Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise the loss of 120 jobs at Tractech in Sligo town. Unfortunately, the relevant Minister is not present and I agree with Deputy Perry that it is a scandal. This has come as a shock to the workers at Tractech and, while we all sympathise with them, they have a right to expect a great deal more than sympathy from their public representatives. The workers are not members of a union and their immediate major concern is a redundancy package. I seek a commitment from the Minister that every effort will be made to ensure workers receive their entitlements.

However, that is only the first step. What arrangements will the Minister put in place for the workers? Will a retraining package be put in place to ensure they can upskill to enable them to secure alternative employment? Has the Minister contacted Eaton Corporation, Tractech's parent company? Is he working to ensure there will no further job losses in the north west, particularly in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim?

While each job lost at Tractech impacts negatively on the lives of the workers and their families and every effort must be made to support them, it is essential to understand that this closure is happening in the wider context of globalisation. Companies can relocate anywhere in search of cheaper labour and lower costs. Parts of County Donegal have been decimated by such job losses and, unfortunately, this phenomenon is spreading nationwide. The challenge for Sligo, the north west and Ireland is to compete in the global market and this can only be met if competitive infrastructure is in place. Unfortunately, the recent transport plan gives us little cause to rejoice.

However, it is critical that the State should invest in research and development and promote innovation if we are to maintain jobs and attract new ones. I recently tabled a parliamentary question on research and development investment by the Government. Six Departments replied that only 14% of their research and development spend was devoted to the Border, midlands and west region. This is a major threat to future employment opportunities in Sligo.

We as politicians have a responsibility to bring about the conditions in which employment can be created and maintained. There is no point in complaining about companies relocating because we cannot stop them. However, the Government can invest in research and development and innovation so that Ireland can compete with India, China, eastern Europe, the US and Japan. The EU is behind the US and Japan in investment in research and development while Ireland is behind many of its European counterparts in this regard. Meanwhile, investment in the BMW region is minuscule compared with the rest of the country.

In the medium to long term, the Government has a responsibility to invest in our region and safeguard our jobs while in the immediate future it has a responsibility to support the Tractech workers. Every effort must be made to secure alternative employment.

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