A MEETING of politicians, job agencies and workers laid off in a Keith Prowse ticket agency plant has been fixed for next week in an attempt to rescue some of the jobs at the Donegal call centre.
Mayor of Buncrana Pádraig MacLochlainn has fixed Thursday for a meeting of IDA representatives, up to 100 agency call-centre workers laid off this weekend, local politicians and Fás leaders.
He said yesterday: “We’re determined in the area to ensure the outstanding facilities, with a high calibre of staff, will get the jobs back as soon as possible.”
He added he had talks yesterday with Keith Prowse chief executive Paul Burns, a native of nearby Fahan, and with IDA leaders, and he was hopeful there would be progress.
Up to 100 staff at the call-centre, 50 full time and 50 part timers, are being laid off. Most were let go on Thursday evening.
The remainder will finish when the company honours its commitment to providing tickets for weekend races. Councillors were told by Mr Burns that business at the offices was being suspended instead of being ceased altogether and that, from Monday, the company would be seeking opportunities to reopen some time in the future.
Mr Burns said: “The company has suspended trading for the moment pending possible restructure. We are waiting for the appointment of the administrators.” He added there were a number of factors involved in the decision. It was taken “in the best interest of the company and its creditors”. The company opened its customer support centre in Co Donegal in 2002.
The closure of the offices, based in the old Fruit of the Loom premises where 3,000 jobs vanished, is a major blow to the area which has the country’s highest unemployment rate at about 30 per cent.
Mr MacLochlainn said: “We must shatter the perception of Donegal as a backwater. The fourth-largest city in Ireland, Derry, is at the heart of where we are. There is going to be improvement in broadband and infrastructure.” He added that a jobs rescue at Keith Prowse was “doable”.
There were concerns the jobs were at risk as far back as May. Donegal county councillor Rena Donaghey, who lives in Buncrana, said a number of Prowse staff had not been paid for six weeks but they were told on Thursday that July cheques would be in the bank yesterday.
In addition to next Thursday’s meeting, Senator Cecilia Keaveney, who lives nearby, called for a major conference in Donegal aimed at identifying and fostering employment and business opportunities. She called for a “mini-Farmleigh” for expatriate Donegal businessmen, similar to the national one held last year, to develop business and working potential in Donegal.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe was in touch yesterday with the Donegal regional office of the IDA and asked it to explore the possibility of selling or leasing the building to another investor.
It is understood the Buncrana closure was due to trading difficulties experienced by the parent company of Keith Prowse enterprises, Seatem Ltd.