I regret the announcement by the company that 104 jobs are to be lost due to restructuring of its operations.
This is due to the fact that the market for its product has changed dramatically in the last 18 months whereby it has become far easier for low cost countries to compete. This shift in the market makes it increasingly difficult for the Killarney operation to remain competitive. The company's forecasts for the year ahead predict that there is no foreseeable pick up in the market for the basic, low cost product which has been in decline since last year. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, the company cannot continue to sustain current employment levels.
IDA Ireland has advised that the restructured operation will now cater for the high value added market segment, which the company believes can be supplied on a profitable basis from Ireland. FÁS contacted the company on the day the announcement of redundancies was made. The full range of FÁS support services was offered to the employees. Following liaison between the FÁS employment services officer and the company, I understand that 58 of the staff have now registered with FÁS, of whom 33 are seeking training courses.