Minister for Rural & Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary T.D. was the keynote speaker at the Smart Move Business and Connectivity event, which was held at The Great National Hotel, Ballina on Friday last.
The event was jointly organised by Iarnród Éireann, The Irish Exporters Association and Fleet Transport Magazine. Chaired by Irish Exporters Association Vicki Caplin, it brought stakeholders together from across the worlds of business, local government, interest groups and regulatory authorities in Mayo. It provided a platform to create a bond between attendees in the area, who are striving to grow their operations and get their names out there as key players in Irish and international markets. It also enabled engaging discussions on necessary improvements and future business opportunities for the county.
Among the presenters on the busy agenda were Howard Knott, supply chain and logistics expert; consultant for the IEA, Patrick Daly; Director & Principal Consultant, Alba Logistics Consultancy; Iarnród Éireann CEO Jim Meade, the RSA’s Aidan McGinty and Vicki Caplin. There was also a visit to the nearby Iarnród freight yard to see a freight train depart and learn about rail freight operations.
Minister for Rural & Community Development & Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary said after his keynote address:“I was delighted to give the keynote address this morning to businesses and stakeholders at the Smart Move Networking event in the Great National Hotel in my hometown of Ballina. Balanced regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation are key policy priorities for me and for the government with connectivity being a key component of that. I want to thank Irish Rail, Irish Exporters Association and Fleet Magazine for bringing this event to Ballina and I look forward to engaging with the stakeholders”.
CEO of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade said: “The future is bright for business in Mayo, our freight business continues to grow, and it is great to see such positive engagement here today from all sectors of the community here in Mayo”
Vicki Caplin; COO, Irish Exporters Association added: “We are delighted to support Iarnród Éireann, at today’s event. Rail freight connectivity presents a massive opportunity for businesses here in Mayo, many of whom are already users. Through the Iarnród Éireann network, companies in Ballina and across Mayo can efficiently and sustainably access larger urban centres, our ports and ultimately international markets. It means less road congestion, lower CO2 emissions, and significant support for regional economic development.”
Jarlath Sweeney Group Editor of Fleet Magazine concluded: “On behalf of the organising team, we are very grateful to Minister Calleary for taking time out from his busy agenda to attend and address delegates at this event. The attendees enjoyed plenty of engagement, discussions and networking. It is imperative that the products manufactured in Mayo are transported and exported in the most sustainable way. Solutions to reduce freight movements’ carbon footprint were outlined in a very interesting manner today.”
