This article is from page 12 of the 2011-11-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE future of Shannon Development remains in doubt, with everything now resting on the recommendations made by a number of Government departments and state organisations to the Brosnan Report.
The report, which was completed by the Mid-West Task Force under the chairmanship of Denis Brosnan, is currently with Minister Richard Bruton (FG) at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The Clare People has learned that the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has recently circulated the report to a number of of other Government departments for submission and these submissions will be added to the report before it will go before the cabinet for implementation.
A spokesperson from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation could not confirm when the process will be finished but The Clare People understands that a formal announcement will be made be fore the December 6 budget.
“The recommendations of the report of the Mid-West Task Force re- late mainly to the programmes and structures of the industrial development and other agencies in the region,” said a spokesperson from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
“Accordingly, this department recently sought the views of a number of other departments on the report’s recommendations. This consultation process will be completed shortly, following which the report’s findings and recommendations will be presented to Government for decision in accordance with the timeframe announced in the Public Service Reform plan an- nounced yesterday [last Thursday].”
This news follows a number of sweeping reforms to all Government-funded quangos announced in the Public Service Reform Plan. The plan gives a commitment to perform a complete review of all the tourism function currently undertaken by Shannon Development and examine a the possibility of merging these duties into other unnamed organisations. All of Shannon Development’s non-tourism related function will then be decided in the context of the Brosnan Report.
Shannon Development was one of a number of organisations who contributed to the report of the Mid-West Task Force but it is still unclear how this report will be used by Government.
“Shannon Development is considering the report which proposes to review the company’s activities as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Mid West Taskforce Report. Shannon Development will be in discussions with relevant Government ministers and departments in the coming weeks,” said a spokesperson from Shannon Development.