THE GOVERNMENT is to seek EU funding to help retrain workers who are to lose their jobs at the Dell plant in Limerick, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan said yesterday.
The Tánaiste was speaking following her first visit to Limerick since Dell, the city’s largest employer, announced that it was to cut two-thirds of its workforce.
She said the Government would be seeking money from the EU’s global adjustment fund for the 1,900 people set to lose their jobs over the coming year following Dell’s decision to move its manufacturing operation from Limerick to Poland. Only a small number of countries had succeeded in getting money from the €500 million fund, she pointed out, but Ireland had already started the process to seek assistance.
When asked why it took her until yesterday to meet Dell workers Ms Coughlan said she thought it was “appropriate” that the computer giant dealt with the job loss announcement last week.
She cited this and diary commitments as the reason for her visit to Limerick yesterday where she met workers and local public representatives, including the mayors of Limerick and Clare. She also said yesterday that she had approached a “particular gentleman” from the midwest to chair a new Government taskforce for the region.
She said other people from the private sector had also indicated their willingness to participate in the taskforce which, when established, would have a very short timeframe to put forward ideas for the development of the region.
Ms Coughlan said she would not be asking Dell for a revised redundancy package for the workers who are to be laid off and said the company still had a very strong presence in Limerick and Ireland.
“If new opportunities arise we still want to have a continued working relationship with the company,” she said.