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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Mar 2015

Vol. 870 No. 1

Topical Issue Debate

Forestry Sector

In a recent press release the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, stated he had secured European Union approval for a forestry programme. The press release's highlights included €482 million of new investment in forestry, 44,000 ha of new forestry, 700 km of new forestry roads, 20% higher premium payments, 5% afforestation grants etc., as well as new species, with rotations of ten to 15 years.

Many people will welcome any improvement in our forestry programmes and the development of the sector to meet our 2020 EU targets. The scale of investment will have real impact on rural communities, particularly for those who farm marginal lands. It will provide them with the opportunity to come into the forestry sector, offering real options for landowners to generate alternative sources of income. This can only be a positive development. It will prove attractive to landowners not previously interested in forestry. I am concerned, however, that some landowners with good arable land may enter into forestry when their land could be put to better use.

The forestry sector contributes €2.3 billion to gross domestic product, GDP, annually, and employs up to 12,000 people. Hopefully, with these new investment enticements, it will increase the numbers employed in the sector. Does the Minister of State have any projections as to how many extra jobs will be created as a result?

The programme aims to plant 6,000 ha of new forestry in 2015 and increase this to 8,310 ha by 2020. Again, this is an ambitious target and one which I believe can be met. The Minister of State has warned that there will have to be a 20% increase in premium payments, 5% increase in afforestation grants and 14% increase in forest road grants. One would like to see larger increases for the latter two categories.

The same premium rate will be paid to farmers and non-farmers. What does that mean? I am concerned about speculators coming into the sector because of the tax breaks associated with it. Is the tax break the same for a farmer as for a non-farmer? Most farmers involved in afforestation programmes are usually outside the tax bracket because they have low incomes. Speculators coming into the sector could have an adverse effect.

I am not being negative about this programme. Any extra moneys coming into the Irish forestry sector from Europe are to be welcomed, as is any development that can generate jobs. However, there are concerns about this and I would appreciate it if the Minister could address these.

I thank Deputy Martin Ferris for the opportunity to explain to the House the new forestry programme. I also thank him for his positive response to what is a fine programme.

The Government sees significant potential for growth in the forestry sector. Already the industry contributes €2.3 billion per annum to GDP and employs approximately 12,000 people, both directly and indirectly. Overseas markets for Irish sawn wood and panel board products have expanded over the past several years despite the recession. Further growth of up to 20% can be expected by 2030 according to a recent United Nations Economic Commission for Europe-Food and Agriculture Organization study. Increasing EU targets for renewable energy also means there will be more demand for wood as fuel for domestic and industrial use.

Last month, the European Commission gave approval for state aid for the new forestry programme 2014 to 2020. This programme is fully Exchequer funded and will involve total spending of €482 million. The aim will be to establish 44,000 ha of new forests and to build almost 700 km of new forest roads. This is a substantial investment and a brave step by the Government in these difficult times.

The new programme introduces several important structural and design changes to some of the main schemes which would have operated under previous programmes. Under the afforestation scheme, for example, a new single rate of premium has been introduced for farmers and non-farmers and 20 annual premiums have been reduced to 15. To compensate for the reduction in the number of premium payments, the premium rates themselves have been increased by 20%. Grant rates for planting trees have also been increased by 5% across all planting categories. It is anticipated these changes will prove attractive to those landowners not previously interested in forestry.

The type of land we want to encourage to come into this forestry programme is marginal land which may not be productive for grass production, dairying or beef. We made this point in the announcement of the programme. Like the Deputy, I would not like to see good land that could produce dairy and milk being given over to forestry.

Protect the Golden Vale.

New agroforestry and forestry for fibre measures have been added to the afforestation scheme. These new planting categories are targeted specifically at farmers, providing them with options for grazing livestock alongside forestry and, in the case of forestry for fibre, the option to harvest timber after ten to 15 years rather than 30 or 40 years as is the case with other types of forestry.

Restructuring forestry schemes so they present more attractive options for farmers in generating alternative sources of income has been an important aim of the Department. This was factored into the design of the programme from the outset.

I am sorry to interrupt the Minister of State but he has run out of time.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply but, unfortunately, he did not get to the end of it.

The Government is hoping to provide funding for the establishment of 2,700 ha of native woodlands, a progressive development. The plan involves integrating these schemes into the main afforestation schemes, rather than they being stand-alone schemes. I take it that many of these native woodland schemes will be planted alongside commercial forestries.

Native species must also be planted alongside aquatic buffer zones in water quality sensitive areas, special areas of conservation and fishery sensitive areas. I assume the reason behind this is to improve biodiversity. Planting of native woodlands alongside mussel and oyster fisheries in enclosed bays will help overcome any concerns the EU may have about the protection of bird species and so forth, allowing traditional fishing in such areas to continue. Will the Minister of State elaborate on this?

