Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

All of us in this House will be very saddened at the devastating news that has been visited upon 500 workers at HP Inc. in Leixlip, County Kildare. The loss of such a large number of jobs will obviously, in the first instance, have an extraordinary and devastating impact on the workers and their families. It will have a wider impact on the community and economy of the hinterland around north Kildare. It is clear that the closure of the plant was in the company's plans since last October when it announced that it would cut between 3,000 and 4,000 jobs globally. The production of personal computers, cartridges and printers is under pressure as a business.

There is a need for the Government to come to the assistance of the workers and to ensure that there is a comprehensive plan, involving the Department of Social Protection and Enterprise Ireland, in terms of trying to help some workers to set up new businesses, which happened in the past in similar situations. Solas must also be involved in the context of providing return to work and training programmes to equip people for other job opportunities. I ask the Taoiseach to outline what the Minister has in mind regarding a comprehensive response so that the needs of the workers will be attended to immediately and in an effective way.

It was very unfair and distressing that the workers heard this news through the national media yesterday. I would like assurances from the Taoiseach that no member of the Government or a governmental representative briefed the media in advance of the workers getting a detailed presentation from the company. What happened was unusual because, in situations of this nature, companies do not tend to leak such news. They generally meet their workforce in advance to tell them the actual details. I ask the Taoiseach to provide some reassurances on that front. More fundamentally, since the global announcement last October, what steps did the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation take, in terms of meeting Hewlett Packard executives? Did the Minister meet them since last October? How many meetings took place?

Is the Minister or the Government in a position to indicate to the House that future plans at Hewlett Packard are ones that are in the growth areas such as 3D printing etc., and are there opportunities for Ireland from this company into the future? Are the existing jobs in Kildare secure with regard to Hewlett Packard Enterprise and has the Government received guarantees on that? Would the Minister be willing to come to the House to answer questions today on the closure and on such a large loss of jobs?

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