Wyse demands answers from Taoiseach on Waterford unemployment

In advance of the Taoiseach’s visit to Waterford tomorrow (Friday), Cllr Gary Wyse has demanded answers on Waterford’s unemployment crisis.

Cllr Wyse commented: “The Taoiseach will come to Waterford on Friday amid great fanfare which doesn’t hide the fact that the South East has the highest unemployment rate in the country. The unemployment figure for the South East is 18%, 4% higher than the national average, which is a downright disgrace.

“We have heard such schemes as the Jobs Initiative, NewEra, and Jobs Action Plan from the government, but these are more about generating headlines than generating jobs. They have had little or no impact and the people in Waterford have seen no new measures to address the unemployment crisis we have in the county.

“575 jobs were lost in Talk Talk last September and we had promises from Richard Bruton saying he would do all in his power to ensure a suitable employer be found for the premises. Here we are six months later and Waterford has been forgotten by this government of spin.

“Small businesses throughout Waterford are also struggling, they are receiving no help from the government while the self-employed have accounted for 72% of the decrease in employment over the year. There were promises over addressing upward only rent reviews, but it is just another broken promise, which the people of Waterford are sick of.”

Cllr Wyse called on the Taoiseach to address the issue of unemployment in Waterford when he visits tomorrow.

“The Taoiseach will be here on Friday and it is about time he answered the question about what his government will do to alleviate the unemployment crisis we have in Waterford.”