Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

The announcement of the closure of the William Grant and Sons' facility in Clonmel last Thursday was a cruel blow to the 50 workers and their families. This company had a dedicated workforce who worked hard over the years at this facility and this closure has come as a shock to them. It is a big blow also to the town of Clonmel and the surrounding area. This closure is a concern because it is part of a pattern of job losses in Tipperary over the last period, including the significant reduction in jobs at the Cantrell & Cochrane, C&C, site, the Bulmers plant, which is also the site of the location of the Grant's facility. There has been significant job losses there, an undermining of terms and conditions of employment and the transfer of production from the site. There has also been job losses - some 12 jobs - at Gleeson's in Borrisoleigh, another C&C facility, and 20 job losses nationally in administration and sales in C&C. There was a significant loss of 200 jobs at Intellicom in Clonmel in the recent past and also the closure of the Fairgreen supermarket in Carrick-on-Suir.

Last Friday, Oireachtas Members from south Tipperary met the company, Grant's, and a number of disturbing elements arose, particularly the fact that the company had not made contact with the Minister's Department or with any jobs agencies either locally or nationally. Also, the jobs agencies under the Minister's Department have given the company grants to build a distillery in Tullamore. In other words, the Government has subsidised the transfer of jobs from Clonmel to Tullamore and, worse still, the Minister's Department took no steps to ensure the continuation of production of Tullamore Dew or an alternative product at the Clonmel facility. What steps will the Minister take now to ensure that this closure is averted and that those jobs are saved?

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