PRESS RELEASE.

On behalf of Athy Chamber, I write confirming our support and ongoing admiration of TriAthy.

The inaugural TriAthy in 2007 was universally acclaimed as a great success and each year since TriAthy has grown and is a credit to its organisers and to our town.    Each year, our businesses, townspeople and the competitors speak highly of the event, its organisation and its promotion of our town. The event shows our town in a good light, demonstrating the attractions of the magnificent river Barrow and our other town features.  Athy is a great town in which to live, work and enjoy leisure pursuits.

This year’s TriAthy will take place over the June bank holiday weekend and Athy Chamber asks everyone to, again, come together to show the event and our town in its best light and support all those who are competing and organising the event.

Promoting our town is an ongoing requirement of our businesses and townspeople. With each year of the event, Athy Town Council and our townspeople have contributed a lot and these efforts must be repeated and renewed this year to use TriAthy as a springboard for our town to the rest of our country and to the international community.

National and international press coverage is guaranteed for the event. National and International competitors have again entered this year and the event has been designated on the Triathlon calendar as the Irish Olympics Distance Championship

Visually the town should be shown in its most attractive state, thus Athy Chamber asks that a significant clean up be undertaken immediately and that local businesses, our townspeople and Athy Town Council keep their premises clean and tidy and that the streets of the town should be cleaned before during and after the event.  This will entail the Council ensuring that litter bins and streets are kept clean b.

Athy Chamber supports the promotion of the town and for the forthcoming event, asks all its members and non members to hang a flag on their premises thus providing a colour to the town’s streets and premises.  This simple advertising promotional feature brings colour and pride to our town over the June bank holiday weekend.

We also encourage all who visit our town to frequent our businesses and our many restaurants, coffee shops, sandwich bars and hostelries and experience the great attractions in our town.

Support our town, our people, our great events and festivals.

Yours sincerely,

Paul A. Cunningham.

Athy Chamber,

President.

Annual River Barrow Clean Up - 14th May

Athy Tidy Towns Group is organising their annual clean up of the banks of the River Barrow to take place on Saturday, 14th May next. They are seeking the help of all the community to come out and help out with the litter pick operation on the day.
The Tri Athy 2011 triathlon (www.triathy.com ( http://www.triathy.com/
)) is fast approaching and it is essential that the river will look at its best for the thousands of participants and visitors who will come to Athy.

The clean up is being organised in association with the Civil Defence, Athy District Anglers, Athy Chamber, North Barrow Branch (IWAI), Tri Athy organisers and the Town Council. The group will meet at the Courthouse at 9.45am and the clean up will continue until c. 2pm. They are inviting anyone (with even an hour to spare) to come out and join in on the day.
For further details please contact Ger Kelly, Chairman, Athy Tidy Towns
(Tel.: 085 8494342) or check the Tidy Towns Website www.athytidytowns.com ( http://www.athytidytowns.com/ )

 

Tuesday, 3^rd May 2011

Schedule for Introduction of Domestic Water Meters Must be Fast-Tracked

Chambers Ireland has today (03/05/11) noted with disappointment reports that the Government will introduce flat rate water charges instead of residential water meters as committed to in the Programme for Government.

Seán Murphy, Chambers Ireland Deputy Chief Executive said, “The move towards the full implementation of a user pays principle is a positive step, however, in order to achieve real measurable savings water meters must be installed in all Irish households.”

“The introduction of user charges on a sliding scale based on consumption would result in water consumers becoming more mindful of water usage. It would also enable water providers to have a more predictable source of income to fund infrastructure investments and reduce the high levels of unaccounted for water loss in the Irish water system. Whilst flat rate charges will result in increased revenue, there is no incentive for users to monitor and adjust usage patterns.”

“The schedule for the installation of water meters must be brought forward via an incentivisation scheme for householders that will enable roll out within the time frame of 2012/2013 specified to meet EU/IMF requirements, change domestic user habits and provide much-needed employment opportunities to many of those who lost their jobs in the construction sector.”

“Finally, this new revenue line opening for water providers cannot be allowed to distract focus away from the need for more cost-containment measures from Local Authorities as identified in reports such as the Local Government Efficiency Review Group with a view to reducing pressure on the business community,” Murphy concluded.

Chambers Ireland Statement on Bank Stress Test Results

Chambers Ireland has said that the measures announced today (31/03/11) following the results of the Central’s Banks stress tests should mark the final chapter in Ireland’s cataclysmic economic crisis.

Ian Talbot, Chambers Ireland Chief Executive said, “The provisions announced are a necessary response to our economic and social needs and priorities. It is our hope that they will restore market confidence to the Exchequer, the banks and Ireland as a whole and enable us to draw a line under the turbulent economic climate of late to allow us all to move forward to the next phase of recovery and growth,” Talbot concluded.