asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the guarantees he has received from the purchaser of the Baltymore shipyard regarding the long-term employment prospects of those employed in the yard and if he will reconsider his decision to sell off the remaining BIM boatyards in Killybegs and Dingle to private interests and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - BIM Boatyards.
14.
The agreement for the sale of the Baltymore shipyard provides for the purchaser acquiring the yard as a going concern and for the retention of the entire work force. This arrangement ensure that large scale redundancies have been avoided at the yard.
As the Deputy will appreciate, no employer could be expected to give long-term guarantees of employment but the purchaser of the Baltymore yard has expressed his complete confidence in the future of the yard.
As I am satisfied that the sale of the BIM boatyards to private interests offers better employment prospects for the workers involved than their operation by the board, I do not propose to reconsider my decision to approve of the sale of these two remaining yards if suitable offers are forthcoming. Negotiations for the sale of these yards are at an advanced stage.