Avon closure ushers in twelfth jobs task force

The establishment of a jobs task force in Portarlington on Tuesday, in response to almost 400 job losses at the Avon Arlington Ltd plant is the twelfth such task force to be set up since April 1996.

Although criticised by both the Small Firms Association (SFA) and the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU), the majority have been successful in attracting alternative employment after major job losses. The task force which most recently wound up its operations was the Tralee Inter Agency Group, established in August 1997 following the closure of the Canadian Klopman textiles factory. At its peak Klopman employed more than 1,000, although when it closed only 240 staff were working there. The Inter Agency group managed to attract the Amann and Soehne group in October 1998, which created 400 jobs.

The Tullamore Inter Agency Group was set up in July 1997 following the closure of the denim manufacturer Atlantic Mills. Around 100 jobs were lost. Two months later, in September, LSM Bleach and Lowe Alpine Systems created 300 and 30 jobs respectively in the town.

In December 1997, following the closure of Seagate Electronics in Clonmel, with 1,400 job losses, the Clonmel Task Force was established. By the time it wound up operations last July three firms - Clonmel Healthcare, Continental Promotion Group and Guidant Corporation - had created 1,079 jobs in the area.

In Tipperary, after the Tambrands closure and the loss of 220 jobs, the Tipperary Task Force was established in September 1996. It brought in Pall Corporation in February 1997 with 250 jobs and in July, 1997, Antigen Pharmaceuticals created 78 jobs.

The Tallaght Task Force was set up in April 1996 following the closure of Packard Electric, where 800 jobs were lost in the west Dublin suburb. This task force had less success than others, but managed to bring in 350 jobs through Allied Power Incorporate which opened in November 1997.

Task forces still operating include the North Mayo Enterprise Initiative (established in July, 1997, following the closure of Asahi in Killala and loss of 315 jobs); the Leitrim Enterprise Project Group (established last April following the closure of Ballinamore Textiles Ltd); the Donegal Employment Initiative (established last September in response to Fruit of the Loom's difficulties and feared loss of up to 700 jobs); the Mullingar Inter Agency Group (established last October following the closure of Tarkett Ireland and loss of 140 jobs); the Limerick Inter Agency group (set up last October when Krups closed with 500 job losses); and the Longford Task Force (established last December after the Atlantic Mills denim factory closed with 180 job losses). The North Mayo Enterprise Group has, to date, succeeded in attracting five firms and 705 jobs to the region, while the others are still too young to assess.

These task forces are generally manned by representatives from the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, FAS, trade unions, community interests and sometimes, from the outgoing firm.

The SFA has criticised them, saying they tend to be reactive rather than proactive in situ bodies and that they tend not to "nurture" the smaller local firms. The INOU is critical also, saying they do not include representatives of the unemployed.