It is not often I get to congratulate Labour and Fine Geal but as a member of the board of Grangegorman I welcome the Government’s action to correct their damaging decision of last year to cut capital funding for the Grangegorman development.

When, in November 2011, the Government announced a cut of more than €700million to the capital budget for 2012 it not only undermined important employment generating projects like Grangegorman but also greatly undermined confidence of potential private investors in the Irish market.

The previous Government provided funding for the establishment of the Grangegorman Development Authority, of which I am a board member, creation of a Master Plan and design and construction of the new HSE Mental Health facility which is due to be complete by the end of the year. Once the new mental health facility is ready conservation work can begin on some of the listed buildings to adapt them for use by the Dublin Institute of Technology. The first students are due on site in September 2014.

This work will be labour intensive and I have worked to ensure local employment opportunities are maximised. A skills register has been set up for construction workers who would like to be part of these projects. The Local Employment Service is administering this register. If you wish to be added to the skills register please send your CV to the Local Employment Service, 42 Manor Street, Dublin 7. Or you can e-mail them at gmoore@nwicles.ie. Please note that this register is only for construction related skills at this time. While other jobs will be coming on stream as the Grangegorman project progresses, a register for other sectors has not yet been established.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about this or any other issue.  Mary