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Keaveney hits back at Sinn Féin
24.09.09
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SENATOR Cecilia
Keaveney has defended herself against criticism she
did not help Fruit of the Loom workers when they
lost their jobs while she was a TD for the area.
Senator Keaveney was responding following a stinging
attack on the Fianna Fáil Government this week by
Buncrana councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn. His
criticisms followed the announcement at the weekend
that Dell workers losing jobs in Limerick would
benefit from a €15m package from the European
Globalisation Fund.
Senator Keaveney yesterday said: "Recent comments
have been made in relation to how I did not succeed
in getting the advantages of the European
Globalisation Fund for the Fruit of the Loom workers
when they lost their jobs. This was a fund that Dell
workers in Limerick recently were given support
from. |
"The fact in this case
is that the European Globalisation Fund was only
established in 2006. It only became active on
January 1, 2007. It therefore didn't exist when
Fruit of the Loom went under and in fact, it wasn't
until this year and the global downturn kicked in in
earnest, that the criteria was relaxed to allow a
wider range of applications."
But Sinn Féin say the Government should have
submitted a retrospective application to the EGF
fund for more than 3,500 workers who lost their jobs
with Fruit of the Loom in Co Donegal. |
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The Moville-based
senator who lost her Dáil seat in the May 2007
general election, in turn, hit out yesterday at Sinn
Féin.
She added: "It is interesting to see a party which
has advocated a No to every European referendum and
advocating one now, saying Yes, at the same time, to
the advantages that Europe offers in every walk of
life. I do wish that the current funds might have
been there for those who lost jobs in Donegal but it
did not exist then.
"Our focus must be on maximising new opportunities
for our county. Europe remains core to that quest
too. It is time for facts and a positive
engagement." |
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