GAA grassroots connect with Clune’s job programme
THE IDA may be a winner at finding jobs for the big cities, but the GAA reckons there is only one champion in rural Ireland.
It has written a submission to the Department of Enterprise, demanding that Connect Ireland’s stalled contract be reinstated.
It has had, it wrote, a successful partnership in its rural heartlands with businessman Terry Clune’s job initiative. Citing the example of the Magni Group, which has created 17 jobs in Mallow, the GAA’s argument won’t find too many detractors in rural dressing rooms that are too often decimated by emigration.
“Understandably, this type of company is not of a size to warrant IDA interest; however, these kind of companies provide valuable and sustainable employment to rural Ireland and enrich a community by providing much needed economic development,” said the submission.
“The Magni Group was close to deciding to locate the facility in the Czech Republic and were it not for the intervention of Connect Ireland and the GAA, these jobs would have gone elsewhere.”
HOMEOWNERS in Cork who covet flatpack, cheap Swedish furniture have reason to be hopeful. Representatives of Ikea, which has been a roaring success in Dublin, met with Cork City Council earlier this year to mull over options for the furniture chain.
Temple Bar Management, which acts for the Swedish company, has held several meetings on the matter.
The most recent was to discuss “a proposal to build and operate an Ikea store in the Cork region, with particular emphasis on possible traffic difficulties”.
A few clues as to Ikea’s plans come from handwritten notes of the minutes, released under the Freedom of Information Act.
It appears that Ikea will follow the model it introduced in Dublin’s Carrickmines, where people come in and order furniture for future collection or delivery.
The company told officials that only 10pc of customers in Dublin are passers-by, with the rest making a “purposeful journey”.
Little surprise then that other collection plans are planned around the country.