Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister intend to reprimand the company for the manner in which it treated the workforce in Borrisoleigh and the way it made the announcement? Can the Minister put himself in the place of a worker who woke up to hear on the local radio that his or her factory was being closed, without any advance notice or warning? Such conduct should not be tolerated or condoned by any Department, particularly not the Minister's Department.

When the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission agreed to the takeover, it must have received some indication from the company as to its future and forward plan. Does the Minister see a role for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in protecting workers in such takeover situations? C&C purchased M&J Gleeson in Borrisoleigh and gradually ran it down and undermined it to reach the stage at which it could close it. Even with the lack of investment, M&J Gleeson still managed to make a substantial profit out of its day-to-day running in 2015, and would have made a profit in 2013 were it not for the exceptional items that were factored in. We must send a very strong and clear signal to such companies that this type of conduct is unacceptable to the Minister, his Department, the Irish people, the workforce in Borrisoleigh, the people of Tipperary and the local community.

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