Extent of redundancies threaten rural life

4 Feb 2004

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed is very concerned about the number of redundancies already announced this year and its impact on rural communities. In January redundancies were announced in Brinny Co.Cork, Killarney and Cahirciveen, Co.Kerry as well as in Wexford, Waterford and Mayo totalling 680 jobs, the majority of which were manufacturing jobs.

‘The regional imbalances within Ireland are becoming very stark as fewer job opportunities are available in rural areas and the migration to urban centres continues to intensify’, said Eric Conroy, General Secretary INOU. ‘Rural unemployment and underemployment is ever prevalent with each foreign company that moves to Asia or Eastern Europe due to cheaper manufacturing costs.’

Employment growth in all areas and sectors is needed urgently if Ireland is to play its part in the attainment of the Lisbon Agenda goal of the EU being ‘the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion’. Such social cohesion has an urban and rural dimension to it. The Government must act to address this.

‘At present much of the labour market policies to stimulate economic development and job growth are heavily urban in focus. This raises questions on the viability of implementing the National Spatial Strategy and the proposed decentralisation plan of Government departments,’ he added.