My first thoughts are with the workers at Bose and their families as they face into an extremely difficult time. All the supports of the State will be made available for the workers affected by the announcement of the pending closure of the Bose plant in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.
After the announcement was made I spoke directly with company management. I expressed my regret at the way in which this announcement was handled, in particular the lack of notice given to workers and to the Enterprise Agencies. I asked the company if they would reconsider their decision or extend the period of notice that has been given to workers. Unfortunately, both options look unlikely.
For my part as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I will do everything possible, together with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, to market the facility abroad through IDA’s global network of overseas offices. Our aim will be to secure alternative investment. The building itself and the skilled workforce there are both strong selling points and will help IDA when talking to overseas investors.
More generally, IDA will continue to highlight the strengths of the Border and North East regions to potential investors, and Enterprise Ireland will continue to develop expansion projects by Irish companies in the area. I have asked the Enterprise Agencies under my remit to redouble their efforts to drive job creation and utilise the skill-set of the employees affected by this announcement to find alternative employment.
I am working directly with IDA and Enterprise Ireland to secure projects for the Cavan – Monaghan area which will deliver investment and jobs.
While we have seen much positive news on the jobs front in recent days, weeks and months, affecting every area of the country, this setback is a reminder that we must fight continually to ensure that Ireland is a location of choice for companies, to win new investments and jobs but just as importantly to maintain the ones we have. Monaghan, like many other regions, has seen positive trends in recent years, with employment in agency-supported companies expanding by 11% (or 450 jobs), and substantial improvement in the live register. However we must do more. Through the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 and the development of new Regional Strategies over the coming months, we will intensify our efforts to sustain and ensure continued job growth in the regions and throughout the country.
