A DONEGAL TD has launched a scathing attack on Jobs Minister Richard Bruton, slamming the failure of the IDA to bring any jobs to Donegal last year and the net loss of 129 positions by Enterprise Ireland.
Speaking in the Dáil tonight on a Sinn Féin Private Members Motion on job creation, Donegal TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked challenged Mr Bruton how he could justify the recent track record in Donegal of the Government’s job creation agencies, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland considering that the county has around twice the national average of unemployment at 28% of the workforce.
He directly appealed to Minister Bruton who was present in the Dáil chamber for the debate, to make a special focused effort to address Donegal’s jobs crisis.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn: “The Governments failure to address the jobs crisis in Donegal is on a scale that is truly shocking.
“In 2012, the IDA failed to bring any potential investors to Donegal for a site visit while companies supported by Enterprise Ireland witnessed a net loss of 129 jobs, the second highest net loss per county in the state.
“Tonight I asked the Minister how he can possibly defend this track record considering there are over 22,000 people unemployed in our county or around 28% of our workforce”.
He continued: “This government has promised much on jobs and delivered little but spin. The Fine Gael- Labour coalition has been in power for two years and we are now onto its second Action Plan for Jobs, yet unemployment remains desperately high in Donegal and across the state.
“Indeed in Donegal, emigration has a stronger impact on unemployment rates than government policy. The scale of the jobs and emigration crisis facing our people requires an immediate and focused investment to stimulate growth and jobs.
“We are calling for a larger scale investment to get our people back to work and to tackle the major competitiveness issues our economy faces. It is time for this government to back up rhetoric with investment. It is what our people need and what our people expect.”
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