Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

First, I salute the workers at Tara Mines, who have mounted a protest today. The way they are being treated by their employer, Boliden, is horrendous. They are facing shortly the loss of their jobs and wages and the huge impact that will have on their community. The measure is supposedly temporary, but they are not being given any date or timeframe for when the mine will be back in operation. Tara Mines has been profitable through the past 13 years. No real justification has been put forward by the company for this action. What will the Government do to support these workers? Will it put pressure on the company to continue the mines in operation with full wages for the workers? If the company does not do so, will the Government heed the call from Unite and others to take Tara Mines into public ownership in order to ensure jobs and skills are protected and retain this vital natural asset?

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