SFA: Irish business model no longer competitive

The Director of the Small Firms Association Pat Delaney has said today's announcements of 67 losses at the Clubman Omega plant in Donegal is further evidence our business model for the manufacturing sector no longer reflects the needs of a competitive economy.

The SFA called on the Government to fast forward the decentralisation process for the Donegal region in order to stem the difficulties faced by the local economy.

"It is now time to stop admiring macro economic aggregates and concentrate on maintaining the benefits which we have worked so hard to achieve," said Mr Delaney.

"Irish manufacturing is being sleepwalked into obscurity by rising costs of labour, energy, stealth taxes and local authority charges. The sector is under intense competition from low cost economies and is being undermined by our indigenous cost base.

"The current difficulties being faced by the Donegal region bode very badly for the rest of the export manufacturing sector and for the future of Irish labour intensive sectors," he said.