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Dear Editor,
It is with utter amazement to the hypocrisy of the comments made by Deputy Michael D Higgins in your newspaper dated Wednesday 21 May and in other local publications, in regard to the decision made by the Connacht Tribune Group to outsource its printing requirements, that I write this letter.
Deputy Higgins has appealed to the newspaper group to reconsider their decision, so as to ensure a printing infrastructure in the region and also to save jobs - which I would agree with. He has also referred to the closure of the Tribune's printing facility as 'the abandonment of the last printing press in Galway'.
Deputy Higgins, like all Labour politicians, must think that there is no printing infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland apart from the printing of newspapers. It is my opinion that Deputy Higgins must not know the people and businesses in his own constituency. There are numerous printing companies based in Galway, not alone in the country as a whole.
The Labour Party has had most, if not all, of their literature and signs printed and manufactured outside of the Republic of Ireland for the last two general elections. The Labour Party supposedly represents the Irish public and wants to keep jobs and create even more jobs in Ireland, however, when the printing industry is on its knees and manufacturing as a whole is in major decline in this country due to high costs and skills shortages, compared to our European counter parts, the Labour Party are having their printing requirements handled outside of the State.
Deputy Higgins wants the Connacht Tribune to 'save the jobs' and also commented on how he is one of many people who has been supportive of regional development. I put the question to deputy Higgins: How can he make comments in regard, when he does not realise that there is a printing infrastructure in Galway and his party choose to source their printing requirements from other EU states?
The Labour Party is not however the only political party in Ireland that are culprits of this hypocrisy. Other political parties also have their general election material printed outside the Republic. One in particular, for the last general election had their election material printed in Germany and the previous general election material printed in the UK. Both of these political parties are adding to the decline of the printing industry in Ireland and, in turn, basically putting people, whom they say they represent, working in the printing, packaging and paper industries, in this country, out of work. I have been informed that political parties are not entitled to claim VAT back. By getting their printing completed outside the state, they do not have to pay VAT, thus helping these political parties save money but also put people residing in Ireland out of work.
Yours,
Darach O'Flaherty,
Castle Print (Galway)
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