asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the action he proposes to take to safeguard the jobs of 150 employees of a company (name supplied) in County Galway which is due to close on 1st April next.
Private Notice Question: - County Galway Company Closure.
As already announced by the IDA a new project is taking over the premises in question and production is expected to start on the 15th May next. This project will generate 140 jobs for women and 20 for men. Former employees of the closed firm whose job skills would suit the new project will get preference in employment in the new undertaking.
A further project which will employ 200 workers, mainly men, is due to commence in the town in about three months. In addition, the IDA is urgently seeking a further industry for the town to absorb any workers from the closed firm who do not find alternative employment at an early date.
My information is that the new industry will employ only 40 people. Does the Minister not feel it is a strange anomaly that Irish company law allows public and multi-national companies to come to Ireland and form private limited companies thus allowing no public scrutiny of their accounts?
The Deputy is embarking on a statement rather than asking a question.
In other words, a shareholder in the backwoods of any state in America can know how this industry is developing in Tuam but the workers, the people involved, are not told anything until such time as the announcement is made that the factory is closing.
On a matter of fact the new undertaking which has already been announced will employ 140 women and 20 men. That is a total of 160 workers. The factory that has announced its closure employs 105 women and 35 men. The present factory employs 20 people less than the new factory will employ when it comes to its capacity.