Another 100 new jobs for Athlone – McFadden

Fine Gael TD for Longford Westmeath, Gabrielle McFadden, has said the news that 100 new jobs are to be created in Athlone by medical devices company Teleflex, is clear evidence that this Government is fulfilling its commitment to regional job creation and investment.

“The news that 100 new high skilled jobs are to be created by Teleflex in Athlone is really welcome for the town and surrounding areas. We all know that an economic recovery is underway in the larger urban areas but for some time I have been advocating the need to ensure this recovery is felt across the regions. Today’s announcement is clear evidence of the Government’s commitment to regional job creation and investment in the Midlands.

“I want to complement the Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton who is doing great work in encouraging companies to the country. Only three weeks ago, I arranged for Minister Bruton to be present in Athlone to announce the signing of an €80m contract between Ericsson and Eircom.

“Teleflex has been a great employer in Athlone since 2007 and this expansion demonstrates their commitment to the town for the future.

“All the economic indicators show our economy is growing again and people are getting back to work. CSO figures show that the Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) is working. Recent CSO figures show that since the launch of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs in February 2012, the live register has fallen from 15.1% down to 11.1%. We are firmly on track to help create 100,000 jobs by 2016. Employment is now at its highest level since 2009.

“Minister Bruton has highlighted that the medical devices sector is a key part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and it is great to see towns like Athlone benefitting from this. These 100 new jobs will also be good for the town in terms of the boost they will give to local shops, bars and restaurants, leading to indirect job creation in Athlone and surrounding areas.”