Job cuts in Gaeltacht at lowest level since 1997

Údarás na Gaeltachta has reported significant progress in moving from manufacturing to service employment in Gaeltacht areas.

The State agency yesterday recorded a net gain of 295 jobs in the Gaeltacht regions last year, offsetting 1,186 new posts against employment losses. This represents the lowest level of job cuts since 1997, according to its chief executive Pádraig Ó hAoláin.

Client companies of Údarás na Gaeltachta employ 7,953 people, according to the agency's annual report. There were 93 new jobs in the Donegal Gaeltacht last year, 57 in Galway, 54 in Cork and 19 in Kerry. The Meath Gaeltacht recorded a net loss of 26 posts, but a number of new projects have been approved for this area.

The average cost of creating a job in the Gaeltacht last year was €14,000 for a small or medium enterprise. The authority says this compares well to costs borne by Enterprise Ireland in non-Gaeltacht areas.

Mr Ó hAoláin said employment cuts in manufacturing had slowed and the aim was to ensure that the Gaeltacht was less dependent on this sector and on external investment. The focus is on language-related and education enterprises, Mr Ó hAoláin said.

The agency was criticised by the Shell to Sea campaign earlier this month for leasing one of its factories in the north Mayo Gaeltacht to Shell E&P Ireland for the Corrib gas project and for permitting use of adjoining units on the same complex in Belmullet to the Garda.

Extra gardaí have been deployed to escort Shell staff to work at the Bellanaboy terminal site.

The authority has defended its decision and has rejected claims that this is outside its mandate.

The importance of broadband coverage - now provided in 62 per cent of the Gaeltacht - was emphasised at yesterday's publication of the annual report.

Mr Ó hAoláin said the agency depended on other bodies to provide necessary infrastructure and expressed confidence that today's publication of the new National Development Plan would recognise this.