This article is from page 4 of the 2006-07-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
CLARE councillor, Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG), has welcomed reports that Digital River, the US e-commerce firm, plans to create around 300 new jobs at the Shannon Free Zone.
But the former deputy has warned that the good news underlines the danger to the county of stripping Shannon Development of its enterprise creation function.
Cllr Taylor Quinn said that the reduction of Shannon Development was “yet more evidence of the incompetence of the current Government, when it comes to thinking through the consequences of major decisions. There will be fewer positive outcomes for Clare like this one, because job creation will instead reflect the Government’s increasing focus on Dublin.”
Triona Mc Inerney, chief executive of the Shannon and District Chamber of Commerce, warned that given the current state of uncertainty surrounding the roles and responsibilities of the organisations charged with the promotion of the Shannon Free Zone, “it is imperative that a very clear and definite strategy be developed to harness the current growth of the free zone and market it as a location to prospective clients.”
She said that “the two major expansions of international companies in the Shannon Free Zone will have an enormously positive impact on the local economy.
“Shannon continues to be the location of choice of some of the world’s leading businesses, as it offers companies excellent access to an available qualified workforce, and can provide the necessary essential business support services. As a business location, it is difficult to rival, in that it gives employees a tremendous choice of lifestyle options with access to city/country living,” she said.
Clare Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley said the extra 285 jobs announced last week for the Shannon Free Zone were a huge employment boost for the western region.
He said they “will have an enormously positive impact on the local economy”.