SINN FEIN deputy Pearse Doherty has described as ‘devastating’ that a gaeltacht funding body has closed.
Staff at Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltacht (MFG) were told last night not to return to work today.
The organisation takes funding from several different sources including Government, Rural Development Fund and the EU and distributes it amongst groups in the Gaeltacht.
The closure has even hit the school bus run in many areas this morning.
Deputy Pearse Doherty is angry at the closure, saying: “There is absolute shock at the way this happened with people told at 4pm the company had ceased trading.
“I can’t underestimate the huge blow this has dealt across the Gaeltacht community. There are many businesses which rely on MFG for funding.
“The rural bus services are not operating because of it hitting many schools across Donegal.”
He called for the Government to intervene immediately.
Staff have been on protective notice for the past eight weeks.
Minister Dinny McGinley said 100 people nationally were directly and indirectly effected.
“This is very serious for the 34 directly employed people who have no jobs this morning,” said Mr McGinley.
“It’s a bombshell,” he said.
Senator Brian O’Domhnaill told donegaldaily: “The services being provided by MFG were of critical importance to the Gaeltacht and the people of the Gaeltacht in Donegal. This should never have been allowed to happen.”
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