I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Rourke, for coming into the House to reply. In Ballinasloe we rightly regard the Minister of State as our neighbour in Athlone, she has taken a great interest not alone in this problem but in the others which the town has faced in recent months and years. I also thank the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Deputy Quinn, for his efforts in this regard. I am aware that he met his counterpart in the Spanish Government, Mr. Noval. Further, I wish to thank the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Spring, who was also in contact with his counterpart in the Spanish Government. Indeed, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs summed up the position well in relation to the Dubarry shoe factory when he said that the matter in regard to the factory Agreda in Spain, where there is a strike, was bound up in a tangle of legal, financial and political difficulties.
The situation at the Dubarry factory in Ballinasloe where 350 jobs are in jeopardy is very serious. In addition, the jobs of those working in ancillary industries, including those who work from home where they stitch this product, are also under threat. This evening SIPTU officials and the personnel officer at the Dubarry factory are meeting workers at the Spanish plant at Agreda. I hope there will be a successful outcome.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs mentioned the legal, financial and political problems in Spain. One of the difficulties is that two regional governments in Spain are dealing with this matter. The parent company is located in one region while a subsidiary is located in another. These two regional governments are controlled by the nationalist and conservative parties whereas the socialist party comprises the central government. To complicate the matter further the Spanish general election is due to be held on 6 June. There is a tendency, therefore, to let the matter rest but this is not good enough. We have to use every means at our disposal to get the Spanish Government to intervene.
Having regard to the factors to which I referred, the ability of the Spanish Government to intervene directly may be limited but the Minister of State should have the question of compensation for workers on strike in the factory in Agreda resolved as quickly as possible. This is the kernel of the issue. The factory in Agreda works on a subcontract basis for the Dubarry plant and it is essential that the moulds are released for the factory in Ballinasloe where they are used in the manufacture of the very popular boating shoe.
There has been much speculation in the media as to whether the workers will be put on short-time. Indeed, the question of whether half the workforce will be paid off has been raised. Such a prospect should not be considered at present, to allow the IDA and SIPTU to find a solution. In this regard I thank the regional manager of the IDA, Mr. Tom Hyland, for the work he has done. I am aware that the management of Dubarry and SIPTU are working hard to resolve the matter and I wish them well.
In conclusion, there have been many job losses in Ballinasloe in recent months. As the Minister of State is aware, Top Quarries closed while there were redundancies at the AT Cross factory. Therefore, it would be a serious matter if there were further job loses in Ballinasloe as a result of the problems in the Dubarry factory. I hope the Minister of State can give us some grounds for hope in her reply this evening.