D Monday, January 11, 2010 Tundra: The modern art sculpture at Hanover Quay in Dublin contrasts well with the snow Weather costs us 2billion a week By Ross McDonagh THE big freeze will cost the economy 2billion, economists have claimed. Friends First economist Jim Power estimated the dire weather is costing the country around 500mil- lion a week in terms of losses in spending and pro- ductivity. However, recent figures have shown that worker absenteeism has been a lot lower than expected. Pat Delaney, director of business sections and re- gions at the Irish Business and Employers Confed- eration, said people had made enormous efforts to get to work, and that the relatively low absenteeism rate showed the pragmatism that exists in the Irish workforce. Last week, Dublin Chamber of Commerce esti- mated the bad weather was costing the country 40million for every working hour lost. In the UK, estimates of 668million-a-day have been touted as the cost of having ten per cent of staff cut off from the workplace, Gina Quin, chief executive of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, said businesses were reporting staff arriving late and leaving early. Even as recently as Friday morning, staff were delayed because of problems with the Dart. There are ongoing difficulties with bus networks having difficulties reaching certain estates and secondary roads, she said. Many more people worked from home, which emphasised the need to invest in adequate broad- band connectivity. Ms Quin added retailers had been noticeably hit because people were refusing to leave their homes. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html