Jobs, lack of investment, VAT differential, cross Border shopping, relocation of cancer services and why we were the solitary fish who swam alone in a sea of Lisbon Yes's featured in the 'Today With Pat Kenny' radio programme from Donegal Town last Thursday.
Broadcast live from Magee’s store in the town centre, with Myles Dungan standing in for Pat Kenny, putting it to Sinn Féin’s Senator Pearse Doherty and Fianna Fáil TD Jim McDaid, “What is wrong in Donegal “. Both politicians immediately ‘got stuck in
to each other’ for over 20 minutes with jobs and VAT reductions the argument and insulting allegations the means of transmission when Dr McDaid referred to the the ‘No’ voters aligning themselves to “that motely crew” (Sinn Féin). This set the tone for a two hour debate of controversy among business, other politicians and media on the recession ills and concerns of this county.
“We need to listen to Donegal’s cries, with 20,000 people unemployed, no serious investment, infrastructure, or health protection, stripping away cancer services particularly from Sligo. Our voice is not being heard in the corridors of power”, said Senator Doherty.
He further cited the Tánaiste when questioned on cross border shopping as saying, “I don’t own a shop, the government doesn’t own a shop. It is up to customers to reduce prices. That is why shops are closing because of lack of support here in this and other Donegal towns.” One Donegal Businesswoman Roberta Gillen said she had four shops in the county, but now only one remains, and she has laid off 10 staff.
For Jim McDaid, “our main concerns,peripherality, no investment, sterling factors, the fact in the 1980/90’s, almost 54% of this county’s economy was built on the textile industry. These jobs have now gone to Eastern Europe or Africa. ”In 1992, there were 620 US companies in this country, only 16 along the border. Nobody wanted to invest here because of 30 years of war and devastation. Jobs are leaving this country”.
Tempers were brewing as Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh said the ‘Donegal No’ was a protest vote which incensed the crowd even more. “It was not a protest vote” was the reply. One lady indigently roaring at Deputy McDaid when he apologised for ‘Donegal’s No’ vote and where was he during the Troubles. In fighting form, the former Minister for Sport hit back, “look at the motely crew(Sinn Féin) you aligned yourselves to. I’ll tell you where I was, in surgery in Letterkenny General Hospital pulling shrapnel out of people that these people did damage to.”
Myles Dungan said, “You cannot describe Sinn Féin as a motely crew, one of the oldest political parties in Ireland.”
One of the features on the show was a proce comparison between two stores, Tesco here and Asda in Strabane, carried out by reporter Colm O Dullacháin. He found a 19% price differential on a similar basket of groceries bought in Tesco Letterkenny, with Asda Strabane the cheaper and a whopping 37% difference in televisions at Argos Letterkenny and Derry, the lower.
Martin Howley of Killybegs’ ‘Atlantic Challenge’ said with the Common Fisheries Policy, vessels once fishing 320 days a year, now out between 80 to 90.
