Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A key element of the work of my Department and the development agencies is to work closely on an ongoing basis with client companies to ensure potential threats to employment in their operations are identified well in advance in order that they can be addressed before major difficulties emerge. There is a significant level of engagement with companies, quietly and behind the scenes, to address ongoing challenges and help them to develop new strategies, change their business models, where necessary, and further embed their operations in the economy. This work by the agencies includes pursuing relevant research and development opportunities, promoting training initiatives, the provision of targeted grant aid in specific circumstances, and developing capacity building and transformational management systems. A good example is a key disruptive reform set out in An Action Plan for Jobs 2014. It provides that the main development agencies will drive a national step change for the manufacturing sector which will drive the adoption of LEAN programmes and other initiatives to improve the competitiveness of these businesses.

In addition, an early warning system is in place to flag unexpected job threats which may emerge at short notice. In such instances, the agencies, my Department and I, as Minister, work with the company to develop alternatives or mitigate the worst impact on workers. We also explore all possible supports that might be available across government. This was the approach taken in the Bausch + Lomb case in Waterford.

The services of the State's industrial relations machinery are always made available to assist parties in a dispute. It is heartening that the work of the Labour Court and the Labour Relations Commission which come within the remit of my Department has managed to resolve many apparently intractable disputes and resulted in positive outcomes in cases involving restructuring. Where jobs are still lost, despite best efforts, my Department works with other Departments to ensure services are made available to workers to clarify their entitlements and develop other opportunities for those affected.

The overall process, involving many State stakeholders, works well. It is continuously learning and responding to the changing global environment. As of now, I am not aware of any such proposed large-scale restructuring which may arise in the near future.

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