TRALEE Municipal District councillors are requesting a meeting with the IDA with a view to establishing a full-time officer for the Kerry area.

Speaking at the meeting of Tralee MD on Monday, Cllr Jim Finucane (FG) said the recent situation with Borg Warner and Debenhams has highlighted the need to bring jobs into the county and said clarity is also needed on the advanced manufacturing facility at Kerry Technology Park.

He said he wanted to see an IDA office established in Tralee with a full-time official to deal with any potential opportunities to bring companies to Kerry.

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Cllr Johnnie Wall (FF) supported Cllr Finucane on the matter. He said the IDA has been a waste of time for Kerry and it’s the last place in the country that the IDA bring companies to visit.

Cllr Deirdre Ferris (SF) said we need to be more circumspect about the type of companies that set up in Kerry.  She referred to the recent situation with Debenhams whom she said left the employees “high and dry” and walked away from their responsibilities and to Borg Warner who are in dispute with workers about redundancy payments.

Mayor of Tralee Terry O’Brien said he had personally felt let down by the IDA. He said the Council had to do something about job creation as the town had so much offer companies.

Tralee Municipal District Manager, Michael Scannell, said the recent loss of jobs in the town was hugely disappointing.

He said the Chief Executive of KCC, Moira Morrell had met the IDA in the past few weeks and they have agreed to attend regular meetings with various stakeholders, including councillors, Enterprise Ireland and representatives from leading businesses within the county, to look at the economic sector in Kerry with a view to progressing the possibilities for investment in the county.