Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the visitors in the Gallery. I have no doubt that some people in the Oldcastle area are affected by the sad news about Wellman International.

I have been in touch and have been very active. Let us be clear. I am not paying platitudes to anyone, as I feel strongly about these people. I represent them. I was elected to do so and I will certainly do that. I have met them and am meeting them. On a daily basis, I am in touch with workers and their representatives. The Senator can be assured of that.

I have also written to the Department of Social Protection and the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and asked him to set up a working group in his Department to ensure that the necessary supports are put in place, if it comes to that. I hope it will not, but it is inevitable that a certain number of jobs will be lost. We have to be factual about these cases when we talk about them. As I said, the Minister, Peter Burke, is keeping a close eye on this.

The work of IDA Ireland is incredible. It has worked closely with Wellman International and the representatives there over the past two years. The Government has not kept pouring money into a company that was failing. It has worked closely with IDA Ireland to ensure the latter provided whatever supports it could to make sure that Wellman International did not go out of business and to look at the idea of rescaling the business. I assure the Senator that I am liaising not only with officials in my Department, but also officials in IDA Ireland who are liaising with Wellman International. I will continue to do that and to liaise closely with workers and management in Wellman International.