LABOUR Party candidate for Limerick City East, Elena Secas, is putting job creation and local economic development at the top of her priority list ahead of May’s local elections.
Originally from Moldova, Elena has been living in Limerick since 2001 and became an Irish citizen two years ago. She is married to Dumitru and they have two daughters, Nicole (12) and Alice (3).
An interpreter who speaks four languages and a former journalist, Elena is currently working as Customer Service Representative for ICON plc. The local election candidate from Castletroy was among those who addressed the Labour Party Conference in Enfiled, County Meath last weekend.
In her address, she said that most of the delegates had a family member, close friend or know somebody who had experienced the devastation of losing their job over the last few years.
“Unfortunately, it is not an unusual experience given that 250,000 jobs were lost between 2008 and 2011 under the previous government. And, like Labour colleagues across the country, one of my biggest priorities in representing my community is job creation and local economic development.”
“Figures at the end of 2013 showed that unemployment in Limerick had fallen by 9.5 percent in the past year. This was one of the highest drops in unemployment in the country and Limerick is now one of the country’s leading areas for job creation.”
“Labour – and Limerick – are leading the way with the introduction of landmark social employment clauses, which means that a specific amount of jobs on a public works construction project are ring-fenced for those who are long-term unemployed”, she said.
