Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister for taking this matter this evening because of the implications it has not only for the Carlow region but its adjacent counties. This decision has major implications. The Minister stated there are 326 jobs involved but the impact of this decision will be far greater than that when the ancillary jobs at stake are taken into account.

Why was this situation forced on the employees and the farming community of this region at such short notice? Does this decision not undermine the Minister's position entering negotiations with fellow EU Ministers to secure the maximum quota for Ireland? Is it the case that Greencore took it upon itself to determine the quota, given that the manufacturing ability of the Mallow factory is not near that of the Carlow factory? As such, Greencore determined what quota will be manufactured here.

As Minister for Agriculture and Food and with responsibility for the farming community as well as for the workforce concerned and for the other areas mentioned, will the Minister ask the company to postpone this decision until next year to allow everyone concerned to get to grips with what will be a major change in the industrial infrastructure of the Carlow area? Will she give an undertaking this evening that she will talk to Greencore executives to ensure the necessary platform is put in place to allow this to happen and to allow negotiations to be entered into with the IFA, all the public representatives, if necessary, and the Minister to ensure the major problems that exist and the major implications this decision presents for many people can be addressed by a postponement of this terrible decision?

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