Vol. 494 No. 3
140 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the number of employees in the B&I Line when it was sold by the Government; the number still working for the new company; the number laid off or who retired early; and if he will make a statement on the matter in relation to the accuracy of projections made at the time of privatisation. [18212/98]
The Deputy will be aware that responsibility for the sale in 1992 of the B&I Line rested with the then Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications. Responsibility for international ferries was transferred to my Department in 1995 by virtue of the International Ferries (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S. I. No. 41 of 1995).
The records available to my Department indicate that at the time of the sale of the B&I Line plc. to Irish Continental Group plc. the company had some 879 permanent employees. ICG entered into extensive negotiations with the B&I unions with a view to reaching a comprehensive agreement on rationalisation and work practices prior to sale completion. The rationalisation proposals effected resulted in 163 employee redundancies. The whole question of rationalisation was a matter for negotiations between the ICG and the trade unions.
