One-third drop in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies in Donegal

There has been a one-third drop in Enterprise Ireland supported companies and one thousand less jobs in Donegal since 2001.

Donegal Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has today revealed that there has been a huge drop of one third in Enterprise Ireland supported companies in Donegal since 2001, from 194 then to 125 today.

“Since 2001, across Ireland, jobs at Enterprise Ireland supported companies have grown by one third but here in Donegal, we are down a thousand jobs,” Senator Mac Lochlainn said.

He has also revealed that today there are more than 1000 less jobs in Enterprise Ireland supported companies than there were in 2001 (dropping from 4581 to 3552). 

This news follows recent revelations from Senator Mac Lochlainn that the growth in IDA supported jobs in Donegal since 2000 is less than half the national average. He also revealed that the IDA support less companies today in Donegal (12) than they did in 2000 (14). Two of those companies, Pramerica and Optum (United Health Group) employ more than two thirds of the total IDA supported jobs in Donegal.

Senator Mac Lochlainn said: “When I revealed the shocking IDA figures for Donegal a few weeks back, I described them as “a story of government failure” and “ a story of lost prosperity for the people of Donegal”. These Enterprise Ireland figures are even more shocking. Since 2001, across Ireland, jobs at Enterprise Ireland supported companies has grown by one third but here in Donegal, we are down a thousand jobs.

“All of this must now be a serious wake up call for the Government and the job creation agencies

I am calling on Minister Humphreys to urgently meet with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland and for both agencies to then outline their plan to reverse this neglect and to deliver investment and job creation fairness to the people of Donegal.

“I am also again demanding the fast tracking of all funding commitments made to the people of Donegal and the North West under the Project 2040- The National Planning Framework. Investment in roads, bridges, airports, water infrastructure, harbours, and broadband all need to be moved forward”.

Table 1: Employment in Enterprise Ireland supported companies in Donegal across the period 2001 – 2017

Source of data: Annual Employment Survey 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,2006, 2007,2008,2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Source of data: Annual Employment Survey 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,2006, 2007,2008,2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.—