Independent MEP has called on the government to immediately apply to the EU Globalisation Fund to assist workers being made redundant by the decision of the Monaghan based Bose company to move the enterprise abroad.

She has written to the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan urging her without delay to apply for Globalisation Fund support to help up-skill workers or to support those who may wish to start their own enterprise.

“As the MEP who wrote the Parliament’s report which led to the present Globalisation Fund I am aware that the conditions which are necessary to quality for funding exist in relation to the Bose workers”, she said.  In addition, she stressed, the right existed to apply for funding to assist in tackling youth employment in Monaghan and the Border region and should form part of the government’s Bose workers application, she said.

“The decision of the Bose company to move to another country is a feature of the increasing affects of globalisation and it places increased emphasis on the need to upgrade infrastructure including broadband in areas like Co. Monaghan”, the Independent MEP said.

The clear IDA Ireland attitude which now exists towards favouring the location of foreign investment in urban areas with large populations raised the urgent issue of what promotional structure was necessary to help jobs provision in counties like Co. Monaghan for the future, Independent MEP Marian Harkin concluded.