Tá lúcháir orm go bhfuil deis agam an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a thógáil ar an Athló agus go bhfuil an tAire i láthair. Is buille mór do thionsclaíocht i gceantar Gaeltachta Ghaoth Dobhair dúnadh monarchan Euro Iompú Teoranta tráthnóna inné. Mar atá ráite, tá breis agus trí scór post caillte de bharr dúnadh an tionscail sin. Tá an tionscal lonnaithe ar Pháirc Ghnó Ghaoth Dobhair, nó ar Eastát Tionscalaíochta Ghaoth Dobhair mar a tugadh air roimhe seo, le breis agus fiche bliain agus chuir sé busanna den scoth ar fáil fá choinne margadh na tíre seo agus thar lear. Bhi scaifte de dhaoine óga ag obair ann a bhí sár-oilte agus a raibh ard-scileanna acu fá choinne an obair thábhachtach sin a dhéanamh, ach anois tá na daoine sin fágtha gan fostaíocht.
Tá go leor poist caillte ar an eastát le roinnt blianta anuas, mar shampla, monarchana cosúil le Comar Yarns, RMT, Europlast, MDR Leictreonach Teo., BMR agus go leor eile. Fuair an eastát buille i ndiaidh buille le roinnt blianta anuas agus shíl muid go raibh an t-am sin thart, ach is é seo an buille is deireanaí a fuair muid.
Is tionscal é seo a fuair cabhair agus tacaíocht ó Údarás na Gaeltachta. D'fhéadfá a rá gur tionscal áitiúil a bhí ann, mar gur bunaíodh é go h-áitiúil agus mar gur teaghlach áitiúil a thóg é agus a rinne forbairt air le fiche bliain. Tá ár mbuíochas ag dul don teaghlach sin as an fhostaíocht a chuir siad ar fáil. Ach mar adúirt mé, tá na poist sin caillte agus is beag deis do phoist eile atá ag na daoine a chaill iad. Ba mhaith liom a iarraidh ar an Aire, ar Údarás na Gaeltachta agus áisíneachtaí eile traenála agus mar sin gach cuidiú a chur ar fáil don cheantar le malairt fostaíochta a chur ar fáil dóibh siúd atá i ndiaidh a gcuid poist a chailliúnt.
Yesterday's announcement by Údaras na Gaeltachta to the effect that Euro Coach Builders on the Gweedore industrial park will close with the loss of 62 jobs is another severe blow to employment in that Donegal Gaeltacht area. Coming in the wake of so many other closures and job losses in the park in the past six or seven years, it leaves this part of County Donegal with possibly the highest unemployment rate in the country.
One could say that Euro Coach Builders was an indigenous industry in that it was created, grew and flourished for 24 years through the initiative and entrepreneurship of local business acumen. It was a truly home grown industry and our thanks and gratitude go to Mr. Joseph Ferry and family who created and sustained the business for so many years and provided such excellent employment.
Each job that has been lost is devastating for one family or another. Many of those workers were the sole family bread winners with financial responsibilities, such as mortgage repayments and health and insurance charges. It is tragic that there are few alternative employment opportunities in the area. Skills and expertise have been built up through the years. The workers are being relegated to the dole queues or the emigrants's trail. There is little hope of alternative employment. On my way to the Dáil this morning, I met two local young men on their way to Australia to join dozens of their friends who have already left.
I appeal to the Minister, Údaras na Gaeltachta and all of the agencies to redouble their efforts in seeking and creating alternative employment for those affected. Re-training must be provided, redundancy terms must be generous and new jobs, the only long-term solution to the problem, must be created.
Tá súil agam go bhfógróidh an tAire go ndéanfaidh sé iarracht speisialta le Údarás na Gaeltachta agus go gcuirfidh sé brú orthu tuilleadh fostaíochta a fháil don cheantar fíor-Ghaeltachta seo.
