Government leaves just 11 months for spending of SR technics EU fund

Posted by Bronwen Maher on November 11, 2010 at 10:48 AM

The lax approach from the government over the application for EU funds to upskill and retrain SR Technics staff means that only 11 months are left to help fund education, training and support programmes under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for redundant workers who have lost their jobs at the North Dublin facility.

“My colleagues and I have worked hard to arrive at this day where the Parliament has allocated €7. million, topped up by the State to assist in the training and education needs of those who have lost their jobs.

“The application was made by the Irish government in October 2009 and the process was beset by problems of the government’s own making which have caused enormous delays. Under the EGF implementation rules, monies can only be allocated within a 24 month timeline. In essence, this means that if all of the money is not spent by October 2011, then unspent portion will effectively be returned to the EU.

“Even the Minister, Batt O’Keeffe is on record as saying that the timeframe poses challenges. The SR Technics workers, many of whom live in the Counties of Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow have waited long enough for this tortuous process which had initially promised so much to deliver for them and their families.

“I would urge those implementing the Fund to be conscious of the difficulties experienced by DELL and Waterford Crystal workers and to apply that learning to the SR Technics situation. Having waited for so long for the Fund to be allocated, it would be a travesty and an injustice if the government were obliged to return some of this hard won money because they were that poorly organised that they couldn’t spend it.”

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