Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank my colleague for allowing me to speak on this important issue. This has been a crushing blow to the area by any standards. It is the stuff that nightmares are made of. Young people with mortgages and other financial commitments have found themselves with a job today but out of work tomorrow. This area has seen its population decline in the past, but there were positive signs of a renaissance, which was in no small measure due to Iralco and the important employment outlet it provided. I have more than a passing interest in this factory for the simple reason that my sister-in-law works there, her son is health and safety officer in it and her husband worked there for many years, as did another son. The CLÁR programme covers 90% of that area so that of itself speaks volumes.

The knock-on adverse implications of this decision will have a detrimental effect not alone on the many young people employed there who have mortgages and other financial commitments but also on the many service jobs that the employment of 420 people has provided. As my colleague has said, €8 million of an annual wage spend in an area is a substantial sum of money. This closure would have a serious effect on a large town or even a city. In a mainly rural area it is absolutely detrimental.

I ask that no effort be spared, no stone left unturned to ensure replacement employment is found and the very strong, skilled talents of the workforce are brought into re-employment as soon as possible. We are talking not only about Collinstown but also Delvin, Castlepollard, Fore, my own parish of Killucan-Maharney and parts of west Kildare. We are not talking about a particular area in north Westmeath but also about Longford and Cavan, a very large area which saw major benefits from this important employment outlet.

I express my gratitude for being allowed to speak on this matter. I wish the county manager and all the players who are trying to resolve this major difficulty the very best of luck. I hope a replacement employer can be found. People will travel a long way before they find the skills levels of those who have lost their jobs. The best day's work the Minister of State's Department can do is to ensure a replacement industry is found or that someone takes over the present company. As my colleague has said, the order book is quite full and I believe the enterprise could be taken over as an ongoing concern.