IDA sees light after Waterford job cuts

WATERFORD and the south-east may be losing jobs at present but the IDA says it remains active in promoting the region.

With 97 full-time and 80 part-time jobs cut at Braun in Carlow in the past week and up to 200 contract jobs cut at Waterford-based multi-national, Bausch & Lomb (B&L) on Wednesday last, it’s been a tough few days for employees.

But the future is anything but bleak, IDA regional director, Brian Conroy said. He said the IDA has never been working harder to promote Waterford and the south-east, and it is showcasing all that it has to offer to budding employers from all over the world.

“The job cuts at B&L are regrettable — all job losses are. But these were temporary positions and the company hired these people for a specific project. It has also indicated that it hopes to be in a position to re-employ some of them early in the new year.

“B&L has made this change to meet market conditions. It was a clear business decision. The company has to plan for certain market conditions.

Mr Conroy said the indications are that the people who have lost jobs could well be re-employed again.

He said the company, which has been in Waterford for 23 years, still remains a key employer in the region, with 1,500 staff after the cuts.

The situation at Braun was very different, Mr Conroy added. He said it was regrettable that the jobs lost to Carlow were now going to Mexico for cost competitiveness reasons.

“In general though, the omens are very good for the south-east. We are still holding our own regarding employment in IDA-supported companies. The numbers employed in companies supported by us has, in fact, increased after the past few years.

“Ireland faces many challenges in the future. But we are continuing to attract higher value jobs and higher skilled jobs. These companies are more demanding and require us to offer more.

Mr Conroy said a number of companies had visited Waterford and the south- east and were impressed by what they saw.

“We all need to work together to ensure we meet their needs — those in the educational sector, local authorities and other agencies.”

He said that FAS, Waterford Institute of Technology and other agencies are all working together to ensure that jobs are retained in the region and that it remains a hub for expansion, well into the next decade.

Meanwhile, Labour Deputy, Brian O’Shea, has said achieving university status for Waterford Institute of Technology would be the key economic driver for the region, leading to massive investment and more high- end jobs for the area.

“Cork has the pharma sector, Limerick is a hub for IT. But there is nothing similar in Waterford or the south-east. We need a strategic focus which would bring us more high-spec, high-end jobs,” Mr O’Shea said.

“Our research and development capacity is also lagging behind the rest of the country. A university for the south east would be a key economic driver. We need to stop talking about it and begin getting it,” he said.