Call for IDA and Cummins to urgently meet

Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy wants a meeting to take place between the IDA and Roscommon County Council CE Eugene Cummins in order put in place a job creation strategy for this county.

Senator Murphy says he has already been “in negotiations” with the IDA about putting such an emergency process in place.

Speaking to the Roscommon People, Senator Murphy said that while he is very critical of the IDA’s record in this county over the past decade, it is now time for a more positive approach.

“For the last ten years, we have seen very little from the IDA in relation to County Roscommon. The statistics and the record speak for themselves. We have had an abysmal record of IDA site visits, and no major job announcements for the county.

“I am currently in negotiations with the IDA with a view to setting up a meeting/forum with the CE of Roscommon County Council so as to put a plan or strategy for County Roscommon together to ensure the county develops and gets a fair crack of the whip from the State agency”.

Asked about the lack of a specific reference to County Roscommon in the IDA Strategy document published last month (see our exclusive story alongside), Senator Murphy said that this “confirms a pattern of neglect and lack of investment” by the State agency towards County Roscommon.

“We have a four-year plan published by the IDA that simply continues this pattern of neglect towards County Roscommon. If you look through the plan, Leitrim, Galway, Mayo, so many counties are mentioned, but once again, County Roscommon hardly features”.

Senator Murphy paid tribute to SMEs in Roscommon, stating that this county would be an employment blackspot were it not for their collective “bravery, enthusiasm and innovation”.

He added: “County Roscommon is a fantastic place, but nothing would have happened here jobs-wise over the past ten years without the drive and initiative of our wonderful small business owners.

“However, the real icing on the cake would be to have a proper focus on County Roscommon from the IDA in order to allow the county to develop further.

“We need that recognition and assistance from the State agency,” concluded Senator Murphy.