Local Fine Gael Senator, Jerry Buttimer, has today (Wednesday) described the loss of 119 jobs at the Harris Corporation Little Island plant as another knock-out blow to a locality that is already buckling under severe economic pressure.
“Cork has been haemorrhaging jobs in the last 12 months while the Government looks on regardless.
“The loss of 69 full-time and 50 part-time jobs from the Little Island plant will come as another hammer blow to workers and their families, not to mention the damage it will do to the local economy which has been steadily crumbling in recent months.
“Harris Corporation has now decided to phase out operations and close the Little Island plant in June, resulting in the further obliteration of the electronic industry in Cork, on top of many others.
“In recent times we have witnessed the decimation of Motorola in Blackrock, Hormann Electronics in Mahon, Smurfit in Togher and the Odlum Group in Cork, to name a few. The loss of Harris Corporation now from Little Island signals devastation for the people of Cork.
“The Government’s failure to address the jobs crisis and to insist on a policy of increased taxes and an increase in public spending is certain to prolong the recession by plunging us deeper into debt.
“Fine Gael has consistently called for our NewEra document, which would see 100,000 jobs created, and our SME survival package, which would protect 80,000 jobs, to be implemented but to no avail. My heartfelt sympathy goes to the workers affected today by this news, not least because they are reliant on Fianna Fáil to get them back to work.”