SOCIAL CLAUSE FOR SWORDS

The campaign will take place across a number of weeks involving local stalls, gathering a petition and looking for a social clause on any construction contracts at the Dublin airport expansion.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy O’Reilly said:

“Swords and the surrounding areas will be most affected if the second runway progresses with communities put out by construction, flights, noise and traffic. The people of Swords are being told of jobs that will be created during construction over the next two decades. But where are the guarantees?

“In the last term, Sinn Féin had a bill, the Social Clauses in Public Procurement Bill 2013, which legislates for the mandatory inclusion of social clauses in all public procurement contracts worth in excess of €1 million. Now is the time for this government to recognise how necessary social clauses are, and by using Swords and the second Runway as the opportunity to implement social clauses.

“Currently social clauses are not legislated for, nor are they mandatory. This is not good enough. Swords deserves better. The only way to guarantee the creation of jobs for Swords from the construction of the second runway is to legislate for social clauses.

“Sinn Féin is launching this campaign so that any contracts and jobs relating to the Dublin airport expansion have the economic and social interests of Swords at its heart, by ensuring a percentage of people in Swords are given jobs.

“We are carrying out a survey of all the skills, trades and professions currently on offer in Swords, with a view to establishing the supply of people available to add value to the second runway project, and who can be employed locally under a social clause.

“We will be handing in a petition on this to the Minister and the DAA. We will also be lobbying for social clauses to be legislated for, using our Social Clauses in Public Procurement Bill 2013 as a template.”

ENDS