Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

There was another fire this morning at one of the Stryker plants in Carrigtwohill. The building was evacuated and thankfully no one was injured. This follows another two fires at the site in April. The fire on 18 April, one month ago today, injured two workers, of whom one suffered serious burns. These fires were just the latest in a series of health and safety incidents at the plant. For instance, in 2021, whistleblowing workers reported a dozen incidents from the years immediately previous to the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, by way of protected disclosure. Stryker management at the plant refused requests to meet trade union representatives of the workforce in the wake of the April fires to discuss health and safety. This is despite three separate Labour Court recommendations and an appeal from the Tánaiste that it should do so. I understand the workers' union, SIPTU, has written to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, to request a face-to-face meeting to discuss the situation and the concerns of the workforce. The letter has been acknowledged but to date the Minister has not agreed to the request. Will the Tánaiste agree, given the urgency and what happened again this morning, that he should now do so?

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