Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Will the Government apply pressure on Mondelez to ensure that workers get all of the information and resources they are looking for from the point of view of putting forward an alternative plan? It seems to me that the problem is contained within the Minister of State's response in that there appears to be an acceptance that jobs will be lost. The inter-agency group set up by the Minister, which includes no worker representation, is predicated on accepting that the jobs will be lost.

In terms of a response to this ongoing situation, which could result in an industrial dispute, the Minister of State in his reply stated that the four local enterprise offices in Dublin are available to support anybody with a business idea who wants to consider entrepreneurship as a career option. Is that for real? Are workers who are demanding that their jobs be maintained being asked to consider entrepreneurship as a career option? Are they all to consider entrepreneurship as a career option, as opposed to actual social welfare supports or fighting to maintain their jobs?

The Minister of State also said in his reply that through a series of jobs action plans the Government has focused on creating a supportive environment for businesses operating in Ireland. I agree with that. The Government doles out grants to entice them in and then they leave. What we need is a supportive environment for sustainable jobs in Ireland that are decent and well paid and are not part of a race to the bottom, rather than a short-term approach of enticing in multinationals that are later free to walk away.

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