Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and giving me an opportunity to address it. Like the Deputy, I was extremely disappointed to learn the news of this closure and my first concern goes to those workers and their families, as well as the wider population of Carrick-on-Suir straddling the Waterford and Tipperary border that so many of us know so well and have enjoyed visiting so many times.

The Department learned of the impending closure of the plant last week. Unfortunately, as the Deputy knows, Corman Miloko has experienced reduced volumes in recent years and restructuring efforts simply were not successful. The company has now begun its consultation process with all existing employees regarding a redundancy programme and it has been in touch with my Department about this. I can assure the Deputy that Tirlán and Enterprise Ireland will remain in close contact with the company, as will departmental officials, to support the workers and the company through this very delicate process up to and beyond June.

I have requested that officials in my Department monitor the situation carefully and, crucially, work closely with the Department of Social Protection to do whatever we can for the employees affected.

I know this is a frightening time for the employees and their families, but it is important to talk to them about what opportunities there are and what work will be done by the Government and its agencies to help them through this very difficult process. They are the number one key priority, as well as all the related people, be they family members or the people who rely on the workers in this business second hand in Carrick-on-Suir.

At a time when there is so much job creation in the country and, in effect, full employment, it is very simple for many people to dismiss any sort of redundancy and say there are always jobs out there, but as Deputy Mattie McGrath knows better than I do, many of these people have put their entire lives into this enterprise. As he says, it was a good plant but, unfortunately, restructuring of the parent company has meant it has had to move its operations elsewhere. However, that does not mean we give up on the site or, more important, on the workers. I know that this does not make the loss any easier for those who work in the plant, but I trust it gives them some hope that the Government will put a significant effort into them as people if they want to retrain, reskill or more importantly help them get the many jobs that are unfilled in this region in the dairy and production sector. The Deputy knows as well as I do the number of companies around Tipperary and into Waterford who are keen to get high quality staff like the people who worked in Corman Miloko and gave their lives to it.

It is important to stress that we are there to support and help those who find themselves losing their job or without work to avail of training courses, financial support and mentorship. I urge everyone impacted to reach out to their local Intreo office to see what is available to them when a statutory redundancy package is offered. The Government will ensure that the package is fully compliant with the requirements Corman Miloko has to Irish law.

Deputy Mattie McGrath asked for more detail on the future use of the site. The site will go back to Tirlán, while the equipment will go to Corman Miloko, which will use it in its other operations. I have great hopes for this site. As the Deputy rightly says, it is in a perfect location in the region and in the country to attract good, high-quality investment like the 600 additional jobs Enterprise Ireland has brought to Tipperary in recent years, in addition to the surge in jobs in Waterford.

Even though the job losses will be very difficult for many people, no stone will be left unturned to make sure new jobs are provided and, crucially, that the enterprise goes into such an important town as Carrick-on-Suir and the affected regions nearby.

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