Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

Coca-Cola has operated in Drogheda for over 30 years. It employs 256 people in the manufacturing process and also has a very significant service industry employing approximately 120 people. So it is a critical industry. It provides the best standard of employment anywhere in the country. Coca-Cola is the best employer with a very dedicated workforce that has had a tremendous relationship with the town of Drogheda, the community and the workers.

All of this is changing with the proposal by the company to close the manufacturing facility with the loss of 256 jobs. I want to address this issue from the perspective of the workers and how the effect of this appalling closure on their lives and the entire community can be mitigated. What steps will the Minister take? The workers believe that parts of the operation can be saved and that manufacturing jobs in some sections can continue.

The workers are willing to look at current work practices. Will the Minister facilitate an effort to save these jobs and, if so, how? In particular, will he ask the IDA in the north east and the US to work with the unions and workers to progress this issue? Such a commitment is required immediately. I welcome the planned meeting between the trade unions and the Minister on 11 October but I fear it may be too late. We must act now.

The loss of these jobs in Drogheda, coupled with other job losses in the local manufacturing and industrial sector, will be significant. While I welcome the establishment of a task force, a strategic plan to acquire more manufacturing bases in counties Louth and Meath is needed. Drogheda has a population of 35,000 people, but the area will have about 70,000 people in ten years. Will the Minister raise with the Minister for Finance the introduction of tax incentives for the planned development of the dockland area in Drogheda?

Coca-Cola is a welcome employer in Drogheda and all concerned wish to see it continue in the town. We need to see action from the Minister and others, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, to ensure further job creation in Drogheda.

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