Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I disagree with Senator Ellis that the dairy industry is asleep. The industry and its farmers are being squeezed by the retail multiples and others. I found it hard to take IBEC's call this week that an ombudsman is needed to protect supermarkets and the multiple outlets when they are squeezing farmers.

I want to bring to the Minister of State's attention that Cadbury's Ireland announced it is cutting 200 jobs in its factories in Rathmore, County Kerry, and Coolock, Dublin. Deputy Tom Sheahan and I have been trying to get some information from the Tánaiste's office and elsewhere about the impact of these redundancies at local level.

Last year farmers received 39 cent per litre for milk but this year it is 20 cent per litre. The price for milk paid to farmers has dropped by 50% in the past two years, yet an industry that uses milk in its production is still cutting jobs. It is unacceptable that the recession is being exploited to cut jobs in places like Rathmore or Coolock. These cuts will go straight to the heart of the local economies. They are all just in the interests of higher profits while farmers and workers are screwed with local communities losing out.

Will there be an investigation into why Cadbury's Ireland must cut these jobs? I do not accept at a time when its most significant cost, milk, has dropped by 50% that it is acceptable for it to cut jobs. Politicians, the Government and the trade unions care about employment and unemployment. However, no one else cares. It is unacceptable industry tries to screw everybody else to increase its bottom line. I want some hope to be given to people in Rathmore and Coolock and for Cadbury's to explain why it is cutting jobs in these areas.