Department of Trade and Enterprise not interested

forgingfool

Why arnt the Department of Trade and Enterprise interested in an industry that is currently worth over €10,000,000 to the Irish aconamy and by one of their own study's potentially could be worth €60,000,000?

What is this industry? Blacksmithing.

There are currently 150 to 180 enterprises in Ireland carrying out forge-work i.e. gates, railings, sculpture and restoration and conservation of our built heritage. Despite this neither the Department of Trade and Enterprise or the Crafts Council of Ireland are interested in supporting Blacksmithing. IABA (Irish Artist Blacksmith Association) has made countless submissions calling the them both for training and greater marketing or the industry but to no avail.

Why aren't we proud of our unique artisans in Ireland, the way they are on in the rest of Europe? And why don't we support them?

ei.sdraob

forgingfool wrote: »

Why arnt the Department of Trade and Enterprise

the dept is too busy telling the likes of O'Leary to feck off

Fat_Fingers

Department of Trade gets tons of submissions from all sorts of vested interest groups. IABA is just other one in the sea of all types of groups looks for money and preferential status. Submissions meant little to nothing during the boom years and now in recession they don't even stop at the someones desk but hit the bin right away.Perhaps IABA is going wrong way about it.
Maybe IABA needs their own lobbyist like Tom Parlon is for CIF

Sleepy

What have the IABA done for themselves? I've never heard of them before this post.

While I agree that the minister should be available to at least have a sit down with any industry body looking for her time.

Have approaches been made to FÁS regarding an apprenticeship scheme?
Has any advertising been carried out by the association themselves?

I'm all for ministerial assistance in organising something like an apprenticeship scheme or putting the association in contact with others who could help promote the trade. I'm not so sure I'd be in favour of monetary support of any industry incapable of sustaining itself on the basis of it's sales, however. Forgive me if I've taken you up wrongly here, I'm just so used to the 'support' being requested by various groups in Ireland being another word for a handout.

Sleepy

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

Department of Trade gets tons of submissions from all sorts of vested interest groups. IABA is just other one in the sea of all types of groups looks for money and preferential status. Submissions meant little to nothing during the boom years and now in recession they don't even stop at the someones desk but hit the bin right away.Perhaps IABA is going wrong way about it.
Maybe IABA needs their own lobbyist like Tom Parlon is for CIF

An industry that size couldn't afford the likes of Tom Parlon and do we really want to hear another gob****e like that on the Last Word every other week?

forgingfool, is there anyone within the organisation who could take up such a role for ye? Not as a full time lobbyist but as a spokesman for the industry who could try and get on the likes of the radio show I've mentioned or get exposure for the trade through featuring in one of the many 'doing up a house' programs on RTÉ etc.

Fat_Fingers

Looking at the forgingfool posting records it looks like he himself has taken up lobbying for his industry here on boards.ie

Ste.phen

TO add on to sleepy's suggestion, if someone was able to get in touch with the producers of those shows on RTÉ, it might be worth offering cheap/free smithing work for one of the show's houses in exchange for a mention on the show, credits and website?
'These really nice gates came from <BLACKSMITH>, and if you want something similar you can contact the IABA for a list of members and retailers...#?

forgingfool

We are not looking for hand outs, we all have businesses and not receive any help over the past ten years. No industry in Ireland survives with out some sort of help with training or marketing, that's all we are asking for.

We have been trying to raise our profile we demonstrated forge-work at Bloom last year and on the Late Late show as well as holding two forge-ins having an article published in the Indo about the lack of support and we had four questions asked in the Dail on the same subject, all to no avail. We will be launching our website next month and hopeful that will help to inform the public as to the work we are carrying out.

If anyone has any contact with RTE shows we are more than happy to provide our time and information.

Sleepy

What support are you seeking with training and marketing if not financial?

It seems pretty ludicrous that the minister couldn't help support a move to get something like FÁS-backed smithing apprenticeships provided to some of the unemployed if there's a growth industry that badly needs more workers!

forgingfool

FAS would not be the way to go for blacksmithing. FAS always try and drive down standards so that everyone can pass and this would do more harm than good. There is a facility in Mayo with €600,000 worth of forging equipment just lying idle. All we need is the funds to open it up again. And between €150,000 to €300,000 a year is not a lot of money to help move an industry worth €10,000,000 and transform it into an industry worth €60,000,000. Seams like it should be a no-brainier, to me anyway

forgingfool

Here is the new Irish Artist Blacksmith Association website:

http://www.irishblacksmiths.com

This will give you a good view into the work and scope of blacksmithing in Ireland and the world today.

thebman

Same reason they ignore the gaming industry, they don't know what they are doing.