Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue and I understand their sense of the huge blow this is for Waterford, in particular for the workers concerned. I was first informed of this decision on Wednesday, the day it was to be announced. I was dismayed, as was the IDA, at the way this was handled. In discussions with the CEO, local management and the representatives of head office in Waterford on Monday, I continued to press for a longer period because it is important not only for workers adjusting to it but also to give the IDA every chance to market this effectively as a going concern. A plant with workers and the skills they have built up is much more saleable while it is in operation than if it is closed.

I had a series of meetings with public representatives and business. I met the workers and the management and the city manager and business interests in Waterford on Monday. The message was very clear in that Waterford has not benefited from the advances in the good times and it has been badly affected in the more difficult times of late. On foot of that, I have instructed my agencies to put together an action plan for Waterford and the south east region to look at the areas they can intensify, at the way it is being supported and at the strengths and weaknesses of the area. That was reflected in the discussions I had with local representatives. There was a sense that there needed to be this sort of hard analysis as to why Waterford, with the strengths it has, not been more successful. That is the task I have set the agencies to complete within one month.

When that is done we will look afresh at what action can be taken and whether there are further, deeper issues which need to be assessed in some other way. I am determined to give Waterford the priority it correctly deserves. A casual view of the unemployment numbers and the history of industrial performance in recent times indicate that there are things which are wrong. I am addressing those and I am committed to having an effective action plan to address them.

There are issues of a long-term nature as well as things of a more short-term nature which we can address in the near term but we need to take a hard look at this to see how we can better support the enterprise sector in Waterford and set out the actions we can take in the near term and in the longer term.

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