Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I agree with Senator Norris in his very fair assessment of the situation in the Middle East. I join him in offering our best wishes to the Minister, Deputy Cowen, who is doing a huge amount of courageous work in that region. Indeed, he is carrying on the great work of the late Brian Lenihan, who was the first Minister for Foreign Affairs to recognise the right of establishment of the state of Palestine, so there is continuity. The Friends of Palestine in the Oireachtas group is now up and running.

I support Senator Feighan's call for the establishment of a task force to deal with the problem in Roosky, or at least to ask the Minister responsible – the Minister for Agriculture and Food or for Enterprise, Trade and Employment – to come to the House and explain how a public limited company such as Glanbia could withdraw its jobs from an area such as Roosky, whose inhabitants supported Glanbia and the Hanley family over the generations. Pig processors in that region have been well served. We are losing a major industry in Roosky and there is no guarantee of the continuation of the canning industry there if the raw material, pigmeat, is withdrawn. It is an outrageous decision. We need an explanation from representatives of Glanbia, which is a plc.

The Government also has a responsibility in this regard. When the factory in Ballaghaderreen was burnt down – I was a Deputy at the time – we ensured that Glanbia and others went in there and reopened the factory. Everybody expected that the company would reopen the plant in Roosky, where there are trained, qualified workers.