I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise the closure of Fingal Manufacturing Limited and the devastating time Inishowen has had in recent months.
I thank the Tánaiste and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for their efforts in 1998 to maintain the jobs in Fruit of the Loom. When the situation appeared to get more serious a task force was immediately set up. I also congratulate Michael McLoone, the chairman of the task force, and the people who are working with him. Over recent months they have done substantial work on skills analysis of the people who are losing their jobs, on forward planning and in taking a proactive role in trying to get employment into the area. Their work has already yielded results.
I also take this opportunity to thank the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources. The Minister, Deputy Woods, has delivered on his commitments regarding infrastructure and the seminar he held on job creation in Donegal. More boats have been provided but a great deal more work is required in terms of increased infrastructure. There is also a need for the expansion of the fishery school which is giving employment and providing an income for the inhabitants of the Greencastle area. I look forward to an opportunity to debate with the Minister the need for more funding for Queensport Harbour to ensure that job creation measures in the marine sector can be expanded.
Fruit of the Loom, Donegal Shirts, Jockey and the Fingal factory are going or have gone from an area which already has an unemployment rate of 28 per cent. I wish to express my sympathy to the workers. They ask simple questions. They want to work. At one time they got Government contracts for Army, An Post and Garda shirts but these contracts are no longer forthcoming. A small number of such contracts would have kept 43 people off the dole. Unfortunately, international competition has made it more difficult to secure the contracts.
The workers cannot understand how it is that, in Dublin, firms are crying out for workers. I regularly receive faxes from Dublin and Galway asking for workers to come to those cities to work. However, Inishowen has one of the best work forces in the country but the work cannot be brought to them.
Statutory redundancy is a major issue in Inishowen. The half week provision does not compare well with the equivalent provision across the Border and it has left workers, some of whom live on the other side of the Border, with the belief that statutory redundancy should be reviewed.
The work ethos of the people in Inishowen cannot be beaten. Unfortunately, there are no oppor tunities for them in terms of job creation, particularly in Moville where there is only one factory, the Fingal factory. The factory is located two fields from my house and is extremely important for the people of Moville given that it is the only factory there. Similarly, in Buncrana, Fruit of the Loom is one of a few employment options for Buncrana's large population. I take this opportunity to congratulate Clubman Omega on their ability to reopen a new factory. That demonstrates that it is possible to make progress if help is given.
I urge the Minister to consider the option of fast tracking industrial development land. Many companies are considering locating in Inishowen. The people have a positive attitude and the area has great access to Belfast and Derry airports and ports. One can get to these cities from Inishowen much quicker than one can cross the city of Dublin. Inishowen has large schools, access to third level education, no traffic chaos, affordable accommodation and a pleasant environment. However, it needs all the support it can get from the various State agencies.
I seek the Government's full support of any recommendations made by the task force and the Donegal employment initiative. Continued priority must be given to the area until the current situation is reversed. I hope to come before the House this time next year and be in a position to commend the State agencies and the Minister on their success.