The new programme is to be welcomed and the Minister of State will find no opposition from Sinn Féin to it. However, will he elaborate on the competition between farmers and non-farmers in the scheme?

It would be of concern that arable land could be bought up by speculators and used for their commercial reasons. The knock-on effect would be to take more and more people away from isolated rural communities. That is something that would concern me, as I am sure it would the Minister of State.

The Deputy has raised a lot of issues. The broad thrust of why this new scheme was put forward and taken to Brussels was to encourage more people to get involved in forestry. Traditionally, farmers have been used to growing grass for feeding cattle, milk production or whatever the case may be, or indeed growing grain. There is real money in forestry and there is a real need for it from an environmental perspective and in respect of the issues the Deputy outlined. That is why the Government supported this. Job creation is another issue and there is no doubt that forestry is totally under the radar of public perception. There are more trucks drawing timber to sawmills than there are drawing cattle to factories in Ireland.

On my way to Dublin today, I called in to Mountrath in County Laois, where I saw at first hand 100 people employed under one company at three different sites, sawing and cutting timber and exporting it. Last week, I was at the Glennon Brothers plant in Fermoy. Glennons of Longford is a major company and one of the most successful in Ireland. It is exporting timber to the English market and there is huge demand for it. I could not put a specific figure on the number of jobs from forestry but if we can increase take-up on the new scheme, there will no doubt be a pro rata increase in jobs. There is planting, drainage, fencing, maintenance of the forestry and thinning. There is also a huge amount of work when the wood goes into the sawmills before it is exported as boards that can be put up in the building of a house or the construction of a bathroom or whatever. There is great potential there and we have a climate that is conducive to growing timber faster than in any other European country. That is what we are working towards.

The employment issue is particularly relevant in rural Ireland. I mentioned some places but there are many others. For example, in the village of Hollyford there was a creamery 25 or 30 years ago with two people working in it. Last week, I visited the sawmills employing 45 people in that small village. That is supporting rural Ireland. The farmer aspect is trying to target a civil servant or person working in Dublin who has inherited land down the country and is leasing it on the 11-month system. Forestry is ideal for those people, who are considered non-farmers as they have other jobs and might share the land with a brother and two sisters. It is also targeting the co-operative industry that has land out there, in order to bring in more people and to increase the hectarage of land we are producing on. I can give the Deputy more figures on that and I thank him for his honesty and sincerity.

Disease Awareness

I thank the Acting Chairman for facilitating me in raising this matter. Lyme disease, known as Lyme borelliosis, is a bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of hard-bodied ticks. Not all ticks are infected but vigilance is recommended where ticks are present to reduce the risk of transmission to humans and pets. Lyme disease can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Known as the great imitator, it can mimic other diseases such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Early treatment is vital to prevent serious consequences.

There are three stages to the development of the disease. Within days to weeks of a bite from an infected tick, an expanding rash may occur. This is the first stage. Sometimes this rash will appear as multiple concentric rings forming a bulls-eye. It is important to note that the rash may not develop or be noticed in some patients. A 'flu-like illness may also occur in the early stages of the disease. Stage two, otherwise known as the disseminated disease, has symptoms that may include migratory joint pain, head and neck pain, sore throat, swollen glands, Bell's palsy and severe fatigue. Cardiac problems may also occur, in addition to bladder irritation in the form of cystitis. Some patients may miss stage one of the illness and develop disseminated disease within months to years of the initial bite. The stage three symptoms for late-stage Lyme disease may include neurological changes such as tingling, numbness and tremors. Nerve pain, poor temperature control, brain fog and disturbed sleep patterns are common. Complications may also include optic neuritis, depression, panic attacks, muscle weakness, tissue damage, meningitis and chronic arthritis.

Lyme disease was named after the town of Lyme in Connecticut, however studies by the University of Bath have identified that it has been present in Europe since the ice age. The length of treatment with antibiotics depends on the severity and stage of the disease and co-existing co-infections. Intravenous antibiotics may be required for treatment of late-stage disseminated disease.

Patients feel an urgent need that a group be established by the HSE to examine the whole area of Lyme disease. This group should include a range of expertise including infectious disease consultants, GPs, international Lyme disease experts and patients' representatives. It should also consult with a number of other experts on patient symptoms including chronic pain specialists, neurologists, rheumatologists, paediatricians and obstetricians. Patients also feel that up-to-date training on Lyme disease should be offered to GPs as part of their continuing professional development. Public health nurses should also receive training on the effects of the disease, particularly on children. The teaching of medical students about Lyme borelliosis symptoms should be standardised. Students should be taught about the problems with diagnostic tests and about treatment options including the long-term treatment aspect.

