Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)

I raise this important issue because 132 workers at Leprino Foods in Portlaoise received the news on 18 and 19 August that the plant will close and will be wound down over this year and next year. This is an important facility. When it opened there were great hopes and I certainly had great hope because at last we had a large, substantial manufacturing plant in the constituency. The record of IDA Ireland has not been good, but more than 100 jobs were being created in the new business park. It was very important and it was happening at last.

It is estimated that over 12,000 people commute out of County Laois to work every day, many of them to this city. We need to change that. We need to create more jobs in the constituency. Some of those 132 people who will lose their jobs are couples and the Minister of State can imagine the impact of that if they have mortgages or such commitments. For IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, the record regarding Laois is awful. There are only 154 jobs in IDA Ireland-backed companies in the county. It is the lowest number in the State. IDA Ireland made two visits to Laois in the past 12 months. Some of its visits are e-visits; they are not physical visits. In 2021, it made three visits; in 2022 two visits and last year, two visits. It is the worst record of IDA Ireland performance I can see in the charts I have. Westmeath had 20 visits and I do not take that from it. That is well and good for Westmeath.

Laois County Council has pulled out all the stops. It has created a business park and lots of jobs and new industry are being created in that business park, including Alpha Drives where the Laois Rose of Tralee works as an apprentice electrician. She started there. It is great to have those jobs. Laois County Council has been supporting start-ups and, as I said, it developed the Togher business park, which is at the crossroads of Ireland. It is on the junction of the N7, N8 and N80. As Minister of State, Deputy Higgins will understand the importance of that.

In contrast, IDA Ireland has not performed. It has hardly been seen around the place. Other Deputies and I have met IDA Ireland over the years. Councillors have also met it and put it to the organisation, but I do not see any improvement. IDA Ireland is getting a substantial amount of taxpayers' money from the Minister's Department. Last year or the year before it got in excess of €80 million. I think it is approximately €90 million at the moment. I am open to contradiction on that. It has well-paid senior staff.

In the past, we heard all the excuses. The location was the problem. Now the motorways are there. The N80 is being upgraded by the county council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland. As I said, the Togher business park is at the crossroads of Ireland. Lack of infrastructure was another excuse. Now, in the centre of Laois we have first-class infrastructure, including roads. This is less than 1 km from the junction of the N7, N8 and N80.

A lack of serviced land used to be cited as a problem. We do not have that now. We have the Togher business park developed by the council and there are 50 acres owned by IDA Ireland less than 1 km away from the council's site.

The Minister of State will tell me she cannot direct the IDA to do this, that or the other, but questions need to be asked of IDA Ireland about Laois.

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