Republican News · Thursday 28 March 2002

Stanley slams government jobs record in Laois/Offaly

Sinn Féin general election candidate Councillor Brian Stanley says the government has failed to address the need to create sustainable employment in Laois/Offaly. "The loss of 370 jobs at the Flextronics Plant in Tullamore underlines the government's failure in this constituency," he said.

"When the job losses at Flextronics are added to other closures such as Avon in Portarlington, C&M in Portlaoise and Stonearch in Abbeyleix, it highlights the need for employment creation in the two counties to be made an absolute priority.

"It also highlights the overreliance on multinational companies. Flextronics was only operating for four years and all of the other firms mentioned are multinationals. The government has been putting all its eggs in one basket.

"The release of recent statistics showing that Laois and Offaly have the lowest income per person in the state illustrates not only the shortage of employment and the weak industrial base in the region, but also that much of the employment we do have is low paid. The situation needs urgent action, which the present government has not shown any willingness to take.

"Sinn Féin favours attracting foreign investment but is calling for a broader approach to address the employment crisis in Laois/Offaly. This would involve:

• The full exploitation of the benefits of being part of the B M W region.
• Indigenous industry to be given the same priority as multinationals.
• Non-export enterprises to receive the same incentives and assistance to start up as foreign companies.
• Maintenance of jobs in the semi-state sector through diversification.
• Maximum pressure on the IDA to attract inward investment to the constituency."