WEXFORD FAIRING BADLY IN THE CAPITAL SPENDING PROGRAMME

Fine Gael’s Dr. Twomey is disappointed by the lack of vision in the capital expenditure programme launched at the end of July by the Fianna Fail government. “This programme is not a stimulus package and unfortunately will not do what the government claims it will do - get people back working.”
“County Wexford needs to get its people back to work. In June there were nearly 19,000 on the live register. If we compare this figure to the same period in 2008, the numbers on the live register have doubled or more than doubled for each of the towns in County Wexford. 21% of those on the live register are under 25 and a lot of these would have worked in construction. However the biggest, most expensive construction projects proposed in the capital programme seem to be concentrated in the Dublin area with Metro North and the relocation of Dublin Institute of Technology.”
“The government should take a more regional approach, targeting the worst regions with the highest need. Our Fianna Fail TDs in County Wexford should be highlighting Wexford’s problems to the government to ensure that we get all the help we need. For example, earlier in the year the government launched the Labour Market Activation Fund (€20 million) which was set up to provide about 3,500 training places for the low skilled, the under 35’s and those formerly employed in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors. However County Wexford did not receive any of this funding and indeed County Carlow was the only county in the South East to get any funding at all.”
“I want the government to realise how much pressure people in county Wexford are under and how worried they are about keeping their jobs and their homes.”