Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I wish to discuss plans to lay-off up to 120 workers at the Meadow Meats factory in Rathdowney in the immediate term, fears for the jobs of the remaining 80 workers in the plant and the devastation this will cause in Rathdowney, County Laois, and the surrounding areas in view of very little alternative employment in the area. Will the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment negotiate with the company with a view to retaining as many of these jobs as possible in County Laois?

Last Friday on 26 June, the workers in the plant in Rathdowney were called in by management for an announcement and they received the very severe news. The Meadow Meats factory, as it is known locally, is part of the Dawn Meats factory group. The workers were told the company proposed to close the boning hall and the packing area in the factory, which has been in Rathdowney for many years. The boning hall is where the meat is cut up. It is ultimately packed for order in the packing area.

This is a very profitable company - it is not being closed because it is a loss-making business. This company has extensive plans in Cork, Waterford, although technically on the Kilkenny-Waterford border, and in Ballyhaunis. The Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, will be aware of the Dawn Meats factory in Ballyhaunis because it is in his constituency

I am sure the Minister has had discussions with the company because it would have applied to the Department for grants for improvement works at its various plants. To my knowledge, the company, unfortunately, did not include Rathdowney in that proposal.

Will the Minister give some information on the plans for the abattoir, or the killing plant? Will the workers employed in that section be able to continue in employment there in the years to come? A number of the workers in the factory in Rathdowney have been good and loyal workers. Some of them have worked there for 20 to 30 years. Meat factories are not the highest paying factories in the country but during the years of the Celtic tiger, the workforce remained loyal to the company in the town. They could have left for better paying jobs in the short term but they stuck it out for the long haul.

People will be also aware that there was a fine zinc mine, Galmoy, in the immediate Rathdowney area. It is only a few miles from Rathdowney on the Johnstown Road to County Kilkenny. It also ceased operations recently.

The loss of 120 jobs at Meadow Meats, Rathdowney, is devastating for the employees and their families, many of whom have large mortgages and financial commitments. SIPTU is in negotiations with the company on the redundancies and I wish it success in this regard. The main difficulty for Rathdowney is that it has no alternative sources of employment. Effects on the town's community and local businesses will be severe. Any threat to the abattoir's future will also cause problems for local farmers who supply cattle to the factory.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment should call in IDA Ireland officials to acquaint them with County Laois. I know no one at senior level in the IDA who is acquainted with the county. IDA Ireland's track record in County Laois is the worst for any county. No Member will recall an IDA announcement for serious job creation in the county in over 20 years. Less than 100 IDA-supported jobs have been provided in the county, the lowest national figure.

As we have given up having faith in IDA Ireland in County Laois, I hope it and Enterprise Ireland can find some replacement jobs. I hope the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment will, through her office, do what is possible to minimise these recent job losses in County Laois. I accept Meadow Meats has offered alternative employment in its sister Waterford plant. However, a proper transport allowance would have to be provided to travel the 200 km round trip every day between Rathdowney and Grannagh, County Waterford. For many employees and their families, this will not be a practical alternative. I ask that a good redundancy structure be put in place and for a commitment that those jobs remaining at the Rathdowney plant will be guaranteed into the long term.

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