Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Covid–19 is having a severe effect on certain business sectors and the food distribution and supply sectors in particular. In the case of BD Foods, the Deputy will be aware that my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, was very actively engaged with the company in trying to preserve as many jobs as possible. I understand BD Foods will retain part of the company's sales force and as many as possible of the remaining staff will be redeployed to the logistics end of the business.

The company is currently looking at alternative logistics supply arrangements to facilitate this transition. In terms of the jobs that will ultimately be lost, the company has committed to working closely with State services to help those affected to find alternative employment.

The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is well aware of the situation and her Department is assisting the workers to transition and find new employment opportunities, which will be a challenge in the present circumstances. I also am aware that the local enterprise office has been in discussion with some of the employees to discuss alternative options.

The Department of Social Protection shared a prerecorded webinar in June 2020 with company management, which undertook to circulate to it to each employee. Content included information on the programmes and services that the Department provides. The Department will engage with the former employees to develop individual plans that will include details of alternative employment opportunities.

My Department has undertaken a range of initiatives to develop job opportunities in Monaghan.

The new IDA Ireland advanced facility in Monaghan is now under construction and we hope to find an occupant for it quite soon. The €5 million BioConnect Innovation Centre is progressing. A new digital hub for Monaghan was funded under the regional development enterprise fund earlier this year and my predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, launched the Border enterprise development fund in June as part of an economic stimulus for the Border counties to help SMEs deal with Brexit.

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