Manorhamilton forgotten in decentralisation move

Once again Manorhamilton and the North Leitrim area have been ignored and forgotten by Government, said Labour representative Mr Gabriel McSharry when he referred to the fact that none of the proposed decentralised jobs announced by Minister McCreevey on Budget day, will go to North Leitrim

"Carrick-on-Shannon, the county town, is to be assisted and rightly so. For far too long the needs of Leitrim have been ignored. However, the Manorhamilton and North Leitrim area in general has been ravaged by unemployment and emigration over the years and the conflict in Northern Ireland further undermined the local economy. Given such a background of disadvantage it is only fair and reasonable to believe that Manorhamilton should have been considered for some of the decentralised jobs announced by the Minister", Mr. McSharry maintained.

"I have no doubt but that the local elected representatives have been making the necessary representations to Government for decentralisation. However, it would appear that they have no clout when it comes to influencing Government decisions", he added.

"If locations for decentralisation were decided upon on the basis of need and on the basis of a requirement for fair and balanced development then Manorhamilton and North Leitrim were fully deserving of consideration. However, once again this area has been relegated to second class status by this Government.

"This community is already concerned about the future of the health services in the area and in this context the announcement of decentralised jobs would have provided a significant moral boost for the people of Manorhamilton and North Leitrim. But all we received was a deafening silence from Dublin.

"How can Manorhamilton and North Leitrim hope to grow and develop when its needs are constantly ignored by Government? I believe that there must now be a unified effort across the political spectrum, to emphasise the need for genuine investment in the area, and to demand the same level of support for North Leitrim as the Government is giving to Knock and other areas in the region", said Mr McSharry.