DONEGAL PEOPLE need to stop thinking about what they can do for themselves and start helping one another through the current economic crisis, a meeting of business people in Ballybofey was told yesterday.
Solicitor Brendan Kelly was addressing more than 70 business people, workers and the recently unemployed at the inaugural meeting of the North West Business Action Group.
The group was set up last week by concerned businessmen from Ballybofey and Donegal town in response to the recession which has resulted in thousands of job losses in the county in less than a year.
Mr Kelly said the recent unemployment figures which showed a massive increase in the Finn Valley were a "disaster" for the area. "We have to get together and work together. For the last few years some people have got greedy and were only looking after themselves. But, now we need to go back to where we were 10 or 15 years ago. Back to when people looked out for one another, when there was a good community spirit and people helped each other out," Mr Kelly said.
Those present agreed that, as a first small step, a letter would be sent to the county manager Michael McLoone seeking a freeze on car parking charges over the Christmas period.
The main topics were the difficulty in getting loans from banks, high bank charges and interest rates. Delegates also called for a more level playing field with their Northern counterparts who benefit from a lower VAT rate.
Civil engineering contractor Joe McMenamin told the meeting banks charged between 5 per cent and 9 per cent interest on loan repayments. He said this gap needed to be "closed dramatically".
Cafe owner John Duffy from Stranorlar called on the Government to lower VAT rates to encourage more people to shop and do their business in Donegal.
Brendan Dunnion, who chaired the meeting, got a rapturous response when he vowed: "We do not intend stopping here tonight. We want to take this further and make a change for the better and make sure Donegal is not left behind."
He called on more people from a wider geographical spread to attend next Wednesday night's meeting at the same venue. "We are just one week old and we need more people here from different areas and businesses to give us direction.
"We need to keep this alive and running. The main points raised here tonight will be raised with the highest authority in the country. We need to go out in force and keep pushing this issue".
Mr McMenamin concluded: "We need to support each other, shop local and work together. Running to Asda [in Strabane] is no good to any of us," Mr McMenamin said.