Govt can waste no time in implementing European fund for Dell workers
Issued : Monday 1 February, 2010
Speaking following a meeting of the Dell Workers Association with Minister for Labour Dara Callerary, Alan Kelly MEP believes there is no more time that can be wasted in implementing the European Globalisation Fund for the workers.
He said "It is high time the Government delivered. We have been waiting for months for this meeting to take place and the Government to get their heads around how to implement this fund. In the meantime the workers have organised themselves and done all the groundwork as regards communicating with those affected and outlining the various potential options available to them.
"This Government needs a sense of urgency with regards to spending the €22.8m available. While Minister Coughlan dithered over the last few months, we are now at an end-game stage. At this point, the effort must be put in or we will lose some of the funds, particularly in the light of the fact that it has to be spent within two years of the actual application - June 2009.
"Minister Callerary has been comprehensively briefed on the issue today and I'm expecting a positive response from him. I see his decision to appoint David Smyth as the EGF coordinator in the region as a positive start.
"There should be three pillars involved, with funds available for retraining, business start ups and job placements. There needs to be maximum flexibility with regard to the use of the funds in these areas, especially whereby people have identified business opportunities already and advanced them. The prepayment of courses should be an option for individuals, while all private and public colleges should qualify to offer courses to the workers.
"Furthermore there is a need to ensure that the relevant state agencies involved such as FAS and Enterprise Ireland do not see the EGF as an opportunity to supplement current services. This fund is specifically for the workers and in real terms, these agencies need to leave their normal corporate processes for how they operate these services outside the door and look at it through the eyes of the workers. It has to be up to the individual workers to choose what they want to do with their money and choose from the three pillars identified".
