Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

As I said on the Adjournment some weeks ago, I am very concerned that Oasis in Ballina has decided to reduce its workforce to approximately 12 people within a period of two months. I am very conscious of the effect these job losses will have on the workers involved and their families, as weIl as the community in the surrounding area. I wish to assure the people concerned that the State agencies will provide every support they can.

The priority will be to find alternative employment for those involved at the earliest possible opportunity. The industrial development agencies will be making every effort to secure alternative investment and employment for Ballina and north Mayo. A central goal for the agencies is the achievement of balanced regional development. The national spatial strategy provides a framework for achievement of this goal through the prioritisation of development and investment in the gateway and hub locations.

IDA Ireland recognises the need to provide high-value employment opportunities in Mayo, including Ballina, which provide sustainable long-term jobs. On this basis, IDA Ireland seeks to attract foreign direct investment into the linked hub of Ballina and Castlebar, as well as a small number of additional locations throughout County Mayo. The agency is actively promoting Ballina for new foreign investment, as well as working with the existing base of overseas companies in Ballina to encourage them to grow and expand. Since January 2003, there have been five first-time site visits to Ballina. IDA Ireland's sectoral emphasis is on attracting new knowledge-intensive projects in the medical technologies, life sciences, information communications and technology and international services sectors.

The agency is investing significantly in the provision of planned and focused property solutions. Specifically, IDA Ireland is developing world-class business and technology parks at a number of towns throughout County Mayo. The goal is to ensure that these locations have the appropriate property solutions, tailored to specific key sectoral targets, to attract inward investments. This also means undertaking long-term planning with the local authority so that the area is seen by investors as having the appropriate locational solutions, such as property, infrastructure, business and lifestyle services etc. for key strategic investments of national importance. IDA has been in discussions with Mayo County Council regarding the acquisition of a site in local authority ownership in Ballina and the agency informs me that it is awaiting contract documentation and copy of unburdened title from the council.

The activity of Enterprise Ireland is focused on the creation of new jobs through supporting entrepreneurs setting up new high potential start-up companies, the retention and creation of new jobs in existing companies and in enhancing the innovation capability of Irish companies at a national and regional level. Enterprise Ireland provides preferential funding for companies with detailed export plans which are expanding or establishing a business in County Mayo. Enterprise Ireland has approved funding support of almost €1 million to client companies in the Ballina-Killala area in the period 2003 to 2005. A new Enterprise Ireland-supported high potential start-up company, Heatsolve Limited, commenced operations in Ballina last year. Enterprise Ireland has committed funding of over €750,000 to IRD North Mayo-West Sligo Limited for the development of enterprise space in Ballina, which centre the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, officially opened during his visit to Ballina last January. According to provisional figures from the Forfás employment survey 2005, the total number of people employed in Enterprise lreland client companies in County Mayo in 2005 was 3,054, an increase of 468 on the number employed ten years earlier. In the past 12 months a number of new businesses have been set up in the Castlebar area, all in the retail sector, creating approximately 150-200 jobs.

The role of FÁS is of particular importance in assisting those who are to lose their jobs. FÁS made contact with the company immediately after the closure was announced and the agency has indicated that the full range of its services will be made available to employees if they wish to avail of them. Specifically FÁS provides a range of programmes to assist jobseekers to improve their skills and obtain employment. These include specific skills training in a range of areas. Bridging foundation training is provided for those requiring additional assistance while the one step up programme, introduced last year, provides placement and career guidance services. There are special programmes for the long-term unemployed and a variety of courses available through FÁS e-coIlege. FÁS labour market activities provide experience and development through programmes such as community employment and job initiative schemes, job clubs, workplace and special services for those with disabilities or for early school leavers.

In addition, FÁS provides integrated redundancy support services and is working to extend these to all workers made redundant. The process typically involves agreement with the company on responsibilities and actions, intensive interviews with affected workers, preparation of a skills analysis report based on identified workers' needs and local opportunities and referral of redundant workers to jobs, training courses or other options, including customised courses where necessary. On-going support is provided to keep redundant workers in touch with the labour market. Progress is being made in prioritising expenditure under the national development plan in the BMW region and the indications are that the under-spend on a number of key infrastructure measures under both the economic and social infrastructure operation programme and the BMW regional operational programme is being addressed.

Evidence suggests good progress is being made in achieving the objectives of the current national development plan in the west region. Data published by the CSO indicates that the levels of total income per person in the west region increased from €14,420 to €18,487 between the years 1999 and 2002. This is an increase from 89.1% to 90.3% of the average State level over those years.

I am confident that the State development agencies will strengthen their marketing and promotion efforts in Ballina and north Mayo and will make every effort to secure alternative employment for the area. This will be done in partnership with other key players to maximise the flow of potential investors for the area and to convert these into investment and job opportunities for both Ballina and County Mayo in general.

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