Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the reply from the Minister of State. I note there has been a number of visits to this site and Johnson and Johnson is helping in the search for a new tenant for this facility. Foreign direct investment has resulted in the creation of new jobs and the availability of a modern state of the art plant at Cashel, the former Cordis plant, must make the search easier. Jobs are very badly needed in south Tipperary. IDA Ireland produced only ten new jobs in south Tipperary last year. Other plants in the county have seen significant job losses. The current unemployment statistics for the county are horrendous. In the town of Cashel, unemployment has increased from just under 400 in 2008 to 1,200 currently. The situation is the same in other towns around the county.

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