Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Although well outside the remit of the Order of Business, I would like to answer a number of the points. On the issue of Halifax, the Taoiseach indicated that we were officially notified. A letter was handed in to my Department officially, indicating that under the collective redundancy side of the Redundancy Payments Act a decision was made by Bank of Scotland that it was letting go 750 people and was removing the retail side of its banking. It is important to note that it will retain 850 people in this country. The company also advised the Taoiseach's office of its decision similarly. That is the official notification.

It is important to say that the bank has been in discussions with the Department of Finance for a considerable period of time, whereby it was facilitated in the best way possible in looking at alternatives to this decision. Unfortunately, however, following on from those considerations, it was not in a position to continue with the banking facilities it provided in this country.

On my involvement, I spoke to some senior people in the bank yesterday. It is now a process of discussion with the unions. They have advised me and I have made available to them my personal time, at any time, to discuss any issues that may arise, as I have done and will continue to do for any company. I have received assurances, as the Minister with responsibility for consumer affairs, that the consumers who will be affected in this will be fully informed and that they will continue to have services made available to them from the bank.

On the next issue, I asked for an internal review of the science challenge in December 2008. That review was completed in April last year and, following on from my receipt of that document, I closed down the science challenge immediately. All existing commitments have been met and the programme has been closed. As the Deputy knows, a new board has been appointed on the basis of experience and expertise-----

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