Limerick Mental Health Association honoured at American Chamber Mid-West Conference and Dinner 2024

Elaine Murphy, President, AmCham; Dr. Lisa O’Rourke Scott, Chair of The Limerick Mental Health Association; Minister of State, Patrick O’Donovan; and Ian Hackett, Manager at The Limerick Mental Health Association.

Limerick Mental Health Association was honoured at the 2024 American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Ireland Mid-West Conference and Dinner on Thursday, October 10

The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland hosted its 2024 Mid-West Conference and Dinner in the Strand Hotel, Limerick on Thursday, attended by AmCham member companies from the region.

Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan attended as Guest of Honour at the Dinner in the Strand Hotel, and Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, Ireland’s first directly elected mayor, gave the keynote address at the conference earlier in the day.

The American Chamber was delighted to present the AmCham Mid-West Region Cairdeas Award to The Limerick Mental Health Association, which was accepted by Chair Dr Lisa O’Rourke Scott at Thursday evening’s event.

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Founded in 2002, The Limerick Mental Health Association was founded by a group of individuals who recognised the need for support and resources for those affected by mental health challenges in the local community. Since then, it has worked to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote positive mental health through a variety of programmes and initiatives.

Among the points of focus at the AmCham Mid-West Conference and Dinner was recognising Limerick as the fastest growing region for FDI outside the capital and as Ireland’s third largest city. In the five years to 2022, Limerick attracted €1.57bn worth of FDI with the majority going to biotech and medical device manufacturing.

Another point of focus was that Limerick ranked second in the FDI rankings for overall growth for the second year in a row while Shannon ranked sixth for economic potential at the FDI European Cities and Regions of the Future 2024 Awards.

The connectivity of the region was also highlighted – a €32m investment into Shannon Foynes Port tied with the investment by Irish Rail into reestablishing the rail link from Shannon to Foynes, as well as the development of the new Limerick to Foynes road which would make the port a Tier One Port and would be among the most accessible in Europe.

The conference also hear of the highly educated workforce in the region. Over 35,000 students currently in higher education in the region including at University of Limerick, Technological University of Shannon, and Mary Immaculate College.

The conference earlier in the day featured a number of panels including discussions on Competitiveness and Infrastructure.

Supporting the attractiveness of the Mid-West Region for talent and business with panellists Kate English, Head of Real Estate Research, Deloitte; Martin McDonnell, Director of Engineering, WP Engine; Claude Costello, Director of Operations and Supply Chain Digital Manufacturing Ireland.

Strengthening the Mid-West Region for continued growth and investment with panellists Eithne Lynch, Director, Engineering, Cook Medical; Niall O’Leary, Senior VP Industrial Operations & Product Supply and Site Head at Regeneron; and Ray, O’Connor, Regions and Enterprise Development Manager, IDA.

Paul Sweetman, Chief Executive, AmCham, said, “We continue to see significant growth in the Mid-West Region, supported not least by the strengthening of connectivity through infrastructure investment in the region but also through the skills and talent of the people based in this region. This is paying huge dividends as member firms tell us they plan to grow in the region.

“A recent AmCham survey found that 56 per cent of members across the country expect the number of employees in their organisation to increase in the next 12 months; and when we look at the Mid-West Region specifically, this figure rises to 75 per cent which is extremely encouraging.

“Some 83 per cent of respondents in the region said their corporate headquarters had a very positive view of Ireland, and three quarters said they are undergoing research projects in key sectors such as AI, digital manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and software.

“It is very clear why members see the Mid-West Region as such an attractive location for growth and investment, and I have no doubt that this sentiment will only grow stronger in the months and years to come.”