Enterprise Minister told that Mountmellick “starved” of jobs

Jobs for Mountmellick.

Local Town Councillors stressed that message to the Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton at a recent business forum in Portlaoise.

So Cllr Bobby Delaney told the Town Council monthly meeting.

He said he and his fellow Fine Gael colleagues, Cllrs Rosemary Whelan and Ollie Payne, had told the Minister of how the IDA had “starved” Mountmellick of jobs.

Chairman Cllr Paddy Bracken: “I compliment you on the meeting.”

However, Cllr Bracken’s Fianna Fáil colleague, Cllr Marc Connolly was less than impressed at the performance of the State’s overseas investment agency.

He said it was an absolute disgrace that there were only 150 “IDA jobs” in Laois.

He added: “There was only one IDA project ever in Mountmellick. The county as a whole has been completely neglected.”

Minister Bruton made no specific reference to Mountmellick in any of his public remarks at the forum which was also attended by regional chiefs from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.