Vol. 538 No. 1
82 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the discussions which she has had with the management of a company (details supplied) regarding its proposal to make 200 workers redundant; if she has received assurances from management as to the security of the remaining jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17219/01]
Ireland is the nerve centre of the company's operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and is key to their strategic development in the region. The company has a long established track record in Ireland and is proud of the contribution it has made and continues to make to the Irish economy.
As part of its standard business practice, the company is continuing to review its operations here and throughout the world on a regular basis. In common with other companies in the ICT sector, the company has been affected by the downturn in the US economy.
On 23 May 2001, as part of its aggressive management of operating expenses and in order to improve cost efficiencies, the company announced that it was reducing its staff complement of 4,500 in Limerick by 200, mainly administrative and management staff. The severance programme will be on a voluntary basis. Manufacturing staff in Limerick will not be affected as order levels at the facility are good. The redundancies do not affect any of the company's other facilities in Ireland, Bray and Cherrywood, Loughlinstown.
I understand that employees participating in the voluntary programme will be eligible for competitive severance packages, including in excess of six-weeks pay per year of service, extended medical and life cover, plus extensive career counselling and outplacement assistance.
