Vol. 493 No. 3
24 Mr. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will report on her recent visit to the United States and, in particular, to the Fruit of the Loom and Motorola operations; and can she reassure workers at both companies in Ireland that their boards and chief executives remain committed to this country. [15904/98]
I met with Mr. William Farley, the chairman and chief executive officer of Fruit of the Loom Inc., on 23 June 1998 in Chicago to discuss the US company's plans for its Irish operations. This was my fourth meeting with him since taking office last year.
The clothing and textiles industries worldwide are experiencing severe competitive pressures. Change is constant and in that environment there are no guarantees; that is the reality of the business world. The clothing industry in western Europe has been declining in the face of competition from low-cost countries. This, coupled with liberalising world trade, has resulted in clothing companies in Europe and the US to seek cheaper sources of production. For example, Fruit of the Loom has been engaged in the retrenchment of its US-based operatives for some time.
Mr. Farley indicated to me that he is keeping the business in Donegal under constant review in the light of market forces. He stated that he will be visiting Donegal shortly as part of this review process. He will keep in touch with IDA Ireland and myself as the review progresses.
