Stop Exporting Our Future

Stop Exporting Our Future!

In the wake of today’s figures showing a further 8,500 signing on the dole, Cork Sinn Féin will hold a photocall outside the main terminal at Cork Airport at 8.30am tomorrow to highlight the plight of young people forced to emigrate in search of work.

Speaking in advance of the event, Cllr Jonathan O’Brien said the country was in danger of slipping back to the 1980s, with a new “lost generation” of young people become victims of unemployment and emigration.

Cllr O’Brien stated:

“Our young, educated workforce is the strongest asset we have to rebuild this country’s economy. But young people who see no future in Ireland are leaving every day and taking their skills and talent to build the economies of other countries. A recent ERSI report predicted that 200,000 people could emigrate in the coming years if unemployment is not dealt with.”

“The Government is doing nothing about this. Like Fianna Fail governments of the past they are happy to see the ‘safety valve’ of emigration take the pressure off them.

“The prolonged Dáil break is an insult to the unemployed when urgent action is needed to create jobs. Our message to the government is simple – create jobs to stop emigration.

“Resolving the unemployment crisis must become a national priority. Sinn Féin has put forward a comprehensive set of proposals to retain and create jobs. These include

· A €500 million youth jobs fund to create 20,000 new jobs.
· Creating jobs through the construction of essential infrastructure – hospitals, schools, public transport networks and roll-out of broadband.
· A new green technology body – Eolas Glás Éireann – for research, promotion and funding of green energy and environmental technologies.
· Introduce specific job-creation strategies in agri-food, tourism, digital media and IT.
· A €600 million job retention fund to subsidise workers in struggling small and medium businesses – with potential to save 96,000 jobs

It is time to put a comprehensive job creation strategy in place and stop exporting our future. Our full job creation proposals can be accessed at http://www.sinnfein.ie.”

For further information contact Cllr Jonathan O’Brien @ 085-2133907.