The decision by Irish owned, Swiss based multinational Aryzta company to close its bakery activities in Ardara, Co. Donegal emphasised the need for the Government to fully support Donegal’s Enterprise Board and County Development company.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she called on the incoming government to provide resources to agencies in Donegal which had shown their ability to create jobs and avoid proposing unproductive taskforce or IDA Ireland interventions. 

She said: “Once again Donegal is being hit with a devastating loss of jobs but this time sadly it comes as a result of the decisions of people, and an organisation, which emerged from the proud ethos of the Irish agricultural co-operative movement.

“This Irish controlled Swiss based multi-national has a board of directors which not so long ago were immersed in business owned by Irish farmers.  Having abandoned that connection they now owe their full loyalty to ‘the market’ without any corporate social responsibility or commitment to communities in which they operate.

“Aryzta is also owner of Origin Enterprises, chaired by Enterprise Ireland Chairman Hugh Cooney and I would respectfully ask him to intervene to have this decision, which is hugely damaging to the entire County of Donegal, reviewed.

“Past history indicates that the two main state agencies IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland provide few jobs in Donegal and it is obvious that the future for a county beset with all of the worst economic statistics will be best served by encouraging small business throughout the county.

“This will best be achieved by maximising the funding of County Donegal Enterprise Board and Donegal Local Development Company as a matter of urgency and reducing the unnecessary complex red tape which hinders the flow of support to potential job creators.  Concurrently the government should provide to AIB and Bank of Ireland the same guarantees available to them as lenders in Northern Ireland and which protects their lending to the type of SME which must be encouraged to provide jobs in Donegal and throughout the country”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

Note to Editors: The UK Government operates the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme designed to assist SME’s to secure finance.  The scheme is available through AIB and Bank of Ireland in Northern Ireland.