The European Commission in consultation with the EU Parliament, is proposing to provide €2.5 million of European Globalisation Adjustment Funding (EGF) to help 250 former workers in Lufthansa Technik Airmotive, two of its suppliers and an additional 200 young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) to find jobs, with the balance coming from the Irish Exchequer.

Dublin MEP Brian Hayes Fine Gael said he wouldbe supporting the proposed package: “I will be supporting the Commission's proposal when it comes before the Parliament in March. The proposed €4.1 million plan for Rathcoole will offer real supports to 450 people. The supports include occupational guidance and career planning assistance, enterprise and self-employment supports, training, further education programmes and higher education programmes, training grants and income supports.

“When 400 workers lost out as their jobs were outsourced to developing countries, the Government applied to the EU for funding designed to assist people impacted by globalisation. This is a good example of the practical support the European Union can offer its citizens. The financial support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) is an acknowledgement that European solidarity is alive and well.”

• The Airmotive Ireland aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) plant at Rathcoole, Co Dublin was set up by Aer Lingus in 1980.
• Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland Limited (LTAI) took a majority shareholding in 1997 and full ownership in 1999.
• Ireland applied for support from the EGF following the closure in 2014, as a result of increasing competition from aircraft and aircraft component repair enterprises elsewhere in the world.
• Since starting operations in 2007, the EGF has received 132 applications. Some €542 million has been requested to help more than 118,000 workers. In 2013 alone, it provided more than €53.5 million in support.
• You can find out more about the EGF here http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=326&langId=en