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INISHOWEN Cllr Pádraig
MacLochlainn has called for an all-out strategy to
retrain and upskill Donegal workers who have lost
their jobs including a period of rent or mortgage
relief.
Speaking after a workshop between councillors and
training agencies, he called for urgent supports for
workers made unemployed in recent years particularly
those in construction.
Cllr MacLochlainn, a board member of
InterTradeIreland, the all Ireland business, trade
and development body said construction-reliant
Donegal had been badly hit by the downturn.
"It is clear that the combined economic factors of
the near collapse of the local construction
industry, the weakness of the sterling currency, the
cost of oil and fuel, and the credit crunch have had
a huge impact on communities that rely heavily on
retail and construction jobs in Donegal," he said.
"Once again central Government allowed too many of
our eggs to be in the one unsustainable basket as
they did in the past with the textile industry."
The Buncrana-based councillor call for a "clear
redirection" of the Donegal economy.
"We need to provide resources to training agencies
and educational institutions such as FÁS and
Letterkenny Institute of Technology to deliver
retraining and upskilling to our productive and
diligent workforce that is linked to real and
sustainable industries. They need to work in
partnership with our employment agencies IDA and
Enterprise Ireland and the Donegal Enterprise Board
in this respect.
"Furthermore we need direct supports such as
mortgage and rent relief and other significant
benefits to give these recently unemployed workers
the breathing space to retrain for a number of
years," he said. |
