I move:
That having regard to the deeply serious social and economic repercussions for the West of Ireland which would follow the close of the Tuam sugar factory, Dáil Éireann requests the Government to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain sugar beet processing operations and ancillary activities in Tuam and in particular to promote actively beet growing in neighbouring farming areas in order to ensure adequate future supplies for the sugar factory.
I wish to say at the outset that the amendment which has been put down to the motion by the Minister is disappointing because we had hoped that this debate would lead to his considering further the overall question. The amendment proposes to delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:
Dáil Éireann endorses the Government's decision that Exchequer resources be provided for Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann Teo. to enable it to continue sugar production at Tuam for the 1982/83 beet campaign and that absolute priority would be given to securing new industry in the Tuam area with a view to providing alternative employment opportunities.
Deputies concerned with this area on all sides will see the futility of that amendment and will, I feel, support our motion.
I propose to refer to five different aspects of this matter, namely, the social and economic repercussions, the steps the Government should take to maintain beet processing operations and ancillary activities in Tuam, the promotion of beet growing, the workers' contribution to this exercise and, finally, the handling of the situation by the Minister and the Government. Anybody who knows this area realises the dire social and economic implications if this closure goes ahead. There are 2,200 people unemployed there and the closure of the Sugar Company operations would add substantially to that figure.
The sugar factory was set up in Tuam not solely to make profit but to promote regional development and employment in the west, which is recognised even by the EEC as an under-developed region. The late Seán Lemass said that in no way is sugar beet an economic proposition if we look at it purely from an accountancy point of view but there are other points of view besides that of an accountant. He said that by giving a measure of protection necessary to put the beet industry into existence employment would be provided. It was never intended to be fully economic and there were very important social implications. The unemployment figures in this area are already very serious.
It is important to point out that the figures given by the Government and the Sugar Company regarding the cost of this closure have been refuted by a number of people. The net saving would be roughly £1.8 million but the net loss to the Exchequer by this closure would be of the order of £2.4 million. Instead of saving money the cost of the closure would be of the order of £585,000. The Government cannot have considered their decision carefully enough. As well as the 263 permanent jobs which would be lost there are also 220 temporary, part-time jobs, giving a total of 483 jobs.
We must also take into account the other operations of the Sugar Company in Tuam and it is very doubtful it any of them can survive. The engineering works employing 73 people would be likely to close, as would the turf-cutting operations of the Sugar Company in that area. The value of these jobs, together with the value of the beet crop to growers in the area, is enormous. The economic repercussions cannot be quantified in money terms. The livelihood of small farmers in the area who grow beet is dependent on the part-time work they obtain in the factory and no replacement industry can have the same impact. The very existence of these small farmers is in question because of this decision and the Government must reconsider.
The Tuam factory does not affect only those who work inside it; it affects the entire community in the province. Many facilities there will be affected by the closure of the factory. There will be repercussions on the rail services and for other businesses. I do not believe that these factors have been considered by the Minister and the Government. They must take steps to maintain the beet processing operations and other ancillary activities in Tuam.
I understand from a statement by the Minister that the viability of the entire Sugar Company operation is to be examined by a team of consultants because his Department have not sufficient personnel to examine the proposals made by the Sugar Company. Having spent some time in the Department I doubt very much that the necessary personnel are not available because there are many well qualified people in there who could give an opinion on any proposal from the Sugar Company. If the Government have decided — according to the statements issued they have — that the consultants will examine the future viability of the Sugar Company's operations then they should, and must, include the Tuam operation. They also should consider, if they have not already done so, the proposals — I do not have them to hand, but I am sure the Government do — from the Sugar Company regarding a subsidy towards the maintenance of the Tuam operation. Have the Government considered those proposals? If not, why not? If the Government have considered those proposals on what grounds did they reach the decision announced recently? Has the Minister considered, as I submitted in December last, submitting proposals to the EEC for financial assistance for the Sugar Company operation? Has the Minister considered re-submitting those proposals which would enable the Sugar Company to obtain finance from EEC sources? The Minister is aware that there are many projects in Italy and French overseas countries being financed by the EEC. Why did the Minister not put such a case to the EEC?
I understand that although there are other discussions in progress in the EEC with regard to the overall finances of the agricultural part of the budget, there are, for various reasons, a number of savings in this year's budget. Would the Minister, even at this late stage, consider, because of the availability of some resources in this year's budget, asking the EEC for assistance? Would the Minister be prepared to put forward some ideas for their consideration with a view to maintaining the Tuam factory? I should like to ask the Government to use the Minister of State they appointed for western development——