14th May 2014

Futher to our telephone conversation last Friday regarding the condition of the printing industry in Ireland, the main problem is there is reduced amount for the product.

So many different printed products have been replaced by electronic communication;

• Companies don’t write to each other they email.
• Companies don’t use paper for debtors, creditors or wages, all of these activities have been replaced by electronic commerce.
• Many secondary schools are eliminating schoolbooks and using laptops and iPads.
• Catalogues and brochures have been replaced by interactive websites.
• Inbound marketing replacing traditional outbound marketing methods such as brochures, flyers, direct-mail campaigns and door-to-door leaflet drops and advertising in local free newspapers.
• Most young people access their online as it is instant and to the minute compared to today’s newspapers which carry yesterday’s news.
• The government are soon to eliminate all cheques.
• Most government publications are only now available online.
• All revenue returns and correspondence is now electronic.
• Some of the biggest jobs were CAO applications and Car Tax reminders are now sent electronically.
• Match programmes in Croke Park are now available to download to our phones.
• There isn’t a single paper application that cannot be replaced by an electronic activity.
• In the future, invoices, statements, cheques, payslips etc will be no more.
• Some major newspapers around the world are only available online.

The overall impact of this situation is a significant reduction in the demand for print. There is way too much capacity which can only be resolved by some process where companies can be encouraged to exit the industry or merge. If this was organised on a significant scale, i.e. over half the companies in Ireland participate then we will have a leader, better equipped, better financed world-class industry where there is a future for those who carry on trading.

This can only be achieved through government action working with and assisted by the Irish printing industry. If there is not a major change in the composition of the printing industry in Ireland there will be more casualties.

In addition the tendering process to allow smaller companies participate, (80% of people in Ireland work in companies of 10 people are less), needs to be simplified, it is overcomplicated and too difficult to comply with.

If you have an introduction our Political representatives perhaps you can get the message across that the industry is in crisis. Regards,