05/08/2002

Small Firms Association warns of bleak future

The latest report from the Small Firms Association (SFA) has painted a bleak picture of the country's economic outlook.

In its report the SFA warned Ireland was in danger of losing its competitive position and that the situation was deteriorating rapidly.

SFA Director Pat Delaney warned of a downturn in jobs creation in the latter part of this year and a fall in the demand for labour.

The report predicted that small businesses in Ireland would create just over 36,000 new jobs this year. This is significantly less than in 2001 when 46,000 jobs were predicted and almost half the number in 2000.

Tourism was described as a "disaster" due in the main to the foot-and-mouth outbreak, September 11, and the subsequent fall in economic activity which had damaged consumer confidence in the sector. In the long term, the SFA offers little optimism, predicting a stagnant tourist market for the next three years.

The report also said that the housing and accommodation sector was "in crisis". High house prices were serving as a barrier to the development of the labour market and were restricting job mobility.

Mr Delaney accused the Irish government of letting spending policies slip out of control, with price inflation and wage rates outstripping productivity growth.

(SP)

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