HARD CHOICES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE BETWEEN MEASURES NEEDED TO RETURN TO COMPETITIVENESS or LOSS OF EXPORTS AND MORE UNEMPLOYMENT

Stated the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) following it’s meeting last night (20th Oct) with An Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D. and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan T.D. in Government Buildings, as part of the Social Partnership process.

John Whelan, Chief Executive of the association stated;

‘’The existing agreement Social Partnership agreement Towards 2016 was set up in totally different economic circumstances than we now find ourselves in. All sectors off society and the different parties who signed up to the Towards 2016 in both the private and public, must face this reality. It no longer provides a realistic wage framework and must be renegotiated, or abandoned.’’

He went on to say;

‘’We all have hard choices to make as employers , employees , and citizens of the country , between adjusting our living standards to what we can afford or going further into debt , and ultimately declining as an export nation .’’

‘’Export sales and new jobs can be created ,if we can accept the necessary adjustments now , but a pay pause until 2011 is essential and in some quarters pay reductions will be necessary ,to get ourselves back into a competitive position on international markets.’’

The IEA further added;

Most of our trading partners have faced similar economic decline as that in Ireland, but their governments have reacted rapidly to stimulate their export sector .At last nights meeting the IEA reminded the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, that although a total of €350 million in export stimulus had been agreed only 10% approximately had been issued. And the critical evaluation of the Export Credit Insurance support package promised for end of September had still not been released by the Government.

John Whelan, concluded by saying;

‘’Exporters are frustrated as the necessary actions and support schemes to enable exporters to retain export sales and maintain employment have been agreed with Government, but there has been a lack of effective execution of the schemes. This must be addressed urgently if further damage to the export sector is to be prevented and the consequent job losses. ‘’

ENDS

For further information contact:

John Whelan
Irish Exporters Association
Telephone: 087 927 1243

Email: jfwhelan@irishexporters.ie