'Does industry have a future in Northern Ireland? Simply, yes': Business boost as minister commits to rebuild manufacturing, during tour of Harland and Wolff £100m investment
A UK government minister has affirmed his commitment to rebuilding industry in Northern Ireland, saying manufacturing jobs absolutely have a future here.
Industry Minister Chris McDonald yesterday toured Harland and Wolff’s yards to see the first fruits of a combined £100m of private investment and the government’s multiple-ship contract that has it constructing major projects for the Royal Navy.
With that mix already paying dividends in terms of jobs and money entering the local economy, Mr McDonald told the News Letter: “The question ‘is there a future for industry in Northern Ireland’ is the question ‘is there a future for industry in the whole of the United Kingdom’ – and my answer is simply, yes.
“My job is to reindustrialise, to increase the level of industrial capacity we have in the UK. We do that by having a more competitive business environment and by helping businesses improve their productivity.”
Looking at the government’s commitments to rebuilding manufacturing, he added: “Shipbuilding is in there as part of a foundation of our economy, as are heavy industry, defence and clean energy.”
He added that many of the province’s big names could have a bright future, stating: “Industry is growing and developing in Northern Ireland; it always could, but it’s got to be a partnership between government and industry to enable it.”
Despite its long and storied history as one of Northern Ireland’s industrial giants, Harland and Wolff was in a long slump as heavy industry shifted overseas.
But a massive newly-constructed building in its Belfast yard is currently manufacturing three support vessels for the Royal Navy, in a contract that’s brought ship construction back to the city for the first time in over 20 years.
It’s resulting in a jobs boost, with hundreds more employees needed to build the order, and new owners Navantia plan to use the three ships to prove the company’s bona fides and hook in a steady stream of customers to secure staff both old and new.
After manufacturing the ships will assembled in the company’s Belfast dry dock, and the sudden influx of money and jobs has Mr McDonald excited.
“It’s really bringing the place back to life,” he told the News Letter. “I spoke to the chief executive and he told me their main restriction is shortage of space – now, I never expected to hear that at Harland and Wolff.
“There’s such a strong pipeline of orders here, they’ve invested in new machinery, they can see there’s great export potential. There’s going to be a huge uplift of activity.
“The business here was always capable of that, the workforce were always capable, they just needed that investment.”
The minister said that Harland and Wolff needs a combination of commercial and government contracts to be a success, but recent rules changes have made it easier for Westminster shipbuilding orders to go into UK yards.
“It’s a fairly straightforward principle,” he said. “If taxpayers are paying for the ships, they’ll want them built by our own workers and our own supply chains.”