As the jobs carnage in this country is set to surpass half a million by the end of the year, Mayo has felt the full wrath of what it means to belong to the unemployed statistics this week with the announcement of 80 job losses in Belmullet.
The large scale construction of the Corrib gas pipeline has led to boom times in Erris with the creation of hundreds of jobs since construction began, offering locals the perfect opportunity to return home to work where their skills are finally required.
But the announcement on Tuesday that 80 jobs were to be lost in the ICT Eurotel call centre is a massive blow to the area. These were the type of jobs which were ideally suited to an area like Erris where poor roads infrastructure prohibit it from being a suitable location for manufacturing jobs which would require the transportation of goods out of the area.
The knowledge economy is one of a string of buzz words or buzz phrases being bandied about and jobs such as these, which saw the employment of 39 full-time workers and 43 part-time workers in Belmullet, were part of this knowledge economy.
Job creation in Erris is bleak according to the local public representatives who say that Údarás na Gaeltachta has no funding to support companies interested in setting up in the area. But Belmullet and the Erris region can’t afford to return to the bleak times of years gone by when unemployment was high and prospects few and far between. For those who support the Corrib gas pipeline and see this project as beneficial to the local community and economy, there have been many rewards. However when works on laying the pipeline are complete and the terminal is fully functioning, a certain number of those jobs will be lost so it is imperative that industry in north Mayo is protected and supported to keep the schools, shops, and small businesses in operation.
Local, indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs need to be supported as a means to long-lasting and viable sustainable economic growth for the area. And not just in Erris. Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh was right when she said: “We will only meet the challenges of the current economic climate by having an integrated employment strategy including the immediate provision of broadband and other vital infrastructure projects.”
Across the county consumers need to make a conserted effort to support Irish products, locally produced where possible, in a bid to secure Irish jobs. If we, as shoppers, can find the few extra cents or euros it might cost to support our neighbours and our friends in their business endeavours, we should do so and we might be surprised that it doesn’t actually cost much more than imported goods.
Ireland has an excellent reputation when it comes to producing high quality, artisan food products. A visit to your local farmers’ market or indoor market is something we should all embark on to pick up the freshest, finest produce, fresh from the farm. Packaged goods, imported from God knows where, can’t compete. It’s important we start taking note of who benefits from our hard earned cash and while we’re all operating on tight budgets, we should make an effort to shop local and protect Irish jobs.
Toni Bourke Editor [email protected]
