Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raised with the Taoiseach a few weeks ago Zenith Energy Bantry Terminal Limited's proposed redundancy of its entire permanently employed maintenance workforce at Whiddy Island terminal in Bantry. The works carried out by this workforce include emergency maintenance to the terminal and surrounding areas, where qualified personnel can respond day or night at short notice. These redundancies will have a severely negative effect on the local economy and on the economy of west Cork in general. The State cannot idle as these workers are railroaded in the context of their rights. Whiddy Island is our national oil storage base. I ask the Taoiseach to call on Zenith Energy Bantry Terminal Limited to step back and to do all it can to save these jobs. A full strike has now been called for 13 December by SIPTU members, who served notice this week to the company. This action results from the decision of the company to dismiss workers with long service from today. Strike action is always a last resort, but it is now obvious that the compulsory redundancies Zenith Energy is seeking are not necessary. Since I raised this matter with the Taoiseach a few weeks ago, what efforts have the Government made to help to save these jobs?

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