Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

IDA Ireland engages with Aviva both here in Ireland and at its corporate headquarters in the UK to understand the company's strategy and business development needs and to win investment and jobs from the company for Ireland. The IDA regularly engages with companies that may be contemplating restructuring in order to help protect employment. This is the primary basis for the IDA's engagement with all international companies and it is an approach that has served this country well for more than 40 years.

Aviva is undertaking a review of its operations in response to a significant reduction in demand for insurance and pensions products. Industry figures show significant drops in both home insurance business and pension and life assurance business, which has greatly affected Aviva's operations. The fall in the Irish market has led to the present restructuring review, which is being led by the company's European management. This is against the background of a reduction in staff numbers in the UK from 33,000 to 20,000, with the company's global workforce dropping from 56,000 to 36,000.

I met Aviva's CEO for worldwide operations and its European director, as well as the CEO of Aviva Ireland, as part of an ongoing process. I expressed the concern of the Government about the impact on employment and urged them to seek solutions that minimised the impact on jobs. I also offered them the support of the agencies of my Department. The company briefed me on the discussions that have been taking place. It remains committed to the Irish market. The representatives reiterated that no final decisions had yet been arrived at.

I assure the House that the IDA's central role has always been to anticipate and understand the needs of businesses that have invested here, seeking wherever possible to prevent job losses where they might occur.

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