18 October 2001 Edition
Government must act on Monaghan jobs disaster - Ó Caoláin
Reacting to the announcement of the closure last week of Monaghan Poultry Products with the loss of 300 jobs, Sinn Féin Cavan/Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin called for immediate action to provide employment in a county that has been "scandalously ignored" by government.
The plant in Monaghan town finally shut down after an extended period during which its operations had ceased. This followed the withdrawal of its licence by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. The food processing plant, which produced the 'Golden Feather' brand of poultry products, was deemed to have fallen short of EU standards. The company stated that it did not have the resources to upgrade the plant and had no option but closure.
"The MPP closure is a jobs disaster for County Monaghan and the border region. 300 jobs at the processing plant are gone and the livelihoods of poultry suppliers and ancillary services are deeply affected," said Ó Caoláin.
"This follows the closure in recent years of other food processing plants in this county. The food sector, which is the basis of the local economy, has been devastated and there has been no action from the government and IDA to replace lost employment. In fact successive governments - including this one - have scandalously ignored the people of Monaghan for decades.
"I ask the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Harney, where is the peace dividend and the Celtic Tiger for County Monaghan?
"I demand immediate action from Minister Harney. We must have a statement of intent to prioritise this county, which was already an employment blackspot. Token task forces are not enough. We must have priority access to inward investment and special supports for existing indigenous industries."
Ó Caoláin also highlighted the way the job losses had been ignored in the media and by government:
"This severe blow to the economy of the region has been greeted with deafening silence from both the government and the national media. It seems that the reaction to job losses depends on location and not on the impact on people. Once again County Monaghan and the Border region is marginalised and disregarded.
"As it was a government department that withdrew the licence to operate from MPP, the government itself has no excuse for not realising the devastating consequences. I call on Mary Harney to visit Monaghan and to set out her plans for the replacement of the jobs lost and the long overdue regeneration of this region."
Correction
In last week's edition (11 October) the report entitled 'Health horror story in County Cavan' gave the name of the person in question incorrectly as John Fogarty. The correct name is John Clancy. We apologise for this error and any embarrassment it may have caused.
The plant in Monaghan town finally shut down after an extended period during which its operations had ceased. This followed the withdrawal of its licence by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. The food processing plant, which produced the 'Golden Feather' brand of poultry products, was deemed to have fallen short of EU standards. The company stated that it did not have the resources to upgrade the plant and had no option but closure.
"The MPP closure is a jobs disaster for County Monaghan and the border region. 300 jobs at the processing plant are gone and the livelihoods of poultry suppliers and ancillary services are deeply affected," said Ó Caoláin.
"This follows the closure in recent years of other food processing plants in this county. The food sector, which is the basis of the local economy, has been devastated and there has been no action from the government and IDA to replace lost employment. In fact successive governments - including this one - have scandalously ignored the people of Monaghan for decades.
"I ask the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Harney, where is the peace dividend and the Celtic Tiger for County Monaghan?
"I demand immediate action from Minister Harney. We must have a statement of intent to prioritise this county, which was already an employment blackspot. Token task forces are not enough. We must have priority access to inward investment and special supports for existing indigenous industries."
Ó Caoláin also highlighted the way the job losses had been ignored in the media and by government:
"This severe blow to the economy of the region has been greeted with deafening silence from both the government and the national media. It seems that the reaction to job losses depends on location and not on the impact on people. Once again County Monaghan and the Border region is marginalised and disregarded.
"As it was a government department that withdrew the licence to operate from MPP, the government itself has no excuse for not realising the devastating consequences. I call on Mary Harney to visit Monaghan and to set out her plans for the replacement of the jobs lost and the long overdue regeneration of this region."
Correction
In last week's edition (11 October) the report entitled 'Health horror story in County Cavan' gave the name of the person in question incorrectly as John Fogarty. The correct name is John Clancy. We apologise for this error and any embarrassment it may have caused.