All four Sligo/Leitrim TDs have now condemned the remarks of the CEO of Eir about the telecommunications company’s customer care centre in Sligo.
Carolan Lennon told an Oireachtas committee it was a ‘mistake’ to have set up in Sligo as it did not initially have the skills needed.
Fine Gael Minister Frank Feighan and Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny said that did not reflect the experiences of the operators of other such centres in Sligo and in other areas of the north west.
Independent TD Marian Harkin said Ms. Lennon’s comments to the committee, following similar comments on RTE’s Prime Time programme, added ‘insult to injury.’
In answer to Fianna Fail Deputy Marc MacSharry at yesterday’s committee hearing, Ms Lennon said she did not mean any offence to Sligo, adding that the issue was a ‘strategic’ challenge.
She said she apologised if she said it incorrectly, adding that Eir underestimated how difficult it would be to get a contact centre off the ground in Sligo and that she as CEO was responsible.
She also said Eir was committed to the future of the Sligo operation.
Speaking to Ocean FM News, Deputy MacSharry said it was an issue of management, and that staff should not have been blamed.
* Ocean FM News has contacted Eir seeking an interview with CEO Carolan Lennon.
