A member of staff outside the Teleperformance building, Enniskillen RMG44
MANAGEMENT at Teleperformance call centre are to be quizzed by councillors on progress in creating their 800 jobs promised for Fermanagh over two years ago.
The jobs were due to be delivered by 2018, prompting Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to further question whether or not they will actually materialise.
In October 2015, then Finance Minister Arlene Foster announced that the 800 new jobs would be created by the global customer service giant, generating an estimated £12 million in salaries for the local economy.
Two years on from the announcement, the council wrote to Invest NI, who offered £2.5 million investment, asking where the jobs were and if any progress was being made.
In response, Invest NI’s Chief Executive Alastair Hamilton said he recognised that this project is of “strategic importance to Enniskillen and the wider Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area” but refused to be drawn on how the job creation was progressing.
Mr Hamilton repeated the message that Teleperformance “remains committed to Fermanagh” and that Invest NI would continue to work closely with management locally to help the company deliver its expansion plans.
The matter was discussed at the monthly council meeting in Enniskillen. The SDLP’s John Coyle was among those expressing his dissatisfaction with Invest NI’s response and the lack of progress.
“These jobs were supposed to be delivered by 2018 and they are vital to the people of Fermanagh,” Cllr Coyle said. “It’s disgusting that nothing has been done since the announcement over two years ago. We have to bring Teleperformance in front of us and ask them directly where the jobs are. I don’t know if they want to bring these 800 jobs or have they stepped back and washed their hands of them.”
UUP Cllr Alex Baird noted: “The jobs may still be live but nothing seems to be happening.”
Sinn Fein Cllr Barry Doherty added: “Not to be too cynical about it but if you were reading between the lines you could be of the opinion that someone was telling a little bit of porkies. When you look at the date of the original announcement there was an election on the horizon. I would rather get to the truth rather than know that there is supposedly 800 jobs coming here that probably won’t.”
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