“We have had enough”

Businness and the general public in Inishowen have been called upon to form a united front to take the peninsula out of its “economic wasteland” status. Business owners from throughout the peninsula will gather in Ballyliffin tomorrow night when they are expected to hear calls for a non-payment of rates campaign. They will also be given the opportunity to hear sitting political representatives and candidates in the forthcoming elections on what they intend to do to prevent the region “collapsing on its knees.” The meeting, to be held in the Ballyliffin Lodge Lodge and Spa, has been organised by the Ballyliffin Development Group and will be chaired by freelance investigative reporter, Chris Moore. The hastily arrangement gathering was organised at meeting of the BDG on Thursday last. Now, the group is calling on business people throughout Inishowen to join them in a campaign for the peninsula to be granted “rates free” status for two years. Those in attendance are expected to be called upon to stop paying rates Cecil Doherty, BDG chairman, said: “We have had enough. At our monthly meeting members expressed their disgust at having to pay water rates, commercial rates etc. yet nothing was being done for the region that is being crippled in the current economic situation.” Mr. Doherty added: “Inishowen used have a shirt industry, it is now gone; it used to have a fishing industry, it is now gone; it used to have a construction industry, it is now gone. All that is left is tourism and it is struggling, what with the current rate of the euro and the increased VAT rate in the Republic and reduction in the VAT rate in the North.” Mr. Doherty said struggling businesses were unable to get assistance. He said: “The banks have cut overdraft rates to businesses and are refusing credit facilities en mass to small to medium businesses while they (the banks) are bailed out by Government.” He added: “It has been much vocalised that Inishowen was to be a priority for politicians and public bodies but statistics show it is an economic wasteland and, sadly, there is no blueprint to get us out of it.” Mr. Doherty revealed all sitting elected representatives and candidates in the forthcoming elections were to invited to speak at the meeting. He added: “All will be given an opportunity to speak and we will be calling on the people of Inishowen to support the candidate who is making Inishowen a priority ‘as a whole.’ “We have spoken to numerous business people across the peninsula and everyone is very angry and frustrated. It’s got to a stage people are talking about taking ‘militant’ action which could mean the businesses in Inishowen getting together and withholding rates.” Another business man, Paul McLaughlin, said the withdrawal of the payment of rates was a real possibility. He said: “In Clonmany and Ballyliffin alone people are paying hundreds of thousands of euros in rates and are getting very little back. What we are trying to do is to form a consensus of what Inishowen needs.” Tomorrow night’s meeting will take place at 7.30pm.