Minister for Rural  Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has said businesses in Cootehill will reap the benefits from a new website launched by Cootehill Chamber of Commerce.

Launching Cootehill.ie today (Tuesday), Minister Humphreys said she was delighted that her Department was able to support the initiative under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme.

Addressing the launch, Minister Humphreys said:

“My Department provided just over €37,000 for the project as part of a recent round of funding.

“It strikes me that many other towns and villages should and will follow your lead in developing an online brand for your community.

“I certainly know from my experience as Minister for Enterprise, equipping local businesses with the tools they need to develop a web presence quickly will havea positive impact in terms of revenue.

“And I think initiatives like these are more important than ever as we move beyond this Pandemic and begin to repair our economy.”

Minister Humphreys added:

“I think it is extremely important, and indeed welcome, that any business or organisation listed on Cootehill.ie can actually sell through the site itself.

“I understand this is a first for any town in Ireland.

“This demonstrates the value and potential of this facility and why you should be rightful proud of what you have achieved.”

Cootehill has received over €420,000 in recent years under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for a variety of projects.

Projects supported in Cootehill under the scheme include the development of an enterprise hub, improved pedestrian access, the installation of marquees and outdoor seating and other improvements to the town’s Public Realm.

The town has also received a million euro in funding under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF), which focusses on more large scale projects.

This project involves the construction of an access road and services into the underdeveloped industrial estate in Cootehill to allow for future expansion.

It also includes the construction of a roadway, as well as the provision of electricity, water, gas, lighting and broadband.

Recognising the impact Covid-19 has had on businesses, Minister Humphreys continued:

“I do want to recognise how incredibly difficult it has been for the retail sector over the past 12 months.

“Businesses here, as elsewhere, face competition from the large international retailers, online shopping as well as competition from towns across the border.”

She concluded:

“Without doubt, people want to support their own – family, friends and neighbours who they have grown up with, sharing a community which they are rightly proud of.

“And I know people in Cootehill pull together in times of need and have done so more than ever since the arrival of this awful virus.”

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