THE Government has been urged to fast-track EU funding for retraining and business support for former SR Technics workers. Labour Party TD, Deputy Tommy Broughan said that the EU's Globalisation Adjustment Fund offers possible funding to retrain or support businesses established by workers that were made redundant when the Swiss company pulled out of its Dublin Airport operation.

Deputy Broughan said: ' The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) is an EU programme to support workers who lose their jobs so that they can find another job as quickly as possible.

'When a large enterprise shuts down or a factory is relocated to a country outside the EU, or a whole sector loses many jobs in a region, the EGF provides funds to help the redundant workers re-train or find new jobs.' The Labour deputy added: 'The closure of the aircraft engineering and maintenance plant SR Technics in Dublin Airport with the loss of nearly 1200 jobs last year was a devastating blow to the northside and the wider mid-Leinster region.

'The dismal failure of the government to protect the SRT jobs and the critical aircraft engineering and maintenance industry at Dublin Airport has been one of the most appalling calamities of this incompetent Fianna Fáil and Green government.' Deputy Broughan said: 'It is therefore essential that the government accesses all possible resources to facilitate exSR Technics workers in re-training programmes or new business initiatives. 'Many former SR Technics workers have contacted me who are desperate to be retrained or gain any support possible for new business initiatives.'

In response to a Dáil question on the issue, the Tánaiste revealed that the Government had submitted a 'provisional application' last October to the EGF for funding for 'a personalised package of training, educational and entrepreneurial supports to workers made redundant at SR Technics'.

Deputy Broughan's colleague, Dublin Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa, also recently asked the European Commission whether any application for funding under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund has been received from the Irish authorities to aid the former workers of SR Technics in Dublin and, if so, to indicate what is the current status of this application. The commission replied: 'The services of the commission are currently analysing the application, and have requested additional information from the Irish authorities on certain elements. Upon receipt of the information requested, the commission will decide whether to approve the application and to recommend it to the budgetary authority for a financial contribution.

'At this point, the commission has not yet finalised its assessment and therefore cannot yet comment on the outcome of the application.'

- John MANNING