asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the steps he is taking to renew production at Earl Company shoe factory, Bailieborough, County Cavan.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cavan Factory.
18.
I understand that this company decided to go into voluntary liquidation recently and that the liquidator is now endeavouring to sell it as a going concern.
The Footwear Industry Task Force which I set up last year to assist and encourage the industry to implement a programme of reorganisation is keeping in touch with the situation and any proposals put forward to re-open the factory will be considered as sympathetically as possible.
What was the name of the agency mentioned by the Minister?
The Footwear Industry Task Force.
Does the Minister realise that this factory has been in production for 40 years, that it has never had any State aid, and that it was vigorously pursuing a sales programme, that skills are there and machinery is there in good condition, and that if Foir Teoranta can come to its aid immediately, it will be doing a great service to this town?
The task force is keeping in touch with the situation. Any proposal put forward to reopen the factory will be considered as sympathetically as possible. That sympathetic consideration extends not only to the task force, but to the State agencies that are involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of companies.
Does this mean that the Minister does not see that any initiative must come from his Department? Must the initiative come from elsewhere? Does the Minister regard it as significant that this factory has never asked for any aid from the State?
I do not accept that there has been no initiative from my Department. There are some elements in the situation which give hope of a rescue, and I do not want to jeopardise them. In regard to the lack of public money, I regret this, because the full range of IDA incentives and grants are available to indigenous firms and we are very anxious that companies should take advantage of these grants in the matter of re-equipment and maximum productivity. It is possible that if this firm had taken advantage of these grants they might be in a stronger position or might be functioning at the moment.
Would the Minister agree that in this case the tragic loss of three of the top management people did not help the industry, and would the Minister give extra sympathetic consideration to the factory seeing that it did not receive State aid before?
I will take note of what the Deputy says, and I desire a successful outcome as much as he does.