500 new jobs and €6m investment fund for midlands – Naughten

In Families, Jobs, News, Older People by Denis Naughten

Opportunity for decentralisation of staff to Roscommon Town

 

Local TD Denis Naughten has welcomed the allocation of €31m to the Midland counties as a positive first step to stimulate the local economy and support staff in Bord na Mona and the ESB.

“During my discussions on Budget 2020 I pressed hard for the need to support the local economy of the Midlands, including Roscommon and East Galway, as a result of threats to jobs in Bord na Mona. Today’s budget begins that process and allows for further funding to be drawn down from the EU, not just for Bord na Mona employees but all potential businesses serving the area,” stated Denis Naughten.

“As a result, €31m has been secured as the first phase of much needed investment which will include the upgrading of Council housing and rehabilitation of bogs which is expected to create 500 local jobs.

“On top of that there will be an initial fund of €6m to look at how we can grow the wider economy of our area, and this can be used to access even greater funding at EU level.”

Denis Naughten added: “Budget 2020 also provides us with the opportunity to utilise spare capacity in Government offices in towns like Roscommon to allow civil servants to work locally by relocating from Dublin and other parts of the country, which has the potential to boost the local economy.”

Funding of €3m is also being made available to pilot new agricultural environmental schemes. “There is now an opportunity for the local farming community to design a scheme that suits farming conditions in Roscommon and East Galway, with a view to supporting farm incomes particularly in the beef and sheep sectors. This is a proposal which I put forward before the summer and I now hope that we can use this to ensure that we can access further funds through the forthcoming CAP reforms,” said Denis Naughten.

Denis Naughten continued: “The investment of 1 million additional home help hours was a core issue for me and something I had impressed upon the Minister for Finance. I welcome the funding commitment to provide these vital hours to support older people and carers as well as the appointment of 1,000 additional physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, community nurses and other community healthcare staff which will help to maintain people in their own homes and support young people with disabilities.”

ENDS.