I thank the Chair for allowing me to speak on a topic I consider to be very important. The Minister, Deputy Kenny, is not the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, but as he comes from the west I have no doubt he appreciates that many people there are in dire straits, with the exception of Mayo people.
I wish to raise the issue of the closure of a meat processing plant in Dromod, County Leitrim. Last Friday the factory's licence to slaughter was withdrawn by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The factory slaughtered approximately 1,000 pigs, 700 sows and some cattle per week. Most of the products were exported to Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom; the factory enjoyed an excellent pork trade with Japan and the United Kingdom divided roughly 50:50. A total of 85 people were employed in the factory which is the equivalent of the loss of a factory in Dublin employing approximately 9,000 workers,
The area, which covers south Leitrim, north Longford and north Roscommon, is the most depressed in the country from an unemployment and emigration point of view. Approximately six months ago there was great jubilation when it was announced that a wood pulp processing plant was to be set up giving employment to approximately 300 people. Six months later, a factory employing 85 people is to close and those workers are facing life on the dole.
I appeal to the Minister to put pressure on the Department to reinstate the factory's licence to slaughter. If that is not done those 85 workers will be left sitting at home in despair. Some of them will look for work which they may or may not find; others will set their sights on other areas of the country or on England. That is not a bright prospect for any worker.
Of the 85 people working in the factory approximately 60 are married. With two children per family, that leaves 240 people dependent solely on the income from the factory — 265 if one includes the 25 single employees — not forgetting the financial spin-off to shops, pubs, restaurants and garages in the area. That has come to an end.
The markets and the raw materials still exist and the workers who are unemployed are still in the vicinity. All that is missing is the licence to slaughter. Perhaps the Department would see fit to reinstate the licence for a period of six months while the owners sort out any legal problems they may have and also refurbish the factory as required under EU law.
The factory is about 100 years old. Many people would say that to refurbish such a plant is a waste of money, that it should be closed down, a preservation order put on it and a new plant built. Needless to say that would cost some money but so be it. The Masonite plant will cost approximately £90 million and it will employ just 300 people. This plant which employs 85 persons has an unlimited raw material supply and so far the markets appear to be unlimited.
I appeal to the Minister to put pressure on the Department to reinstate the licence to slaughter so that those 85 workers can work as they have done for the past ten to 15 years, bearing in mind that the factory has been in existence for 98 years.