Giving the good guys in the Emerald Isle a voice
Wed, 4 Aug 2010
The FTA has opened an office in Ireland. General Manager of Global & European Policy Chris Welsh outlines the reasons behind the new high profile presence
A brand new multimodal trade body, Freight Transport Association Ireland (FTAI), hopes to give the good guys a voice for a change.
FTAI was born from a desire among those responsible for managing high-quality logistics and supply chain operations in Ireland to create a level playing field for themselves and those that operate on the margin of high-quality and safe logistics operations.
Its founder members are in good company – the likes of DHL, BOC Gases, FedEx, Tesco, UPS, Cemex and Wincanton – as well as various indigenous firms.
With the targeting of Irish goods vehicles in UK and Europe on the rise, and the implications that frequent roadside checks have on productivity, the commercial compulsion to be viewed as one of the good guys has never been stronger.
The FTAI will also give businesses a newfound opportunity to present combined views on transport policy via a programme of regular council meetings. And, as it develops, members will benefit from a suite of high-quality information services designed to cater for their needs, including the clear interpretation of Irish and EU legislation in the form of regular news and information bulletins.
The Republic of Ireland’s logistics sector can claim the dubious honour of being in the top three of graduated fixed penalty offenders, in terms of non-UK resident drivers. This is clearly unfair on the many responsible and reputable companies that comprise the movers of goods within and to and from Ireland. Why should a handful of irresponsible companies be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the Irish supply chain and logistics industry?
Ireland’s export heavy supply chain is not restricted to road-based movements, so issues affecting its ports, airports and maritime and air freight operations will benefit from a refreshingly multimodal approach and the ideal environment in which to form a more holistic approach to logistics. Good news for the Irish economy as a whole.
The FTAI is a wholly democratic organisation, with a dedicated, Dublin-based policy manager who will liaise with a counterpart in Belfast to ensure comprehensive representation of members to the Irish Parliament, government departments and executive agencies.
Whether it’s improving port and airport access, promoting operator licensing, curbing runaway fuel duty and environment taxes or congestion in Dublin, the FTA Ireland will be heavily involved in putting forward the opinions and ideas of its members.
Like the rest of Europe, Ireland faces the challenge of dealing with the worst global recession since the 1930s, and the logistics sector is always one of the first industries to feel the impact of a credit crunch.
Although there is a long way to go, we are confident that the FTA Ireland will empower businesses to claim more of a stake in their own future. The real key to the FTAI, however, will be in what it achieves at a political level, not just reacting to unpopular decisions, but actually driving the policy agenda.
Chris Welsh is the FTA’s General Manager of Global & European Policy
FTAI was born from a desire among those responsible for managing high-quality logistics and supply chain operations in Ireland to create a level playing field for themselves and those that operate on the margin of high-quality and safe logistics operations.
Its founder members are in good company – the likes of DHL, BOC Gases, FedEx, Tesco, UPS, Cemex and Wincanton – as well as various indigenous firms.
With the targeting of Irish goods vehicles in UK and Europe on the rise, and the implications that frequent roadside checks have on productivity, the commercial compulsion to be viewed as one of the good guys has never been stronger.
The FTAI will also give businesses a newfound opportunity to present combined views on transport policy via a programme of regular council meetings. And, as it develops, members will benefit from a suite of high-quality information services designed to cater for their needs, including the clear interpretation of Irish and EU legislation in the form of regular news and information bulletins.
The Republic of Ireland’s logistics sector can claim the dubious honour of being in the top three of graduated fixed penalty offenders, in terms of non-UK resident drivers. This is clearly unfair on the many responsible and reputable companies that comprise the movers of goods within and to and from Ireland. Why should a handful of irresponsible companies be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the Irish supply chain and logistics industry?
Ireland’s export heavy supply chain is not restricted to road-based movements, so issues affecting its ports, airports and maritime and air freight operations will benefit from a refreshingly multimodal approach and the ideal environment in which to form a more holistic approach to logistics. Good news for the Irish economy as a whole.
The FTAI is a wholly democratic organisation, with a dedicated, Dublin-based policy manager who will liaise with a counterpart in Belfast to ensure comprehensive representation of members to the Irish Parliament, government departments and executive agencies.
Whether it’s improving port and airport access, promoting operator licensing, curbing runaway fuel duty and environment taxes or congestion in Dublin, the FTA Ireland will be heavily involved in putting forward the opinions and ideas of its members.
Like the rest of Europe, Ireland faces the challenge of dealing with the worst global recession since the 1930s, and the logistics sector is always one of the first industries to feel the impact of a credit crunch.
Although there is a long way to go, we are confident that the FTA Ireland will empower businesses to claim more of a stake in their own future. The real key to the FTAI, however, will be in what it achieves at a political level, not just reacting to unpopular decisions, but actually driving the policy agenda.
Chris Welsh is the FTA’s General Manager of Global & European Policy
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