Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is in India doing his job on our behalf and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, for coming in to take this debate.

I join my colleagues in expressing my support and empathy with the workers in PWAI and Lufthansa Technik. I wish to emphasise that the situation in PWAI is more urgent than critical. This is a workforce of highly skilled operatives who have a perfect industrial relations record, whose plant is highly profitable and which has a full order book. I have been in contact with the Minister and wish to thank him for his detailed response. I am aware he is employing the full resources of his Department and the agencies available to him to leave no stone unturned to try to save the industry in both plants and the valuable jobs involved. As Deputy Wall has said, the Minister needs to be involved directly, on a hands-on basis, in this matter to ensure this is achieved.

If a rescue is not possible, it is imperative that alternatives are found to ensure the valuable and unique skills of that workforce are kept in productive use.

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