Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very disappointed with the answer. The best the Minister of State can do, given that he is a small businessman himself, is come here and read out facts and figures on a policy we know that is failing. This is an indigenous company with a proud record. The Minister of State is coming to Tipperary next month - beidh fáilte is fiche roimhe - and I ask him to visit the plant to see it for himself. He mentioned craft beer and the new promotion. There are two people employed there, which is a sham and a scam. The figures are there for all to see. The profits are measured per HL. Bulmers makes €69 per HL; Gleesons, €2; UK cider, €19; UK Tennants, €27; and international, €29. At €69, it is a non-argument.

It is awful to have to listen to the official reply written for the Minister of State. Shame on him. This is a wonderful company which is disappearing before our eyes. Workers are being bullied. Annualised hours is what the company wants them to have, which means working all the hours of the summer, in spite of the four shifts they have to work. The workers have been top class and given great commitment, but they are not being engaged with. In fact, there are confidentiality clauses and they are being bullied and intimidated, which never happened before. I ask the Minister of State to talk to the group CEO, Mr. Glancey, as he will not talk to us.

The Minister of State mentioned the new beer, which is to be called the 1650 beer. Does he know what happened in that year? It was the year Oliver Cromwell came to Clonmel and, thank God, he was run out of it, but now we have worse. The company has the cheek and audacity to celebrate it as the "1650 beer". It shows the respect it has for Clonmel, south Tipperary, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and everybody else. It has called the beer after the events of the unfortunate day on which Oliver Cromwell laid siege to Clonmel. He was resisted and now we must try to resist the C&C moguls who have no interest in a good company.

The Minister of State mentioned the profit figures. Of the €127 million, €40 million was made in Clonmel. The book should be opened and closed at that figure. It is just milking the company with two employees in the craft brewery when there were 600 before. There are now 150, while 50 jobs are under threat if the line is moved to Scotland. The company has invested in moving the line and has pictures of it on a website, notwithstanding the fact that nothing has gone through it but air and water as a test. It is trying make itself popular again.

I call in the House and through the media for talks with the shareholders in the company to communicate the wreckage the CEO is making of it. He is trying to emulate Oliver Cromwell and must be resisted. To call it the 1650 beer is the ultimate insult. I hope the Minister of State will talk to the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, and immediately seek talks.

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