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Inishowen looks to Donegal
Tánaiste
09.05.08
MOVILLE-based Senator
Cecilia Keaveney has congratulated her fellow
Donegal politician and "friend" Mary Coughlan on her
big promotion.
And Inishowen councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn called
on the new Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister to
"deliver on jobs" for her home county. |
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Senator Keaveney said:
"Mary has been at the core of politics in Donegal
for many years now and her family before her. She
has been a good listener, a good communicator, a
hard worker and a very sociable, personable,
friend."
Senator Keaveney said the Minister's two new
positions placed her at the core of politics
nationally and internationally and she was "the
right person, in the right place, at the right time,
for the people in the North West".
"Yes, she is a national figure, but the |
location of a Minister
for Enterprise will assist greatly an issue very
particular to us in the border region and Donegal
specifically. I sincerely wish her well as a fellow
female national public representative from the
county," she added.
Meanwhile, Cllr. MacLochlainn, a member of the board
of InterTradeIreland, also wished the new Tánaiste
well but urged her to tackle unemployment in her
home county.
"Despite a short period of positive news,
unemployment has increased by 20% over the last two
years and as much as 47% in areas like Inishowen.
"While special tax incentives and rates exemptions
must be seriously considered to stimulate growth,
they will not alone secure the long term prosperity
of this region," he said.
He urged Ms. Coughlan to be mindful of Donegal's
reliance on construction, on sterling and its need
for better infrastructure including a rail link
between Derry and Sligo in devising future policy.
He also called for an All-Ireland enterprise agency.
"We need to be ahead of the curve. We need to
deliver the next generation infrastructure required
to allow Donegal to genuinely deliver a
knowledge-based economy.
"We need partnership and joined-up thinking between
all of the educational institutions in the North
West cross border region to be leaders and partners
in research and development. I would repeat my
party's call for one all-island enterprise agency to
co-ordinate this strategy ensuring that
entrepreneurs and businesses in our county and our
region are empowered to survive, innovate, and grow
in a fiercely competitive global economy," added
Cllr. MacLochlainn. |
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