May Day Launch of Sinn Féin Proposals to get Ireland Back to Work

Sinn Féin candidate for the Ireland East EU Constituency, Cllr Tomás Sharkey, today joined local election candidate in East Meath, Sinéad Burke, to mark International Workers' Day by launching the party’s job retention and creation strategy. The document entitled ‘Getting Ireland Back to Work’ contains more than 80 proposals, which Sinn Féin believes are urgently required to retain existing jobs and create new ones, progress all-Ireland economic development, stimulate consumer spending, and maximise the benefits of education and training.

Speaking in Laytown Cllr Sharkey said:

“May 1st marks International Workers' Day, yet this year in Meath, there are almost 10,000 people on the live register. Unemployment is spiralling out of control, with the commuter area of East Meath being hit particularly hard. It is clear that the working people of Ireland East need the government to implement a time-framed job creation and retention strategy without further delay. This must focus on stopping job losses, creating new jobs, keeping people in education and stimulating consumer spending.

“The recent emergency budget will have done nothing to stimulate the economy nor protect and create jobs. Little is being done to up-skill and retrain those who have lost their jobs. The number one priority has to be retaining and creating jobs. We need government action to get Ireland back to work.

“One of the key mistakes that the government made over the last decade was to overinflate the boom by not regulating the banks and the building industry. The same government that over inflated the boom now wants to exacerbate the downturn by taking too much money out of the economy. The government got it wrong in the boom and is now getting it wrong in the downturn.

“Ireland needs a three-year plan to hold on to or create the 1,000 jobs a day that are being lost. Such a plan needs to have a specific focus on creating jobs in the midlands and other regions which even during the boom years continued to have levels of unemployment far in excess of the state average and did not see the same investment in infrastructure as other parts of the state.

“Such a plan needs to identify viable companies that need immediate help, it means identifying where jobs are going to be created over the next 3-5 years and bringing together FÁS, VECs, colleges and universities to up-skill the workforce. It means fostering a real innovation culture. And most critically quarterly regional targets need to be set and delivered. It much include steps to ensure that the border midlands and west region is competitive and must build on the strengths of the region. This document sets out a range of proposals that should form the core of such a plan.

“Sinn Féin is being constructive – we are putting forward clear proposals to address the current economic crisis and the escalating levels of unemployment. Our key message is – if action is taken the economy can be turned around.” ENDS

Key proposals

• Establish a €300 million jobs retention fund to subsidise workers in SMEs struggling to keep on their employees. The fund should be time limited; and should be implemented in conjunction with increased Revenue and Labour Inspectorate.
• Set up a body to actively pre-empt job losses by going to companies where jobs are in jeopardy to trouble shoot and offer advice, similar to the functions carried out by the Irish Credit Corporation in the 1980s.
• The National Development Plan’s immediate priority should be providing essential, labour intensive infrastructure. We are calling for the fast-tracking of the school building programme, expansion of the national insulation programme to cover 100,000 homes by 2010 and 150,000 in subsequent years and broadband rollout.
• Fast track business start ups – there are two issues – businesses need access to credit and expertise. The banks need to start doing their job and we are calling for a re-deployment of staff within current job creation agencies to set up one stop enterprise business points. These would bring together funding, expertise and advice for entrepreneurs who want to start new businesses.
• A new Sales Ireland strategy to help Irish firms access export markets and to help Irish firms looking to set up manufacturing businesses with the potential to compete with our largest imports. Currently 90% of exports from the south come from foreign owned multinationals. And foreign owned firms import over 86% of the maternials they use, bypassing Irish firms.
• Establishment within a calendar year of Eolas Glas Eireann, led by Sustainable Energy Ireland, with the core aim of developing Ireland as a world leader in green and alternative energy technologies.
• FÁS, the VECs and third level institutions have a combined budget of almost €4billion. They need to have a joined up approach to ensure that we are training people for sectors that will provide jobs in the coming decade.
• A rapid reaction price force to be established by the Minister for Enterprise to ensure price reductions are passed onto consumers, particularly in the areas of fuel and retail groceries.