Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This lunchtime, a number of Kerry agribusiness milk lorry drivers continued their picket at the Kerry Group HQ in Tralee. These drivers have served the company very well, some for more than 40 years. The shortest serving was for 29 years. In fact, I never remember a time passing that man's house where I did not see the milk lorry parked outside his house in the evenings. These workers were made redundant just before Christmas.

I am asking, and I know the Tánaiste is limited in what he can do, if the industrial relations mechanisms of the State could get involved here to establish dialogue between these workers, who have collectively given in excess of 150 years' service to the company, and the company, which, as I understand it, is not engaging with these workers at the moment. It seems a terribly harsh situation for these people who are now going to replaced by agency workers to do the same jobs they were doing. I ask if the Tánaiste's office could help in any way.

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