Liam Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has had any communication from the EU Agriculture Commission regarding payment of compensation to former Greencore workers; if it is a condition of the compensation payments to Greencore that unless there was a social plan attached to the business plan from the company, which not only deals with proper compensation for workers but also takes into account decisions of the Labour Court, the Commission would not make the compensation payments to Greencore; if this regulation would also apply to growers, transporters and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43570/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The EU restructuring aid for the sugar industry, as provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No. 320/2006, is to cover the economic, social and environmental costs of restructuring, involving factory closure and renunciation of quota. The aid is to be drawn down on the basis of an aid application, including a detailed restructuring plan, submitted by the sugar processor. In July 2006 the Government made decisions regarding the percentage of the aid to be reserved for beet growers and contractors and the indicative breakdown of the potential allocation of the aid to be followed by Greencore in preparing its restructuring plan. These decisions are now the subject of judicial review proceedings instituted by Greencore in the High Court and, in the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to make any comment.

Subject to the outcome of the Judicial Review, the application and restructuring plan which includes a social plan dealing inter alia with redundancy payments, has been submitted to the EU Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation.

I understand that the Commission has not taken a view on compensation for former Greencore workers other than to reiterate the requirements of the Regulation in regard to the restructuring plan.

The position remains that there is a dispute between the workers and Greencore over the interpretation of the Labour Court recommendation and resolution of that dispute is a matter in which I have no function. My colleague Mr. Tony Killeen TD, Minister for Labour Affairs, outlined the position regarding the Labour Court recommendation in this House on 25 October 2006 and said that the Court remains available to the parties to advance a resolution to the dispute.