Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Fine Gael Party for tabling this motion which is well worth debating. I congratulate the Minister on a very lucid speech which sets out all the considerations. I also compliment our spokesperson on a very judicious speech.

I am afraid the most I have had to do with sugar beet is helping with the harvest in eastern Austria near the Iron Curtain 40 years ago, which was quite hard work when it was only semi-mechanised.

What is proposed will be a wrench for the workforce, the families and the town of Carlow, but we are referring to one of the first enterprises in independent Ireland and one of the first State enterprises. When I became involved as a political adviser to Fianna Fáil in 1981, one of the first political battles fought and won — at least for a time — was over the closure of the Tuam sugar factory. The economy was in a very different state in those days and real regional problems existed in the north west. The plant was closed in 1986. The price our colleague, Deputy Michael O'Kennedy, had to pay for being Minister for Agriculture was to accept and see through the closure of the sugar factory in Thurles, from which I accept, as Senator Coonan pointed out, it took the town a number of years to recover. I admire the town of Thurles. It is a reasonably thriving and go-ahead Tipperary town today but it took some time to reach that point, which I freely acknowledge.