SFA hits out at ESB price rise
The Director of the Small Firms Association, Pat Delaney, has said the latest round of electricity increases will further undermine the ability of Irish manufacturing and production industries to remain in Ireland.
"In the three years to September 2004, electricity prices for industry have increased by 41%. A typical Irish business now pays 40% more than its UK counterpart for electricity. Irish energy costs are now 25% higher than the EU average," said Mr Delaney.
He cited figures which showed employment in manufacturing and other production industries exposed to international competition has fallen from 330,000 in 2001 to 300,000.
"To date the liberalisation of the Irish energy market has failed and the result is manufacturing and production industries are being forced to move elsewhere. Will we wait until the remaining 300,000 jobs are lost before we wake up?" said Mr Delaney.
"The impact of these price increases will be a 0.24% increase in our inflation rate but equally worrying is the impact it will have on raw material prices, which in turn will push up the price of consumer goods."
