Construction employers in Kilkenny are to set to urge the government to make job protection and creation the number one priority in December’s Budget.
The employers have been responding to a call from Construction Industry Federation (CIF ) Director General, Tom Parlon to consider and input their views into the CIF’s pre-budget submission.
Nationally CIF has established a forum of senior employers from all sectors of the industry to formulate its pre-budget submission. As part of the process, the Federation is engaging extensively with its members in the Carlow Kilkenny Branch and 12 other regional branches and has already met with external experts as part of its deliberations around identified issues.
Outlining the CIF’s approach, director general Tom Parlon stated, “the industry is acutely aware of the challenges facing the economy and the need for measures, no matter how difficult, to stabilise the public finances and return the banking system to some semblance of normality.
“The priority, however, has to be maintaining existing jobs and creating new jobs where possible through targeted government supports.
“Of course, it’s not just about construction. Measures that promote investment and employment in other parts of the economy are vital and the view from our regional branches is that government must turn every stone to protect jobs. Due to the ongoing job losses in the region, members of the Carlow / Kilkenny Branch of CIF has already emphasised the need to bring costs under control, particularly high energy costs, high transactional taxes and local authority charges.
”The Report of the Commission on Taxation will be particularly relevant in this regard and our committee will be carefully considering its recommendations, as it is already doing in relation to the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.
“Balancing the various recommendations will not be easy but if sight is lost of jobs the benefits of savings elsewhere will be quickly eroded.”
