Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

I was pleased to welcome the Cathaoirleach and the Taoiseach to my constituency and I hope they will visit again. The Cathaoirleach might note that the matter I wish to raise on the Adjournment relates to the parish he visited in recent days.

I wish to raise an important issue in County Meath - the Lagan Brick workers in Kingscourt on the Meath-Cavan border. This is a very serious issue as all 25 workers were let go, without due formality, in the middle of December. Since then the workers have been maintaining a constant vigil and blockade on the brick factory in Kingscourt to assert their rights and to prevent the stripping out of the factory before they are paid their entitlements. The matter has been before the Labour Relations Commission but I understand that the talks broke down yesterday. I do not know if there have been developments today. The matter is due to go before the Labour Court.

This is an urgent situation. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Burton, responded to the issue when it was raised in the Dáil but the workers were not happy with the sense of urgency he displayed. I am calling on the Leader to engage in a debate in this House on the issue and to request the Minister to attend the House and show he is dealing with it as a matter of extreme urgency.

This is a traditional industry in the Kingscourt area. As the factory pays rates, it is an important source of income for County Meath. Little remains of the industrial production in that part of north County Meath. My understanding, although something contrary was said at the Labour Relations Commission, was that the business was relatively successful in England, where it was developed and built up, when the building boom ceased in Ireland. I understand from workers that they were kept very busy. We need to debate this issue, the loss of a traditional industry. The workers from counties, Cavan, Meath and Monaghan cannot afford to lose their jobs and the area cannot afford to lose the facility.

We need to debate the issue in the Seanad and we need to recognise the urgency of saving those jobs. The Seanad should acknowledge these workers. The Vita Cortex workers mounted a similar protest indoors around the same time. They have had significant publicity and deservedly so, but this group of workers in County Meath have not had the same level of publicity yet they have been pursuing an outdoor blockade, including being present on Christmas Day. They deserve our support. I know all parties have visited them. We need the Government to take action.