Drogheda and District Chamber has set out its Budget 2026 priorities to local political representatives, highlighting the urgent need for major infrastructure and business supports to unlock Drogheda’s potential as a hub for housing, industry, and employment.
At an event in Kildare Street, hosted by Chambers Ireland, the Chamber presented its case under the theme ‘Drogheda Chamber Working Smarter’.
Among the key asks were funding to complete the Northern Cross Route, delivery of a new Drogheda North train station and transport hub for the North East, greater clarity and discussion on the upcoming auto enrolment pension scheme, supports for SMEs struggling with the cost of doing business, a reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector, and targeted investment along the M1 Corridor and in Drogheda.
Chamber CEO Hubert Murphy said that certainty around infrastructure is critical for both multinationals and local enterprises. “The key driver of confidence within the business sector is certainty – with regard to planning, electricity, water and roads. With certainty will come investment and targets will be delivered. That’s the case from attracting the biggest industries in the world to creating the playbook for small businesses to survive.”
He added that Drogheda is the perfect location for a European-standard pilot project to deliver key infrastructure, with the Northern Cross Route central to that vision. Long term, its completion would unlock more than 7,500 new homes and “open the way for significant investment in industry and employment, allowing those living locally to work locally.”
According to Murphy, housing stock remains a barrier for international firms seeking Ireland as a location, but Drogheda is well placed to meet that challenge. “Attracting and retaining talent can be achieved by forward thinking, concentrating resources in key areas that can deliver. Drogheda and District Chamber want to see the investment made to deliver the project and also pave the way for a new Drogheda North train station and transport hub for the North East.”
Alongside infrastructure, the Chamber raised pressing concerns for local SMEs, particularly around the cost of doing business, VAT in hospitality, and the impact of the auto enrolment pension scheme due to launch in January.
Many small firms and not-for-profits remain unprepared for the change, an issue highlighted at a recent breakfast briefing hosted by Protection and Prosperity Financial Services. “We felt it was timely to raise the issue as people are still unprepared in many ways for it,” Murphy said.
