Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Eugene Murphy, Fitzmaurice and Calleary for raising this issue.

It is an important issue that I have been following this issue closely since I was first informed about the announcement. First, as a rural Deputy, I recognise the impact that job losses can have on a town such as Ballaghaderreen and my thoughts are with the workers and the wider community affected by this announcement. Thankfully, there have not been too many announcements like this in recent times. In fact, the trend is going in the other direction. When it does happen, it is dramatic for a town. I must highlight that Workplace Relations Commission customer services staff are available to meet the employees concerned to provide information and answer any questions they may have with regard to their current situation and statutory employment rights entitlements. In addition to this, the State provides industrial relations mechanisms to assist parties in their efforts to resolve any differences they may have.

ECMI received a number of supports under various schemes from my Department through Enterprise Ireland between 2006 and 2011. In January 2013, the Department of Health communicated to all Departments and their agencies the guidelines for the implementation of Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Specifically principle 4 of the guidelines states that "because their products are lethal, the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or run their businesses". As such, my Department and its agencies are no longer in a position to support companies in this sector. Let us be clear that this only applies to this sector.

That said, my Department will continue to concentrate on creating sustainable employment in all regions of Ireland through the regional action plans for jobs. The action plan for jobs for the west covers counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. It is designed to promote the region as a whole for economic development, which will in turn benefit all three counties. In 2016, the west was the second fastest growing region in terms of employment, with numbers employed increasing by 5.5% over the year. We are definitely moving in the right direction, so I am committed to working with the various agencies and stakeholders in the west to ensure positive trends continue and sustainable jobs are ultimately created.

I might point out to the Deputies the importance of indigenous industry in the area. The local enterprise offices, LEOs, in Roscommon created 121 jobs in 2016. Enterprise Ireland created 133 jobs while IDA Ireland created 34 jobs. From IDA Ireland's point of view, it is difficult because it tries really hard. One must understand that many of the new jobs announced by IDA Ireland are in existing IDA companies, so it is not a case of new companies coming in all the time. I am very encouraged by the LEO figure. I think the LEOs have a very important role to play in job creation, particularly in the counties concerned. There are 31 of them in the region. I am convinced that they along with Enterprise Ireland will play an active role in securing indigenous jobs in the region. If the Deputies are anxious for me to visit the LEO offices to see any plans for the future they have, I will be delighted to visit the LEO offices in County Roscommon and bring Enterprise Ireland personnel with me to see what we can do to improve the job situation in Roscommon. However, I am confident that with the regional and overall action plans for jobs, we will be able to grow in the regions, especially in Roscommon. I will elaborate on that in my further reply.

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