Donegal Sinn Féin TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has received confirmation from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton that not a single sponsored site visit has been carried out by the IDA in Donegal this year to date. Deputy Mac Lochlainn described the confirmation as “a damning indictment of this government’s lack of commitment to the people of Donegal”.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: “Donegal had been worse hit than any other county with over one in four workers unemployed. In some Donegal parishes, unemployment is almost 40%. Thousands have emigrated to Australia, Canada and elsewhere.
“In the Dáil chamber, a few weeks ago, I challenged Minister Bruton to outline his government’s plan for job creation and job retention in Donegal. It was clear that day from the response I received that they have no plan but I didn’t realise just how awful their approach has been until I received this latest confirmation that not a single sponsored site visit has been carried out by the IDA in Donegal this year to date.
“This is a damning a damning indictment of this government’s lack of commitment to the people of Donegal. Since taking office, this government has continued the historic neglect of Donegal. They pulled funding for the Donegal to Dublin A5 dual-carriageway. They removed funding for the Derry to Dublin air route.
They actually considered closing the one IDA office in the county in Letterkenny and most importantly of all, they have absolutely failed to address the unemployment crisis in our county”.
He continued: “This week, Sinn Féin launched our jobs plan; ‘Investing in Ireland’s Future: Create Jobs- Create Growth’ here in Donegal.
“We have identified €13 billion which can be sourced to create jobs, improve competitiveness and increase productivity across the state. This would be funded from the National Pension Reserve Fund, European Investment Bank, incentivised investment from the private pension sector and we would end the capital spending cuts of this government including the crucial A5 Donegal to Dublin dual carriageway.
“An investment of this scale would create and retain thousands of jobs in Donegal. Smart investment will secure sustainable jobs and our national competitiveness into the future.
“Our jobs plan will invest in essential infrastructure; help entrepreneurs by removing obstacles to doing business and supporting them to retain and create new jobs; exploit the potential of existing and new state enterprises particularly in broadband rollout, renewable energy and eco-tourism and invest in agri-food and rural communities.
“The people of Donegal need to know that there is a path out of this economic depression. In the absence of government action, Sinn Féin have shone a light on that path.”