I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 484 together.
Following the closure of the Tambrands plant in Tipperary and the Schiesser plant in Carrick-on-Suir I appointed an inter-agency enterprise group to ensure that the Tambrands and Schiesser plants were made available for alternative investment purposes, to assist employees with training and retraining opportunities and to assist workers who wish to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in their own right. The group has been working closely with public representatives and local interest groups to exploit to the maximum opportunities for job creation in the area.
The Tambrands plant consists of two buildings. The group successfully negotiated with Tambrands to transfer the smaller of the two buildings to Tipperary South Riding County Council for use as an enterprise unit. IDA Ireland has been actively marketing the larger building and the Schiesser premises to investors. Some of these contacts are being pursued further by the IDA. Both plants continue to be marketed by the IDA internationally. At my request, concentrated efforts are being focused on the task and I continue to be optimistic that a replacement project can be found at this time.