State has no cash for Limerick jobs taskforce recommendations
TANAISTE Mary Coughlan has admitted the government may not have the money to implement all the recommendations from the first interim report of the Mid-Western jobs task force.
However, she said she hopes a number of the recommendations from the report will be addressed in December's budget "as a matter of urgency."
Earlier this summer, the Mid-West jobs task force – headed up by Denis Brosnan – recommended a series of measures in a bid to alleviate the unemployment problem in Limerick. These included a series of measures around retraining those who have lost their jobs in Dell, fast-tracking the regeneration process, and using lands in Annacotty to create an enterprise centre.
But since its publication, there has been very little action from the government – and two weeks ago former Kerry Group boss Mr Brosnan told the Limerick Leader that their work will be "a waste of time" unless the government acts on their recommendations.
He admitted the task force – which also includes Shannon Development chief Dr Vincent Cunnane, Martin Cronin of Forfas and Adare Manor's Anita Higgins – was frustrated that bodies like the Vocational Education Committee had not been funded to upskill and retrain in preparation for recovery.
The Tanaiste has confirmed she held a meeting with Dr Cunnane and Mr Brosnan on Friday morning, where they spoke about a number of items which could be taken into consideration in the Budget. She said: "I have just had a meeting with the chairman and the CEO on a number of items which, if we could at least get them addressed in the context of delivering to the West, then I think these will be important.
"It has to be said we do not have the financial wherewithal to implement every recommendation that is there – some of them are frameworks in which we can deal with a number of issues not just unique to the West of ireland. With a number of my colleagues, I will be bringing together two or three issues which need to be addressed as a matter or urgency to see if we can find the financial wherewithal in next year's budget to allow this to happen.
"It is my earnest hope we can finalise the work of the task force," she said.
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