Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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4. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the efforts being made to secure alternative employment for the workers at a factory (details supplied) in Nenagh, County Tipperary; her views on the standing down of ConnectIreland; if she will work with ConnectIreland in order to increase regional employment opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14749/17]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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We met the Minister and representatives of IDA Ireland during the week but what is she and her Department doing to deal with the onslaught being suffered in Tipperary? Most recently, we have seen losses at Coty in Nenagh and there are fears about Bord na Móna.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The questions have been moved about. What number is this?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are going back to No. 4. It is a priority question.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I appreciate that. I was not here when the question was called initially.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We will let the Deputy away with it this time.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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It is a long way to Tipperary. I hope the Minister can find it.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Was the Deputy late?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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He was.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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There we go.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I apologise, as long as the Minister has some good news for me.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It is all right. I do not mind at all. The relevant State bodies will do everything possible to help the employees of this company to find new job opportunities. I have arranged that the inter-agency group, which is currently working to assist the Ranbaxy Laboratories and Suir Pharma closures, will now extend its remit to deal with the forthcoming closure in Nenagh. Earlier this week I met the Deputy and Tipperary Deputies to discuss the issue and I have arranged to meet the inter-agency group very shortly. I have spoken to the chairman of the group already.

Although the factory will not close until the end of 2018, IDA Ireland has already begun to pursue potential new investors for the site. The pipeline of new investment projects into Ireland is strong and every effort will be made to market the Nenagh facility and, of course, to also bring new jobs to the wider region. Both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will actively pursue job creation projects for Nenagh and the surrounding area. The announcement of the First Data project in Nenagh, which will create up to 300 jobs there, has been a significant recent success. It is notable that the former Suir Pharma premises in Clonmel has now been purchased by a new pharmaceutical operation and significant investment and job creation has been announced there.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I met the Minister and given her a long-standing invitation to Tipperary since she took office. Unfortunately, she still has not given me a date for the visit and she is putting me off. We are getting worried that the sentiments of the old song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" are apt for this Government. Can it not find us in Tipperary?

I know about the inter-agency group led by Mr. Joe McGrath, which was established to help after the losses at Rambaxy and Suir Pharma. There have been some successes, especially on the Suir Pharma side. The Minister mentioned First Data in Nenagh. Coty, like Merck, Sharp and Dohme in south Tipperary, is a plant that has been there for over 40 years, providing long-term employment and good jobs. It is a good company with an excellent work force. No matter what we do with inter-agency groups, when we lose a main pillar of employment in a town like Nenagh, it is devastating.

At the same time there has been an assault on ConnectIreland. The issue was raised by Deputy Niall Collins as well. We talk of ConnectIreland and connecting Tipperary but the Government is completely disconnected from rural Ireland, which is shameful. It is hiding behind a legal matter but a letter in my possession from ConnectIreland indicates there is no legal challenge in the courts at this point. It has not even entered arbitration. The statement is untrue and the Government is hiding behind it. It will be banished but the Minister should wake up and smell the coffee. The Minister should find out where Tipperary is and be down to meet us as well as the inter-agency group and local employees and employers.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I have done it before publicly but I reiterate that 63,000 jobs were created last year, with 72% of them outside Dublin. Those jobs are coming to provincial, rural and regional Ireland.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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That is fictional.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy does not want to hear that. I met the Deputy on two or three occasions in my Department with various groups. We met about the Lisheen quarry project.

We have also met about the recent closure of Coty. It is regrettable. It is terrible that 200 people lost their jobs there. I assure the Deputy that we are doing our best to ensure that site will be sold to a viable customer.

In regard to the evening that the announcement was made, it was made unknown to us in the Department. We certainly did not leak it, nor did the chief executive of Tipperary County Council. I have no idea where it came from. I apologise to the employees for the way they heard that news.

Amneal has now taken over the former J&J plant in Cashel. We will be looking to make sure that more jobs go to the regions, but that is what the Regional Action Plan for Jobs is all about. Whether the Deputy likes it or not, we are having considerable success.

However, I am ambitious. I myself am from the country and I want to see more jobs going to rural and regional areas.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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The leak was most regrettable. I am not blaming the Minister. If the Minister is trying to stop leaks in the Dáil, she has enough problems with Irish Water and WikiLeaks besides talking about leaks here.

The Minister needs to refocus on Tipperary, both north and south. It is a long county. It used to be served by two different regional authorities - the south east and mid-west. We are under sustained attack and it is not acceptable.

I was in Washington at the ambassador's engagement and I met the CEO of IDA Ireland. I have never met him in Ireland. One cannot meet him. IDA Ireland needs to re-jig the process and refocus, get connected and not be afraid of the coverage of ConnectIreland because it was getting some of the credit for jobs. We want the jobs. We do not care who provides them. The taxpayers' money is going into them. It is a smoke screen to say that there is a legal case with ConnectIreland. ConnectIreland has done a good job, as has Connect Tipperary, but they have been muffled and strangled at every corner. IDA Ireland needs to get off its high horse and get down and dirty.

The Minister did not hear me and other Deputies ask the delegation that attended the meeting about the site visits. She had left the meeting as she had to come to the Dáil. There were very few visits to Tipperary and the members of the delegation would not tell us where or what plants were visited. Why the secrecy? We want jobs. We want industries brought to Tipperary to show them the road network and other excellent facilities serving Tipperary, including the IT, and above all, the excellent workforce that we have on offer. We need that to happen rather than wringing of hands and saying that there is an action plan. We need action. We need the Minister to get connected the way Tipperary is and be down to us soon, not putting me off every time I ask her to visit. One gets tired of asking.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Some 3,368 jobs are supported by IDA Ireland in Tipperary. The Deputy has not even mentioned Enterprise Ireland. They support 5,352 jobs there.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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The Minister is now like a schoolteacher lecturing.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Mattie McGrath does not want to hear anything. All he wants to do is shout.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Let the Minister speak.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The LEOs in Tipperary support 1,437 jobs.

Deputy McGrath stated he has not met IDA Ireland. I beg the Deputy's pardon. The Deputy met IDA Ireland in my office at least two or three times.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I said the CEO.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Did the Deputy inquire to meet the CEO?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Yes.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I did not know that. That is the Deputy's business and his.

Deputy McGrath is also raising ConnectIreland in another question about Tipperary. I dealt with ConnectIreland. I believe there is another question coming about ConnectIreland and I will have more to time to address that issue.