Tommy Broughan TD

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Govt Must Fasttrack EU Retraining Funds For SR Technics Workers

Issued : Tuesday 26 January, 2010

"The government must fasttrack the EU funds that are available for retraining and new business support for former SR Technics workers", said local Labour TD for Dublin North East Tommy Broughan.

"The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) is an EU programme to support workers who lose their jobs so that they can find another job as quickly as possible. When a large enterprise shuts down or a factory is relocated to a country outside the EU, or a whole sector loses many jobs in a region, the EGF provides funds to help the redundant workers re-train or find new jobs.

"The closure of the aircraft engineering and maintenance plant SR Technics in Dublin Airport with the loss of nearly 1200 jobs last year was a devastating blow to the Northside and the wider Mid-Leinster region. The dismal failure of the government to protect the SRT jobs and the critical aircraft engineering and maintenance industry at Dublin Airport has been one of the most appalling calamities of this incompetent Fianna Fail/Green government.

"It is therefore essential that the government accesses all possible resources to facilitate ex-SR Technics workers in re-training programmes or new business initiatives. Many former SR Technics workers have contacted me who are desperate to be retrained or gain any support possible for new business initiatives.

"I recently asked the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise to fully report on her government’s application for funding under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and what structures she is putting into place to disperse funding allocated to former employees as quickly as possible."

The Tanaiste replied that "Last October, my Department submitted a provisional application to the European Commission seeking co-financing support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The application relates to the provision of a personalised package of training, educational and entrepreneurial supports to workers made redundant at SR Technics. The Commission has recently sought additional information in relation to the application which my Department is currently preparing. State agencies such as FÁS, Enterprise Ireland and local Vocational Education Committees have made, and continue to make, the full range of their employment, training, guidance and advisory services available to workers made redundant at S.R. Technics."

Deputy Broughan’s colleague Dublin Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa also recently asked the European Commission whether any application for funding under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund has been received from the Irish authorities to aid the former workers of SR Technics in Dublin and, if so, to indicate what is the current status of this application.

The European Commission reported to MEP De Rossa that, "An application from Ireland to aid the former workers of SR Technics in Dublin was presented to the Commission on 9 October 2009. The application is based on Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) 1927/2006 (the 'EGF Regulation) which requires at least 500 redundancies over a period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers made redundant in its suppliers and downstream producers.

The application relates to the redundancy of 910 workers in the firm, 800 of whom were made redundant during the four-month reference period and a further 110 workers subsequently. The Irish authorities plan to assist 838 workers through active labour market measures, including guidance, training and assistance for self-employment.