidence will have a devastating impact on a sector that has been haemorrhaging jobs for the last number of years. The last thing the retail sector needs is a budget based on severe austerity, further undermining consumer confidence, leading to less spending and resulting in further closures and additional job losses to the 55,000 already lost in this sector,” said ISME CEO Mark Fielding.

This is an area where the public has an opportunity to help the situation. The Christmas shopping season gets underway in earnest this weekend and locals should support, whenever possible, Clare retailers and service providers. Most towns and villages around the country are making special efforts to generate more business and the committees behind these initiatives are to be lauded.

The key message is there’s no reason why you should have to leave the county to get Christmas presents, large or small, for family and friends.

Getting in the zone

LAND is land but when zoned for a particular purpose, it becomes a very valuable asset.
There is plenty of open land around Shannon Airport, which has been the subject of considerable discussion down the years regarding its potential use. There have been proposals about houses, apartments, business units and industry on a portion of the land across the road from the airport but nothing has happened.

A tract of land spread over 2,000 acres has long been regarded as having tremendous potential, specifically for the aviation sector, where a wide range of aircraft maintenance and office services could be established, with Shannon Airport providing the perfect passenger and cargo hub.
As part of Clare County Council’s first ever standalone plan for Shannon, the 2,000-acre landbank has been zoned for this very purpose. The plan to earmark aviation sector land was originally set out as a key objective of the Clare County Development Plan 2011-2017.

The formal launch of the Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012-2018 next Monday coincides with the impending separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). Clare County Council then will avail of the opportunity to stage a show of solidarity with Shannon Airport by holding the December meeting there.

With it almost certain that the DAA will be allowed by Government to hold on to the Shannon-based high profit generating Aer Rianta International, Shannon must once again draw on the experiences and creativity of the past when Dr Brendan O’Regan led a team that didn’t understand the meaning of “no” or “not possible” when the airport was in its infancy.

The timing of the landbank zoning is perfect, as if Shannon is to survive it cannot rely on airline services that do not stand the test of time or others that are heavily dependent on deals on landing changes and related issues. An independent Shannon will have to cast a wide net to supplement its income and having new aviation-related industries on its doorstep would represent a massive vote of confidence in the airport and the Mid-West. The new Shannon can use the 2,000 acre aviation landbank as a serious promotion tool.

According to Clare county manager, Tom Coughlan, the new plan “further underlines the council’s longstanding vision for the development and expansion of Shannon Airport”.

The council’s role in helping to develop Shannon by zoning land is critical. Appropriate potential uses for the airport zoned lands, according to the council, include airport operational activities and uses complementary to the operation of the airport, aircraft maintenance/cargo handling facilities, business park use primarily related to airport servicing, management and maintenance activities, long-term aircraft maintenance, air-freight cargo handling facilities and other innovative initiatives.

“The Shannon Local Area Plan 2012-2018 seeks to ensure the growth and development of Shannon Airport and to harness its full potential, in line with national, regional and county development policy,” according to Mr Coughlan.

Mayor of Clare Pat Daly has reiterated the point that a prospering Shannon Airport is critical to the future development of the Shannon Free Zone, Shannon Town and the wider Mid-West Region.

The message must go out that despite the pressure on Shannon Airport, people in the Mid-West will continue to fight to protect its future.