I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the announcement today of the loss of 185 jobs in Comerama in north Kilkenny. This factory, which was named Comer International in 1969, started operations as a result of the demise of the coal mining industry in the area and it was a significant boost to employment and the economic development of north Kilkenny. Comer International, a company of some size and importance, was able to employ, train and upskill people who had been involved in another industry.
The textile plant at Comerama has been involved in the manufacture of woollen yarn and lycra for export to the fashion trade. Fashion is a cyclical industry and the textile industry worldwide has been subject to upturns and downturns in recent years. There was never an occasion, however, in the lifetime of this plant that unions, management and the company did not come together to resolve their differences.
Recently, the level of activity in the woollen trade began to cause difficulties as cotton became the fashion of the day. This made management and workers concerned for the future viability of the plant. Co-operation between workers and management bailed them out of short-term difficulties in the past and they approached this difficulty in the same spirit. That co-operation was evident when public representatives, management and unions met recently to come up with ideas to persuade the Minister and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to come up with a viability plan for the factory. Such a plan is vital because it is rare that a plant of such significance can be found in a small town. The national spatial strategy calls for inward and mobile investment in the gateways, hubs and larger urban areas. An employer of the size of Comerama in an area like Castlecomer, however, is not easily come by. That is why every effort must be made to keep the business alive.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment was informed that a small financial injection would give an opportunity to see if the export of yarn would increase. Unfortunately, this idea was not accepted by the Minister or the State agency. That is regrettable. It is also a matter of regret that the Minister did not, as originally envisaged, see fit to meet representatives of the management, the unions, the workers and public representatives last Tuesday evening to point out the difficulties she had and to give an opportunity to members of the local community to explain their co-ordinated approach and how they intend to retain the plan and develop it in the future. The business was not given a chance to survive in the short-term.
Following the very sad announcement today by the management in Castlecomer, I call on the Minister to immediately establish a task force with the same haste she would apply in other parts of the country. She should recognise the importance of this facility to the town of Castlecomer and the surrounding area. I refer here to the involvement of management and workers in the plant over the years and the enormous impact it has had on the community in Castlecomer and the surrounding parishes. Support should be provided, through the statutory bodies and the local authorities, in order to facilitate the provision of a replacement industry as quickly as possible at this very modern plant.
There has been a great deal of discussion about the national spatial strategy in recent days. The first test of the strategy will be to bring businesses out from the centre of commercial and business activity to the regions and, in particular, to places like Castlecomer, where there is a modern building and a good workforce available. I am sure members of that workforce will have no difficulty in acquiring new skills, if necessary. Many people have spent their lifetimes working in this plant. I do not say this in a party political way, but every effort must be made to bring together the various interests and ensure that a replacement industry is found in order to give hope and a morale boost to the workers in the lead-up to a very bleak Christmas.
