Calleary details contacts with redundant DELL Workers

Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr. Dara Calleary, T.D. has confirmed that FAS has contacted all of the redundant workers from the DELL computer manufacturing plant at Raheen, Co. Limerick and at ancillary enterprises in the Mid West region to inform them of the supports being offered with the assistance of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).

The Minister had previously tasked FAS to establish a dedicated EGF coordination unit operating out of Limerick to ensure that there is a concentrated local and regional focus to providing assistance on the ground to the redundant workers.

The Minister said “Having successfully secured EGF funding together with significant Government co-financing, we are continuing with the implementation of the suite of EGF funded measures. FAS has already provided guidance services and training courses to over 1,500 of the affected workers. FAS has written to all the affected workers this week and invited them to a two days information event in Limerick on 11 – 12 February to detail the various services offered in the areas of training, upskilling, entrepreneurial supports and further and higher education. ”

The Minister also stated that he would be in Limerick the week after next to meet personally with workers representatives ahead of the information event. “We want to ensure that the people directly affected by these redundancies have their say and are being given the correct choices of training, upskilling and entrepreneurial support and educational offers. A steering group will be established for this purpose but I would like to hear workers’ views at first hand in advance of arrangements being finalised”.

The Minister praised the efforts to date of all those offering supports to the redundant workers in the Mid West. He cited the good work of FAS, Enterprise Ireland and the City and County Enterprise Boards, the Vocational Education Committees and educational institutions such as University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology and other institutes of technology.

“The implementation phase will showcase a number of complementary programmes but it should be remembered that many mainstay interventions and supports continue to be offered not just to ex-DELL workers or redundant workers in the Mid West Region but nationally and these should not be underestimated. The Government will continue to tackle the human fallout from all redundancies and seek to provide the necessary supports to enable people to keep close to the labour market with a view to returning to employment as soon as possible,” the Minister concluded.