This article is from page 3 of the 2011-01-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
“PATRIOTISM used to mean going out and being shot – now it means creating jobs.” That’s the view of the new president of the Chamber of Commerce who is calling for the setting up of an employment generating alliance for the county.
John Dillane told The Clare People that he wants “people who are will- ing to put their money where their mouths are,” to contact him through the chamber to get the group up and running.
“We want all the stakeholders involved, The businesses, the county council – everyone. We need to get off our backsides and do something if this county is to pull out of the recession.”
The shoot-from-the-hip new presi- dent said that he believes that the new patriotism is job creation.
“In 1916 when the country was in trouble, people demonstrated patriotism by going out and getting shot. Now they can do it by going out and creating jobs.”
He is calling for a special meeting to set up the group which will have job creation as its focus.
“We need to get this county back on its feet. There’s no reason we can’t start a movement to do that, but we need to do it for ourselves and every single person in the county needs to get involved in that.”
“I’m calling on any companies that have some money in their pockets to come together and be part of this organisation for Clare. We can make a difference, we can employ more people.”
Mr Dillane, who is proprietor of Banner Motors, says that in the coming year the “red carpet should be rolled out for anyone who is employing people.”
In his role as president of the Chamber, Dillane says he hopes to motivate people in the county to get more people back in the workforce and to persuade consumers to support their own and spend in the Banner.