EU Employment Commissioner to inspect progress on €22m Dell fund

EU Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor is to visit the mid-west region to inspect progress on the distribution of a €22 million European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to former Dell workers.

It will be the second trip to the Limerick area by an EU commissioner in less than a year, after Mr Andor’s predecessor Vladimir Spidla visited last September to announce the approval of funding to aid the retraining and employment of those who lost jobs following the Dell closure in January 2009.

The decision of the commissioner to visit the region in the coming weeks follows an invitation from South MEP Alan Kelly.

The Labour MEP said the visit will hopefully put pressure on the Government to start delivering for the region and spend the adjustment funds prior to a September 2011 deadline for remaining monies to be returned to the EU.

“I am delighted that the new Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor has accepted my invitation to meet former Dell workers and others in Limerick,” he said.

“To date, very little of the €22m has been spent. Workers who qualify for the fund have been hamstrung by administration, bureaucracy and by a lack of positive engagement by the authorities involved.

“It would be dreadful to think we would have to return some of the money. I would urge the Government not to let this happen.”

Mr Kelly said the EU is closely watching how the Dell fund is spent and it will have consequences for the provision of future similar funds to Ireland.

Dell Workers Association vice-chairman Paul O’Connor said: “On a daily basis there are individuals going to the Fás office where barriers are being put up against them to access the EU funds.

“I can see some of this money going back without a doubt. We did meet Dara Callery, who was meant to be in charge of overseeing this fund some months ago but we’ve had very little contact with him since.

“In recent weeks we emailed him with no reply. One was asking if he was still in charge following the reshuffle and there has been no reply.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Employment and Enterprise said that department was still in charge of the funds distribution, although it was not confirmed whether Mr Callery still had a role. She said the department was confident all the funds would be spent by the September 2011 deadline.