Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

Given the day that is in it, much attention will naturally focus on the budget but I would like the House to also think of a group of more than 300 workers who recently lost their jobs at Castlemahon Food Products near Newcastle West. They received just two weeks' statutory redundancy payments from the company, which is based in the North of Ireland, and the State. One year ago, 150 workers with that employer were made redundant and received five weeks' redundancy. The current group of workers have been crusading for an improvement in the number of weeks but the company has been totally intransigent and has hidden behind the liquidator.

It is usual when there are closures that there would be an announcement that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, would do everything possible to assist. All I want him to do in this case is to talk to the Labour Relations Commission on an ad hoc basis, given that only the liquidator, the ex-employees and the company are involved, to find whether he could achieve a meeting of minds to improve the redundancy package for these workers, who face a bleak Christmas. They are forgotten and must resort to peaceful protest outside a leading company in this country to prove their point — they will possibly finish their protest outside the Dáil today.

This is what I ask from the Minister, Deputy Martin. We realise the jobs are gone and will not be replaced. Unfortunately, the food processing industry as we know it in west Limerick, particularly with regard to poultry processing, has gone in the past two years.