Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

First, I wish to comment on the great dignity shown by workers in Dublin Airport across a number of companies. Recently, for example, Aer Lingus workers negotiated a complete downgrading of their jobs and conditions to help the company to survive and they did so in a most dignified and responsible manner. The national leadership acted similarly in respect of the Dublin Airport Authority workers and above all, in the past five or six weeks, the SR Technics workers have shown enormous dignity and courage. They have tried, in a dignified, calm and responsible way, to preserve their jobs and get their basic entitlements. This is the reality and not the ráiméis one hears in this House from Fine Gael or the talk from Ryanair about bringing in the Army. The only person in Ryanair who gets to negotiate his own salary is the chief executive himself, who has the best of professional advice.

My understanding is that, as I speak, the management buy-out team at SR Technics is negotiating with IDA Ireland, under the auspices of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to try to preserve the jobs at the company and to ensure that 600 skilled men and women will not be on the streets and signing on tomorrow morning. I have to hand a recent e-mail sent to the Labour Party leader from the representatives of the SR Technics workers to the effect that they desperately need time from the SR Technics management team in Zurich, Abu Dhabi and Dubai to allow them to put in place the structures that will retain the vast bulk of those jobs. Can the Minister offer his support in this regard this evening?

Earlier today, I asked the Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan, whether the Tánaiste would contact Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum, who is the Emir of Dubai and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle may be aware, he owns 100% of SR Technics in Dublin, Zurich, Stansted and the Middle East. I have asked our leader to talk to the owner of SR Technics to ask him——

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