Tánaiste Commends Work of the Donegal Employment Initiative "Report Ensures that County's Needs Will Be Fully Reflected in the Implementation of National Development Plan" - Harney Tánaiste Supports Air Link Between Dublin and Derry

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney told members of the Donegal Employment Initiative this evening (Thursday 17th February, 2000) that she appreciated their creativity and energy particularly in ensuring a speedy and flexible emergency response to job losses in Fruit of the Loom factories in the County.

Speaking following a meeting with members of the Task Force, the Tánaiste said "the Report of the Task Force has comprehensively addressed the terms of reference which I originally set for it. The investment priorities identified by the Task Force will I hope be implemented in the Operational Programmes of the National Development Plan. The Task Force Report has ensured that Donegal now has a head start on other counties in terms of devising an economic development plan and in ensuring the various public, private and community interests can continue to work together to ensure that the needs of Donegal are met.

The Tánaiste commended the members for focusing on practical tasks that could be done locally to assist the work of the Development Agencies. She said these include initiatives to support a Digital Economy, a Tourism Marketing Initiative, FAS and Cert Training Initiatives, the promotion of a Public/Private Partnership approach to providing land/building facilities for internationally traded services activities, the creation of a "Local Reception Team" to promote Donegal to incoming potential investors and using the physical planning in a positive way to support job creating investment.

In particular, the Tánaiste expressed her support for the establishment of an air transport link between Dublin and Derry.

"Such an air link would greatly improve access to the county for business and tourist travelers alike. My colleague in Government, Mary O'Rourke has already expressed her support for such an initiative. I am determined that we should explore all the options to see how we can make such a development into a reality," the Tánaiste said.

The Tánaiste also confirmed her support, and that of her Government colleagues, for the establishment of an appropriate mechanism to oversee the implementation of the priority actions identified in the Report and to liaise with Government Departments and State Agencies in advance of finalising the Operational Programmes to implement the National Development Plan. The Tánaiste said that she had requested the Chairman of the Task Force, Mr. Michael McLoone to set about establishing a "follow-up" mechanism aligned to the structure of the new County Development Board to be established in each county. This would enable the various agencies which were involved in the work of the Task Force to meet and co-ordinate their efforts at local level.

"This follow-up process will help to keep up the momentum for job creation that has been generated through the work of the Task Force. It will help to retain the shared vision of economic opportunity achieved within the Task Force and also provide a means to keep all the main players focused on the key priorities to be addressed in planning, resourcing and implementing the measures required to establish Donegal as a positive, competitive and attractive location for job creation," the Tánaiste concluded.