Predictions that Galway can reap jobs harvest

Date Published: 25-Apr-2013

BY DARA BRADLEY

Galway City is ideally placed to capitalise on the Government’s new strategy to boost manufacturing and stimulate growth and ‘kick-start’ the local economy, it has been claimed.

Galway West TD Brian Walsh has predicted that the city can win a ‘significant slice’ of the ambitious target of 20,000 new jobs in manufacturing by 2016.

Galway will also soon reap the rewards of the Government’s €2.25 billion economic stimulus package jointly announced by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Éamon Gilmore last year.

The stimulus package involves several school buildings programmes in the city, as well as the completion of the Galway-to-Limerick motorway – these will boost employment locally, directly and through ‘spin off’ employment, he said.

Deputy Walsh said the manufacturing jobs’ strategy announced during the week by Jobs Minister Richard Bruton, coupled with the stimulus package aimed at boosting employment locally with targeted projects, has the potential to reignite growth in the local economy.

He said among the measures to be introduced under the plan is a new start-up fund run by Enterprise Ireland to target supports for new manufacturing businesses and a new ‘capability fund’ to support capital investment by existing manufacturing firms.

Deputy Walsh said of particular interest in Galway, given that it’s home to so many multi-national companies, would be the measure to be undertaken by the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, to target additional financial supports for research and development investment.

“Manufacturing remains a key employer, particularly here in Galway and these new measures announced by the Minister have the potential to kick-start growth in manufacturing jobs in the city,” said Deputy Walsh.

He said the package is targeted at maximising opportunities for growth and attracting investment as well as ensuring workers are offered opportunities to up-skill and re-skill so that they have the relevant, quality skills for the jobs’ market.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.