asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will state in relation to the agreement reached between the Government, Talbot Ireland, the ATGWU and ICTU in regard to 90 assembly workers which is dated 10 June 1981 and which was signed on behalf of the Taoiseach by two public servants: (a) the amount expended to date of the £475,000 provided for in Vote 50 of the 1982 Estimates for Public Services; (b) the date on which the 90 employees first became redundant and the number currently in alternative employment; (c) the average gross current weekly payment to such workers; (d) the cost of AnCO training for such workers to date and the extent of such training; (e) the progress to date of the IDA in providing a suitable viable project or projects to provide alternative employment for the workers concerned in employment comparable in nature to the existing assembly employment; (f) the estimated cost of the implementation of this agreement in 1983; and (g) the date of expiry of this agreement.
Written Answers. - Assembly Workers' Agreement.
The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: (a) Of the provision of £475,000 in my Department's Vote for 1982, a sum of £186,496 has been expended to date; (b) The original 90 workers involved ceased employment with Talbot (Ireland) Ltd. on 10 June 1981. Of the 90, two did not participate in training by AnCO, one having taken up alternative employment and one because of prolonged sick absence. At present, the provisions of the agreement are being applied to 88 men; (c) The average weekly payment to the 88 men amounts to £8,880; (d) I have no information to hand as to the cost and extent of the training provided by AnCO; (e) So far, the Industrial Development Authority has not succeeded in securing the establishment of a suitable alternative project (or projects) that would provide alternative employment for the men but these efforts are being maintained. In addition, other employment possibilities, including in the public sector, are being followed up; (f) Since it is not possible to forecast the outcomes of the efforts referred to at (e), it would be premature to speculate at this stage as to the cost, if any, of implementation of the agreement in 1983; (g) There is no formal date of expiry specified in the agreement.