Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahoney has said the publication of the latest live register figures for Mayo makes grim reading for the people of the county and puts huge onus on the newly appointed Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Dara Calleary TD, to start delivering sorely needed employment to the people who elected him to Dáil Éireann.
“The Minister has been given special responsibility for labour affairs and if that is to mean anything real then he better start delivering. The honeymoon period is over for him with the publication of those figures which shows nearly a 100 per cent increase in the people signing on the Live Register from this time last year. In the Minister’s own town of Ballina, there are now over 2,700 people signing on, an increase of 74 per cent, while the towns of Castlebar and Westport have also been decimated with a staggering increase of 148 per cent more people signing on in Westport.
“This slide just cannot be allowed to continue and Minister Calleary has to stop hiding behind the usual litany of excuses that this Government has been trotting out for over a year now, and do something real to help his own people. The people of Ballina and Mayo in general have waited for a long time to have a real say at cabinet level but Minister Calleary has to deliver jobs to Mayo people from his position of influence. Anything less is not acceptable, “ said Deputy O’Mahony.
