Limerick jobs taskforce will not be talking shop, says Coughlan

THE GOVERNMENT taskforce established in the wake of the Dell job losses in Limerick will not be a talking shop, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan said yesterday.

Confirming that former chief executive of the Kerry Group, Denis Brosnan, is to chair the taskforce, she said: “It will be short, sharp and snappy, and one thing it won’t be is a talking shop.” However, Ms Coughlan said the taskforce’s work will “take at least a year”.

She said the chief executive of Shannon Development, Dr Vincent Cunnane, is to be the taskforce’s chief executive. It will hold its first meeting next Monday.

The eight other members are: Forfás chief executive Martin Cronin; former president of the University of Limerick Dr Roger Downer; Google Ireland chief executive John Herlihy; chairman of the Limerick Regeneration Project John Fitzgerald; Anita Higgins, general manager, Adare Manor; Brian O’Connell, chairman, the Atlantic Way; Ken Sullivan, general manager, Element Six, and chairwoman of the Shannon Foynes Port Authority Kay McGuinness.

Ms Coughlan said she was delighted that Mr Brosnan had agreed to act as chairman and that he has already undertaken preliminary work with Dr Cunnane.

She said: “I have had in recent weeks a number of meetings with Denis Brosnan on scoping a work programme for the new taskforce. The taskforce itself, given the people that are involved, will be very targeted and focused on what it wants to achieve.

“I would like to say that there has been never been a greater need for Shannon Development than now and that is why I have appointed Dr Cunnane as chief executive of the taskforce.”

After announcing the line-up, Ms Coughlan said: “It is everyone working together. It doesn’t matter who you represent or who you work for. At the end of the day it is for the betterment of the people.”

She said the terms of reference for the taskforce had not yet been signed off on, but that they should be ready for its first meeting.

“Everything will be in the mix.... . . . The remit will look at a number of issues: where opportunities lie with education and training initially; what can be done to give a distinguished offering from a foreign direct investment perspective and also from our own indigenous industry perspective.

“It will also look at infrastructural needs and the role of Shannon Airport and connectivity.”