Full utilisation of fund must be priority for next Government

March 21st: Unite today called on caretaker Education and Skills Minister Jan O’Sullivan to contact the European Commission and seek a year’s extension to the deadline for take-up of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund monies allocated to support workers made redundant by Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland.  The funding – intended to provide training and other supports for over 400 former workers at the plant – is due to expire in September 2016, and it was revealed over the weekend that less than half the funds have been spent to date, with the unspent balance due to be returned.

Commenting, Unite Regional Officer Willie Quigley said:

“This is just the latest instance of Globalisation Fund monies intended to support redundant workers remaining unspent: in 2012, funds allocated to support workers who lost their jobs in Waterford Crystal, Dell and SR Technics had to be returned following a failure to meet the expenditure deadline.

“Unite is calling on caretaker Education and Skills Minister Jan O’Sullivan to contact the European Commission without delay seeking a year’s extension for disbursal of the Lufthansa Technik funds, up to September 2017.

“Once the next Government is formed, we will be seeking an urgent meeting with the incoming Minister to discuss how a process involving all stakeholders, including unions and community-based organisations, can be put in place to ensure that eligible workers receive the full benefit of such funds in the future”, Mr Quigley concluded.