Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise an issue of paramount concern to the 360 employees of Lisheen Mine, County Tipperary, the entire community of Moyne and the wider region, and for allowing me to discuss what stands to be one of the most devastating losses of employment ever seen in the premier county.

Lisheen Mine is a lead and zinc mine located in Moyne-Templetuohy outside of Thurles. It is in its second decade of operations and is one of the largest producers of zinc concentrates in Europe. Since its opening, it has proved to be the lifeblood of the small rural economy, providing quality employment, state-of-the-art infrastructure, invaluable community supports and delivering a degree of security in an area that is otherwise devoid of industry. After 17 years of employment and income for countless families, Lisheen Mine has confirmed it is progressing with its phased wind-down of operations with a voluntary redundancy programme that will facilitate the exit of almost 40 employees by March 2015. Further scaling back of operations is expected in the new year with the remaining 300 jobs being lost by October 2015. A small number of staff will be maintained after October for the final closure and site remediation.

While it was always known this was a finite resource and a fully funded mine closure and redundancy plan has been agreed, the commencement of the wind-down has sent alarm bells ringing across the entire region. The reality is that with less than a year to go until the complete shutdown of operations on the site, the Government is woefully unprepared for the imminent redundancy of 360 individuals, as no alternative company or industry has been identified for the Lisheen site.

The impact of the loss of Lisheen Mine, not just to the Moyne-Templetuohy area but to Thurles and the surrounding areas, is unquantifiable both in monetary and other terms. The mine is a key local employer and provides much of the employment in the wider area, being one of the largest employers in Tipperary. While the company has taken considerable steps to provide training and education to its employees, we are now facing a situation whereby 360 people are becoming unemployed with 70% of these being from the local area. This will have a devastating impact on the countless families who relied totally on Lisheen for employment and whose income will now be decimated.

This loss of income in turn will have a potentially ruinous effect on the local economy. Lisheen Mine puts a huge amount of money into the local economy in the form of wages to staff and expenditure on goods and services. Once the facility ceases operations there will be a mammoth reduction in income to the region and an unimaginable loss of spending power in the villages and towns. Lisheen's employees support the local businesses and services, whether it is only in buying milk or the newspaper on the way home, dropping into the local pub for a drink, having a car serviced or even having children enrolled in the local national school. Aside from direct employment, Lisheen Mine has also supported many secondary and support jobs in the local communities through the supply of transport, mining supplies, security and catering. The consequences of the closure of Lisheen are far-reaching and touch on every aspect of day-to-day life.

Lisheen Mine is not alone an employer but has put itself at the heart of the local community through its support for sporting, educational and cultural initiatives. The site's contribution to the economic and social life of the area is greatly valued and appreciated and the Lisheen management team developed excellent relationships with the local community. Since 2008, Lisheen Mine has donated close to €2 million towards sustainable projects for the area including donations to various organisations in the fields of arts, sports, health and education.

Where do we go from here? This is a strategically placed, turnkey condition development with unrivalled infrastructure and facilities. It offers enormous potential for additional or alternative industrial development boasting a land bank of 1,125 acres, on-site 110 kV substation grid connection, 30 wind turbines, and an on-site fresh water supply of 50 million litres per day along with a water treatment plant.

It is conveniently located close to the M8 motorway, almost equidistant from Dublin and Cork and the port and airport facilities they offer, not to mention the fact that there is a highly skilled and experienced local work force.

While a task force has been established to identify opportunities for alternative employment creation, I feel there must be a more concerted, visible effort by the Government and the IDA to attract an alternative industry. At present the future of Lisheen is shrouded in uncertainty and doubt and a concerned community is being left in the dark. We are entering the 11th hour and the time to save these jobs or provide alternatives is running out. In the next four months the first casualties will be felt and I am urging the Minister of State to step up efforts to ensure that Moyne is not forgotten.

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