Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The issue I wish to raise today which I know is of concern to a lot of people is the closure of Tara Mines, albeit perhaps temporarily. I have been contacted by a number of people, both people who work there and have worked there. Councillor Paddy Meade has spoken to me about it. There is very much a direct connection with the impacted workers. These things are happening not just in Ireland but across the globe but the fact Tara Mines cannot say how long these 650 workers will be out of work is very worrying. There were discussions on "Morning Ireland" earlier about unsustainable losses tied to changes in the prices of zinc and electricity, inflation, and operational issues. The mine will be put under care and maintenance over the next four weeks but the reasons for that are of course little comfort to the 650 workers who have been temporarily laid off. One of the people I spoke to said they did not know whether they should start looking for work. By the way, they have worked in Tara Mines for a considerable amount of time. They liked working there. They liked their colleagues and their job and do not particularly go somewhere else but there is a state of uncertainty for them. People have families to provide for and mortgages to pay. People have their own inflation and cost-of-living crisis that they must deal with. This level of uncertainty, albeit perhaps unavoidable, and the shock of it has been remarkable for the people I spoke to who currently work there and have worked there, and others. I am not sure whether we need to have a debate on this but perhaps a call to Government. I understand the Government has offered whatever assistance it can. It is that certainty piece that is the most important. Will this really just be a temporary situation or will half or some of the 650 workers be permanently laid off? While it may be difficult for the company, this kind of swift operation thinking is of vital importance to the workers. It is a company of people who have worked there for decades of their lives and who have spent a considerable amount of time there. As Tara Mines is a big employer in County Meath, I hope it is only a short-term crisis and that it will not be a permanent closure. I wish to put on record that whatever needs to be done, be that through the Minister, Deputy Coveney, or others, that the Government tries to find a resolution to this and give those workers certainty as to what will happen whether they will go back into the workforce or if they need to begin to search for other work.