Vol. 509 No. 1
127 Ms Clune asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action, if any, she has taken since the announcement of the proposed closure of the Sealand facility at the Cork Airport business park; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19926/99]
I was very disappointed to learn of Sealand's decision to close the Cork operation. The Sealand facility was intended to centralise the company's administrative and customer service functions in a shared services centre in Cork. The closure of the operation arose as a result of the takeover of the company and the fact that the new owners preferred to have offices in each country of operation rather than a centralised service. The IDA will hold discussions with the new owners, the Maersk shipping group, to assess the feasibility of maintaining a presence in Cork. In the event that this proves unsuccessful, the IDA will concentrate its efforts on securing a replacement investor to provide additional jobs in Cork.
On a more positive note, I am pleased that there has been a significant upturn in the employment position in the region in the last few years. So far this year alone, over 1,100 new jobs have been announced for the Cork area and I am confident that additional investment projects will be secured.
