asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism the steps he has taken to ensure that a company (details supplied) in Wexford will continue in production; and in the event of the closure of the firm, the steps he will take to provide employment for those who will be made redundant.
Written Answers. - Wexford Company Employment.
355.
Primary responsibility for keeping manufacturing enterprises in production rests with the proprietors and management of such enterprises. As the Deputy is aware, the objective of the various changes in the ownership of the company in question that have taken place since 1965 has been to put the business of the company on a sound footing. To this end, all possible assistance had been made available by the relevant State agencies. In particular, assistance totalling £653,000 in grants and share subscriptions had been given to the company since it came under its present ownership in 1977. It was therefore with great concern and regret that I learned that, despite the substantial State aid provided, the management had been forced to the conclusion that, because of the company's loss-making situation, there was no alternative but to cease production on 19 December 1980.
I have explored with the company the possibilities of their being able to find further orders that would at least keep the works in operation for a further period of some months but the company advised that, as no such orders on a profitable basis were available, they regretted that they could not see their way to defer the closure.
I am satisfied that the interests of the workers concerned and of the Wexford area can now best be served by the attraction to Wexford of new industries to provide alternative employment and intensified efforts are now being made to achieve this.