Republican News · Thursday 7 August 2003

Government adding to unemployment

Commenting on the significant rise in unemployment, Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said the government was adding to the total by cutting 5,000 Community Employment places this year. He said:

"The highest July unemployment figures since 1999 are an indictment of the economic strategy of this Government. While it has repeatedly claimed that it is adding value to jobs located here by the multinationals, it is predominantly these firms that are laying off workers as they relocate in the global market.

The government has presented no coherent strategy to address this trend. As the most open economy in the EU we are more vulnerable to economic downturn and a jobs slide such as this could turn to disaster in a relatively short period if remedial action is not taken.

"Ordinary working people are now paying the price of the Government's failure to consolidate the economic advances of recent years. They have failed to deliver the essential infrastructural improvements that are necessary. They are over-reliant on the computer and pharmaceutical sectors and they have failed to tackle obstacles to the development of smaller indigenous enterprises such as the scandalously high cost of insurance.

"The government itself is adding to the unemployment figures by its axing of 5,000 Community Employment places. We were told these places were being cut because jobs were available. Now unemployment is up and those projects in the community and voluntary sector which relied on CE schemes are either curtailed or terminated."

Urgent need to tackle farm income crisis

According to the latest Teagasc National Farm Survey, family farm income fell by 5.8% in 2002. Other figures show an increasing dependence on direct payments from the EU and that output fell by over 2%.

The Sinn Féin Dáil spokesperson on Agriculture, Martin Ferris TD, last Friday highlighted the need to address this continuing fall in farm incomes.

He said the figures are a serious cause of concern, proving that falling incomes are an integral part of Irish farming. In real terms, he said, there has been a 16% decline since 1995. Although this has been partly compensated for by the increase in direct payments, the situation on the ground is that tens of thousands of small to medium farm households are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. Even with growing numbers choosing to take off-farm work, this has led to a consistent fall in farm numbers.

"While the CAP reform package with full decoupling does provide an opportunity to tackle the crisis, this will only be effective if combined with a radical new strategy designed to address long term structural defects," said Ferris. "With farmers no longer dependent on production based subsidies, a conscious decision can be made to reorient farming towards higher quality and value added systems that will boost incomes, and increase the value of Irish exports.

"Unless that takes place, and unless smaller producers can improve the value of their output, we will continue to witness a steep decline in farm numbers."

SF welcomes InterTradeIreland trade report

Sinn Féin economy spokesperson, West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty, has welcomed the publication of a report by InterTradeIreland on North-South trade but has called for the creation of a single measure on trade within the island of Ireland and a greater focus on developing the potential of trade within Ireland.

"The report marks an important point in understanding the dynamics and importance of trade between the north and south of Ireland," said Doherty.

"However, the fact that data has had to be gathered from three different bodies points the urgent need to develop a single measure for monitoring economic activity between the two parts of this island.

"It is clear that the volume of trade has significantly increased over the past decade. The value of all manufacturing goods 'exported' from the North to the South has doubled and now account for 25% of our non-British exports.

"While the overall value and volume of goods from the South to the North has also increased, it is clear from this statistical analysis that there is a far greater potential for growth in the volume and value of internal trade. In particular, southern businesses need to wake up to the opportunities that exist in doing business with their northern counterparts.

"Work on removing barriers to developing the all-Ireland economy needs to continue. In recent weeks there has been the recognition about the importance of a single energy market; we now need to wake up to the other opportunities that exist, particularly in developing and growing indigenous business."