Lyme disease is officially a notifiable disease since 2011 but if a hospital consultant denies a diagnosis from another EU state, this blocks GPs in reporting cases, leading to the data on a number of cases in Ireland being underestimated. Quite a number of patients travel to Europe for full diagnosis of Lyme disease.

I thank Deputy Neville for raising this topic. Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borelliosis, is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacterium.

Lyme borelliosis was made a statutorily notifiable disease in Ireland by the Infectious Diseases (Amendment Regulations) Regulations 2011. There were 20 cases of Lyme borelliosis notified in 2013 and 8 cases notified in 2012, the first year for which notification was compulsory. However, due to the diverse and unspecific nature of the symptoms a number of the less serious cases may not be diagnosed, leading to an under-reporting of cases. Recent estimates suggest that there may be up to 50 to 100 cases in Ireland per year. The increase in reported cases since 2012 is likely to reflect the fact that Lyme borelliosis is now a notifiable disease and hence there is increased public awareness of the condition, rather than an increase in incidence of the disease.

The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe and highly debilitating. Many infected people have no symptoms at all. The commonest noticeable evidence of infection is a rash called erythema migrans, commonly called a bulls-eye rash, which is seen in 80% to 90% of patients. People can also complain of 'flu-like symptoms such as headache, sore throat, neck stiffness, fever, muscle aches and general fatigue.

Occasionally, there may be more serious symptoms involving the nervous system, joints, the heart or other tissues.

Common antibiotics, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, are effective at clearing the rash and helping to prevent the development of complications. They are generally given for approximately three weeks. If complications develop, intravenous antibiotics may need to be used. Both the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, and Tick Talk Ireland provide guidance on protection against contracting Lyme borelliosis.

The best protection is to prevent tick bites when walking in grassy, bushy or woodland areas, in particular between May and October. Arms and legs should be covered and wearing long trousers tucked into socks or boots and long-sleeved shirts with cuffs fastened is advised. Shoes or boots should be worn rather than open-toed sandals.

The use of insect repellent on clothes is recommended or on limbs, if it is not practicable to cover up. Skin and clothing should be inspected for ticks every three to four hours and children's skin and clothes checked frequently. Ticks should be removed as soon as they are seen attached to the skin. Further advice on tick removal can be obtained from the HPSC website. It is not recommended that antibiotics are given to prevent the transmission of Lyme disease following a tick bite. People should see their doctor if they develop a rash or become unwell with other symptoms, letting the doctor know of exposure to ticks.

There is an ongoing publicity campaign in regard to Lyme disease. The HPSC is finalising the establishment of a Lyme borelliosis sub-committee with the primary aim to examine best practice in prevention and surveillance of Lyme disease and to develop strategies to undertake primary prevention in order to minimise harm caused by Lyme borelliosis in Ireland. This will involve raising awareness among clinicians and the public. It will also explore ways to ensure that these messages are brought to the attention of the general public with the frequency and in forms in which they can be most effective. The sub-committee is expected to meet later this month.

Each year, as part of its ongoing awareness raising regarding prevention and treatment of Lyme disease, the HPSC holds a Lyme disease awareness week in which media releases are sent out with the intention that media outlets would take up the important Lyme prevention messages. As part of last year's awareness week, a supply of information was made available to the public and attention was drawn to a tick-borne disease toolkit, developed by the European Centre for Disease Control, ECDC. This toolkit was modified for use in Ireland and posted on the HPSC website. Indeed, the ECDC informed the HPSC that Ireland was the first European member state to make such extensive use of this material. Following the awareness week, a 100% increase of web traffic to the various Lyme disease sections of the HPSC website was noted.

I am pleased to inform the House that the number of notified cases of Lyme borelliosis will most probably be down on those for 2013. As I said, there were 20 cases notified for 2013 and while there are also 20 notified for 2014, it is expected that this figure will reduce on validation. Indeed, in the first seven weeks of 2015, two cases have been notified compared to four for the first seven weeks of 2014.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. He highlighted that prevention is better than cure. This can be an issue for people who travel abroad, in particular for those who participate in mountaineering and outdoor activities. They can return home feeling ill and sometimes it is difficult to identify that Lyme disease is the cause, as the Minister outlined. I welcome the fact the awareness week raised awareness of Lyme disease. The Lyme disease group appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children approximately 12 months ago and asked for a committee to be set up, so I welcome the fact the Minister has established a sub-committee to look at this issue.

Does the Minister agree that many medical professionals are not aware of, or do not fully appreciate, the fact that one of the symptoms could be due to Lyme disease? Is the medical profession advised to identify Lyme disease if one of the symptoms is presented? Is there a programme to advise and update the medical profession on the developments surrounding Lyme disease? When representatives of the group appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children last year, they raised some concern about the awareness of the disease among the medical profession and a level of denial on occasion in regard to the identification and treatment of the disease.

