Inishowen firms make
plea to government
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen
Independent
GOVERNMENT departments and Donegal County Council
must start favouring Inishowen contractors ahead of
cheaper Northern counterparts if local firms are to
have any hope of surviving this recession. That is
the view of several local employers now struggling
to compete for work in their own backyard of
Inishowen.
The Inishowen Independent spoke to four local
employers in the construction industry about the
current economic crisis. Some were reluctant to
speak on the record but they all agreed that
fundamental shift in attitude was needed to keep
Inishowen workers in their jobs.
Darren McLaughlin of DML Contract, which specialises
in site preparation and maintenance, summed up the
current situation by stating that Inishowen firms
were ‘doubly disadvantaged,’ because, while projects
in the Republic are routinely given to Northern
Irish firms, the reverse is seldom the case.
“Any government job in the North is let out to a
Northern Irish or British firm that’s always been
the case. The Irish Government have to be made aware
of this situation and meet us halfway.”
The Buncrana man said that, when tendering for work,
all that locals involved in construction wanted was
a level playing field.
“It’s hard to get work at the moment, because if we
go to price work to clear a site a Northern company
can come in with a lower price, because their lorry
drivers are asking for £5 to £6 and hour compared to
€10 down here. Northern employers also play a flat
rate of tax and aren’t required to make pension
contributions,” he said.
The strength of the Euro against Sterling, the 6.5%
differential in the VAT rate between north and south
and differences in employer contribution
requirements on either side of the border have
combined to put the squeeze on local employers.
“The authorities here are supposed to be creating
jobs, so how come they are able to let so much
revenue go across the border?” queried Mr McLaughlin
referring to major projects, such as the new
National Schools in Clonmany and Moville that have
been awarded to Northern Irish firms.
Laurence McDaid of Davey Transport, Moville, has
seen staff numbers drop from 36 to four in little
over a year.
“We have a quarry and would supply concrete blocks.
We supplied material for the secondary school in
Moville when it was being built but, but when we
tendered for new primary school now being built in
the town, we could not compete [on price].”
Mr McDaid added “We have never got a job in the
North. I believe that if there is another school
being built in the local area, the [Department]
should give the job to a local company.”
Others in the industry locally, who did to wish to
be named, expressed anger at the lack of trade
coming their way from the construction of the new
Clonmany and Moville schools.
Another businessman said local workers were
frustrated to see contracts for major window
washing, boiler installation and painting jobs in
the peninsula go to northern companies when so many
Inishowen people were out of work. |
