Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I would like to have more opportunity to discuss this issue if I could. Maybe we can do that in the next few weeks.

First, I want to say that I know yesterday was another difficult day for all the staff in Tara Mines and my first concern remains for the impacted staff and their families. This includes the 650 staff employed directly by the company in Navan but also staff and companies impacted which have contracts with Tara Mines. There are many people in that position.

Both my Department, the Department of Social Protection and other relevant Government agencies will support the company and employees in any way we can, including through any income supports that are available through the Department of Social Protection. My Department and I were first informed of the decision of the Boliden Tara Mines board to put the company into care and maintenance on 13 June. I subsequently met with the company management and union representatives, together with my officials, on 15 June. The company informed me that the decision to suspend operations temporarily and place the mine into care and maintenance had been taken to safeguard the long-term future of the company. The company representatives said they were in a very difficult financial position due to a number of factors including a decline in the price of zinc, which has been significant this year, high energy prices and general cost inflation, as well as some other operating challenges about which they went into some detail on with me.

Officials from my Department and Enterprise Ireland met again with the company earlier this week to explore options for securing the long-term future of the mine and employment. Yesterday morning, with officials from my Department, I again met with management at the company who briefed me in some detail on the latest position. Management underlined the constructive engagement they have had with unions since 15 June, which tabled helpful proposals for cost-saving measures to be introduced to address operational challenges. I am also aware that this dialogue will continue and I support that.

I am more than happy to meet the union leadership again in the next couple of days, as soon as tomorrow I hope, if that is what they would like to do. We will continue to engage with management. There are some things we can do which I can hopefully go into in a second. The union leadership in Tara Mines has have shown very significant willingness to propose and think through compromises that can help to save costs in the medium term and that process needs to continue if we are going to secure a future for Tara Mines.

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