Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for choosing the issue of job losses at Barford Meats Limited in Carrickmacross for debate on the Adjournment. I met worker representatives and the union representing the factory workers, SIPTU, last week regarding the closure of the company, which is to result in the loss of 82 jobs. These losses include seven that took place earlier in the year, in the belief that the company would have an opportunity to restructure itself financially. It was believed that the seven workers would come back within a six month period to a company that had reshaped itself. Ten workers are due to lose their jobs this Friday and 65 workers lost their jobs last Friday week. While those who believed they would regain their jobs were waiting for the scene to improve, matters got worse and the company lost its contract to supply one of its major overseas purchasers, one of the big supermarket chains.

The workers in Carrickmacross have remained very loyal to the company and did without wages when it was going through tough times. Rumours started a month ago that the company was in difficulty and on Wednesday last week the staff demanded answers. They received answers they did not want to hear. The company had been a very good employer in the town for the previous 25 years and many workers had worked for it for in excess of 20 years. Effectively they are not qualified to do any other work and, therefore, will need retraining and support. A task force should be set up by the Minister to achieve this and to ensure the workers find other jobs.

Regrettably, the record of IDA Ireland in creating jobs during the past seven years is not good. Carrickmacross should be sold on the basis that it is accessible to Dublin. The bypass, which is being built ahead of schedule and was not due until next year, makes Carrickmacross accessible from Dublin and Belfast. As the town is situated between two airports, the area should attract new industries. The loss of these jobs will not only have a serious impact on families financially in terms of mortgages and so on, but it will represent a loss of approximately €30,000 per week to a small town like Carrickmacross.

Workers in these circumstances should have some protection, as should employers. If there are early warning systems in place and if companies are prepared to draw attention to problems at an early stage, Government mentoring programmes could be set up. Monaghan, in particular, has many small indigenous industries which have grown significantly, delivering services worldwide. Houses are delivered from County Monaghan to China and throughout the world. Bar furniture is delivered to capital cities throughout Europe and across the United States. These companies, which began on a small basis, are in competition with big companies throughout the world. If they get into trouble it can hit home very quickly. In some instances, these companies can become victims of their own success, and this can happen at an alarmingly fast rate. There should be a mechanism whereby people can indicate they are in trouble.

After 20 years' service, statutory redundancy is all the workers in the company are offered. This would cost the company €500,000 in total. If the workers received statutory redundancy, plus two weeks' pay for each year they worked, it would not be an unreasonable demand for a company that has a sizeable amount of assets. Companies should be asked to sell their assets to ensure the workers who created the wealth are looked after? It is not an unreasonable demand that the workers should receive in excess of the statutory redundancy.

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