Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

Tá áthas orm deis a bheith agam an cheist thábhachtach seo a thógáil ar an Athló. Tá lúcháir orm go bhfuil an t-Aire é féin anseo chun éisteacht leis an méid atá le rá agam agus, b'fhéidir, freagra deimhneach a thabhairt a thabharfaidh misneach do muintir na Gaeltachta. Ar ndóigh, baineadh geit as gach éinne Déardaoin seo caite nuair a d'fhogair lucht Iasachtaí Críonna go raibh siad chun a gcuid monarcha a dhúnadh sna Ghaeltachtaí uilig, ó Ghaoth Dobhair i mo chontae féin, Dhún na nGall, siar go Maigh Eo agus síos go dtí an Daingean, i ndáilcheantar mo chomhghleacaithe, an Teachta Ó Síocháin. Tá 108 post caillte, beagnach 40 acu i mo dháilcheantar féin. Cuireann an dóigh inar láimhseáil an chomhlacht an fógra seo isteach go mór orainn mar ionadaí poiblí. Tháinig na hoibrithe isteach maidin Déardaoin cosúil le gach lá eile, ach ag 3.10 i.n. an lá sin dúradh leo go raibh an monarcha le dúnadh ansin. Bhí orthu dul abhaile gan teacht isteach riamh arís. Ní bhfuair siad fógra d'aon chineál — seachtain, lá, nó fiú uair a' chloig. Sílim gur droch-iompar amach is amach is ea oibrithe a thug seirbhís go dílis don tionscal a ligint chun siúil sa chaoi seo.

Caithfidh mé a rá go raibh dóchas mór againn uilig i dTír Chonaill nuair a bunaíodh an tionscal seo cúpla bliain ó shin. Tá mé cinnte go raibh áthas ar na Ghaeltachtaí eile nua-thionscal nach raibh bunaithe ar an ndéantúsaíocht nó an sean-tionscal traidisiúnta a fháil. Cheap daoine gur bánú lá úr don Ghaeltacht ab ea na tionscail seo, go dtí go bhfuaireamar an buille Déardaoin seo caite. Ní amháin go bhfuil mé ag caint faoi mo cheantar féin — Gaoth Dobhair, ar a bhfuil aithne maith ag an Aire, Chloich Cheann Fhaola agus na Rosáin. Tá mé ag caint freisin faoi oibrithe as cheantar Cill Chartha — Gaeltacht iar-dheisceart na chontae — os rud é go ndúirt an chomhlacht seo go raibh sé chun 120 post a lonnú ansin. Bhí an-obair déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta le bliain anuas chun monarcha a ullmhú don tionscal úr. Nuair a dhein an t-údarás suirbhé i gceantar Cill Chartha le bliain anuas, fuair sé amach go raibh 360 daoine óga ann ag feitheamh le fostaíocht. Ar ndóigh, nuair a tháinig an fógra seo Dé Déardaoin seo caite, ní amháin gur chailleamar na postanna ar fud na Gaeltachta, ach chaill muintir Cill Chartha an dóchas a bhí acu go mbeadh postanna ar fáil dóibh sa tsamhraidh.

I am delighted to have to opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. Last Thursday's announcement by Contact 4 came as a thunderbolt out of the blue and resounded from Donegal to Dingle. One hundred and eight jobs were lost, 40 of which were in Donegal. They were wiped out in a flash without warning. Workers who reported dutifully for work, as usual, on Thursday last were informed at 3.30 p.m. that afternoon that their jobs were gone. No prior notice was given, nor was any indication of the impending doom. The staff were just shown the door in a most brutal fashion.

The announcement was a double whammy for Donegal. In addition to there being disappointment in Gweedore over the loss of 40 jobs, the residents of Kilcar, who were expecting Contact 4 to locate there this spring, with the promise of 120 jobs in three stages, are deeply disappointed. A survey carried out by Údarás na Gaeltachta in the Kilcar area in the past year found that 360 people in the locality were awaiting employment. Need I say more?

Donegal can ill afford the loss of these jobs. It already has the highest unemployment rate in the entire country. Coincidentally, a CSO survey issued last Thursday showed that the per capita income in Donegal is the lowest in the country. We all know there is a strong correlation between employment and income. The higher the rate of unemployment, the lower the income.

I appeal to the Minister, Údarás na Gaeltachta and any agencies available to retrain the workers, including FÁS, to redouble their efforts to replace the jobs as soon as possible. Jobs have been draining out of the county, not only from the Gaeltacht, le roinnt blianta anuas. I am delighted the Minister is present to respond, unlike some other Ministers, who do not have the time to take Adjournment debates. I ask him to address the needs of the workers to whom I referred. They are probably all the sole earners in their households. They have great responsibilities and must make mortgage repayments and meet the cost of their children's third level education. They are out of a job, have a bleak future and depend on the Minister and Údarás na Gaeltachta chun sólás a thaispeáint dóibh.

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