By Jerome Hughes
EYEBROWS were raised at a business conference in Burt when prospective finance minister Pearse Doherty emphasised the challenges of low wages faced by workers in Donegal and the wider region.
Addressing the concerns of the local Sinn Féin TD, the issue didn’t sit well with delegates, many of whom insist that paying staff remains their foremost challenge.
Terry Hughes, proprietor of a filling station on the Ballyshannon-Belleek border, shared his perspective with the Donegal News, stating that sustaining a business has become almost impossible.
“Getting staff is difficult and wages continue to creep up,” he said.
“Costs are constantly rising. Energy is a big problem, especially paying for electricity.
“Some retailers are paying an extra ten, fifteen, twenty thousand per month.”
Mr. Hughes highlighted the ongoing struggle to keep his business afloat, noting a rise in bankruptcy procedures in the north west region.
“Insurance costs are not coming down despite legislation designed to try and achieve that. Rates are very high. It just seems to be a never-ending battle to try and cut costs.
“The inflation that’s happening for ordinary people is also happening for businesses.”
Also speaking to Donegal News at the conference, Deputy Doherty defended his assertion that workers in the area deserve higher wages, citing a stark 40 per cent difference between pay in Donegal and Dublin.
“What we have in many SMEs is low productivity and low profitability,” he said.
“We need to attract FDI companies to the region, that’s foreign direct investment.
“It would deliver high-level jobs and high-level wages. That would lift all boats.
“It would mean more money being spent in restaurants, in our local shops, in the hospitality sector.” he claimed.
The business conference, held at An Grianán Hotel in Burt last Friday, drew a diverse array of groups and organisations, including Letterkenny Chamber and Atlantic Technological University.
Deputy Doherty emphasised the untapped potential in the region.
“There’s a unique set of circumstances for businesses here in the north west that need to be addressed.
“We have the highest levels of deprivation on the island of Ireland. We have the lowest wages and the lowest level of disposable income. We have the worst infrastructure, not just on the island of Ireland but actually across Europe. This has all happened due to government neglect and indifference to this region.
“The north west is brimming with opportunities, that’s what we heard from the business leaders here. However, we need major investment in infrastructure.” insisted Deputy Doherty.
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