CreditUnion         bbermingham@corkcity.ie    www.bbermingham.com

SPEECH

AT OPENING OF 41ST. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE IRISH LEAGUE OF CREDIT UNIONS, CITY HALL, CORK, SATURDAY 28TH. APRIL 2001.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

May I welcome you all to the city of Cork and its City Hall?

May I offer a very special welcome to delegates from Northern Ireland?

I, am so glad that this 41st. Annual General Meeting, of the Irish League of Credit Unions will give you the opportunity to share your weekend with the people of Cork and hope you will find as much enjoyment in Cork, as I do when visiting Northern Ireland.

I hope your meeting will be very successful, you have I read, very serious issues to work through so I hope that you will all remain friends by dinnertime tomorrow night.

X

The Cork Region

Your Conference ads significantly to the local and regional economy, the income generated to all aspects of the tourist trade, accommodation and general business is most welcome.                            

Those of you who have visited us in the past will have witnessed the transformation, which is ongoing in this region.

It has and is undergoing vast improvements in road infrastructure and quality surface so essential for business

It has a culture of enterprise and innovation, in Pharmaceutical + Health product manufacturing technology, finance, and many other services.

It has an excellent infrastructure in sporting educational shopping and many other facilities encouraging many to set up home in this region.

x

The City is in the throes of change and development but hopefully keeping its charm and prettiness. We are in a hurry –

q       The renewal of our principle street is about to commence with the completion of the Main drainage scheme ensuring crystal clear water

q       The island, the area between the 2 channels of the river lee is in the process of renewal and part pedestrianisation,

q       New traffic flows,

q       The upgrading and turn about, towards the city of the Railway station

q       And most exciting, a major City Dockland development.

Cork is now a dynamic vibrant European festival City, a provincial capital economically artistically & culturally thriving developing and expanding increasingly self-confidant.

The feeling and atmosphere of cosmopolitism grows each day with the film & choral festivals beginning that trend many years ago.

Cork City must work on the

q       The acceptance of its citizens to payment of fair local taxation for the upkeep of our city

q       The need for vigilance on all acts of violence against humans, animals and property.

q       The substantial reduction of waste with facilities to treat the remainder.

q       To engrain in its inhabitants the unacceptability of littering and illegal parking.

q       Planning for and the construction of social affordable housing for increasing numbers of people. It requires new radical approaches to meet the highest standards of quality of life for all.

Enterprise

The word enterprise was a non-used word in the eighties and early ninties indeed it was frown upon in its association with that so called word profit.

To day enterprise and profit has propelled this region and nation into the top league of world economies radically reducing indeed near eliminating the scourge of UNEMPLOYMENT, which tore the heart and soul from this nation.

Today we look the nations of the world in the eye and have begun to make a real contribution to mankind with our wealth, knowledge skills and expertise.

This atmosphere of enterprise in Ireland is set to continue to give our youth occupations and challenge and our business community the opportunities and facilities enabling you to set up develop and expand to the extent of your ambitions.

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