Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I take it from the reply that the Tánaiste was aware at the time of the Pfizer takeover of Wyeth that there was a risk to jobs in Ireland. She said the chief executive of Pfizer promised to follow through on this but I would like to know the follow through undertaken by the Tánaiste. Following her conversation with the chief executive of Pfizer around the time of the purchase, did she have any further meetings with representatives of Pfizer? What steps did the Government take at the time, when it was clearly aware that there was a risk to these jobs? What actions were taken by the Government to try to save the jobs?

I appreciate the Tánaiste's comments that there was ongoing dialogue between the IDA, Pfizer and other companies. What initiatives and actions were taken by the Government and when did it specifically become aware that these 785 jobs would go today in Dún Laoghaire, Cork and Kildare? The Tánaiste did not answer my question about whether she accepts that the jobs are gone. Has the Government given up on these 785 jobs or is there any prospect of hope for the people who have those jobs for the employment to be saved?

It is clear from the Tánaiste's reply that the Government was aware at the time of the Pfizer purchase of Wyeth that employment was at risk. We need to know what steps were taken by the Government to protect Irish workers' interests and jobs in the plants. Other than the general conversations described to us by the Tánaiste, it is not clear that any specific action was taken by the Government to try to save the jobs.

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