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

That engagement will continue right the way through this process. Even if it moves into a care and maintenance situation, we want to continue to talk to both the workers' representatives and management to try to make sure that period is as short as possible. It is important to say and put on the record that the management have been really clear with me that they are 100% convinced that this is a temporary care and maintenance situation they are now facing and that Tara Mines can and will open again. I have to take them at face value in terms of that commitment, but I want to make sure that the Government does its part in ensuring that is what happens. If it is not possible to avoid care and maintenance which, of course, we would all like to avoid if we could, but if care and maintenance happens in a couple of weeks' time, we must make sure that period is as short as possible and that we support the workers and their families as best we can during that.

That is why there are a number of Government Departments and a whole series of agencies involved. For example, Enterprise Ireland is there working with the company to make sure that apprentices in Tara Mines have alternatives quickly so they can continue their apprentice programmes.

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