Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

Beidh áthas ar an bpobal i mBaile Ghib a chloisint go bhfuil an t-údarás chun dul i ngleic leis an foirgneamh a chosaint. Cé go bhfuil sé sin tábhachtach, tá na fiosruithe a luaigh an tAire Stáit ina bhfreagra i bhfad níos tábhachtaí. Dúirt sé go bhfuil Údarás na Gaeltachta chun fiosruithe a dhéanamh maidir le spás tionsclaíoch sa cheantar. Bheadh mé níos sásta fós dá mbeadh na cíosanna á gcur ar fáil go réasúnta. B'fhéidir go mbeidh níos mó spéise ag comhlachtaí sa spás sin má tharlaíonn sé sin. I am glad the Minister of State has outlined there are inquiries about the factory in Gibbstown. This is very important. It is important for the community that the factory be protected and secured.

I have asked my colleague, Senator Ó Domhnaill, about this matter. He is soon to attend his second last meeting of Údarás na Gaeltachta unless a local authority or the Government appoints him, which is unlikely. The Senator was elected by the people in Donegal, and I am sure they would re-elect him if they had the chance, but this has been taken away. The Senator will raise this issue in Béal an Mhuirthead at the weekend; I believe there is a meeting on Friday. This matter is very important because, if we really want to protect Irish, we must not have factories leaving Gaeltachtaí and entering superior premises elsewhere. While the story of the company in question is good in general for the county as a whole, we want to protect jobs and the communities in rural Meath.