I accept the Department of Health has identified that it is a notifiable disease and that means it is identified as a very serious one, which is welcome. However, what is required is more dissemination of information, which the Minister has commenced, understanding among the medical profession, raising awareness among the general population to look out for the symptoms and ensuring that the very important protections the Minister mentioned are used by the public when travelling into areas where there is a high chance of contracting the disease.

When this issue was presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children, most members were unaware of the presence of such a disease. The session we had with experts and the group were very informative.

It is fair to say there is greater and growing awareness among clinicians and doctors about Lyme disease. One of the difficulties is that there is not full consensus. I cannot speak for the medical profession; I am only here as Minister for Health and not as somebody speaking for the medical profession. However, I would like to refer to the National Institutes of Health in America, one of the international bodies which is expert on infectious disease. It states that physicians sometimes ascribe patients who have non-specific symptoms, like fatigue, pain, joint and muscle aches after the treatment of Lyme disease as having post-treatment of Lyme disease syndrome, or post-Lyme disease syndrome. The term "chronic Lyme disease" has been used to describe people with different illnesses. While the symptoms are sometimes used to describe illnesses in patients with Lyme disease, on many occasions it has been used to describe symptoms in people who have no evidence of a current or past infection with borrelia burgdorferi, according to the Infectious Disease Clinics Journal of North America. In view of confusion on how the term "chronic Lyme disease" is employed, experts in this field do not support its use, according to The New England Journal of Medicine.

Carefully designed placebo-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate that prolonged antibiotic therapy is beneficial. Although isolated success stories are always good to hear, such reports alone do not create sufficient ground to support a therapeutic approach. A positive response to prolonged antibiotic therapy may be due to the placebo effect, which is reported as high as 40% in some studies.

It is important to make a distinction between acute Lyme disease where somebody gets a tick bite, a rash and an illness thereafter, which everyone accepts happens all the time and of which people need to be more aware in terms of prevention and treating it, and the separate issue around the concept of chronic Lyme disease, which is a long-term condition. Currently, there is no medical consensus. The published evidence in the journals does not support the idea that long-term treatment with antibiotics for this condition is a treatment. There is much controversy around this and it is not my job as Minister for Health to adjudicate on medical controversies or to decide whether a minority opinion in medicine is correct over the majority opinion.

Accident and Emergency Departments Waiting Times

Today, almost 500 people are lying on trolleys in our public hospitals. The worst public hospital today was Beaumont Hospital, where 45 people remained on trolleys seeking help and support. In my own county of Galway, between Galway University Hospital and Portiunucla Hospital, 36 patients waited for treatment on a trolley. To say this is becoming commonplace, in terms of it occurring week after week, is a complete understatement because today 480 to 500 people are on trolleys seeking help and support in our public hospitals and it is hardly making the news.

Last week we heard the testimony of the Feeney family in regard to their family member who waited for support and treatment in Beaumont Hospital. It took the testimony of that family to garner the support of the public to raise questions again about how we approach the overcrowding in our accident and emergency units. The Minister said he was in touch with the chairperson of Beaumont Hospital about the Gerry Feeney case. He said last week that he was disappointed and that he was waiting for the outcome of that investigation into the scandalous treatment the Feeney family received in regard to Gerry Feeney's concerns. They said last week in their testimony that there was no dignity in the support Gerry Feeney was given when he was a patient in Beaumont Hospital. That was the case of an 81-year-old man who was suffering from Parkinson's disease and who died on 31 January, three weeks after being discharged from the hospital. He was left lying in a soiled state and his family said he was treated as if he was invisible.

I do not doubt the Minister is disappointed and I am sure his disappointment goes some distance to demonstrate his concern about, and recognition of, the Feeney family's concerns.

How long is this going to go on? How many more Gerry Feeneys will it take before we start getting real in this country about the sense of urgency required to address this situation? People are tired of hearing that it has to get worse before it gets better. The Minister will not get away with dragging this on into a general election in 2016. He will have to get better. I am asking him to intervene in a human way with respect to what is going on in Beaumont Hospital today, where 45 people are struggling to get attention on trolleys. It is completely unacceptable.

Do not think I am trying to score a political point. In his contribution to the previous Topical Issue matter the Minister said he would not comment. I am asking him to act and to lead on this situation. Did the HSE seek €106 million last year to address this crisis? Since Christmas, has the HSE shared with the Minister any interim assessment on the money and resources required to address this crisis? Has the HSE at any point advised the Minister that it requires €130 million, €100 million, or somewhere within that range, in resources? How much of the €25 million announced by him in the service plan specifically to address this crisis has been spent and how much is left?

The Deputy may well believe he is not trying to make political capital out of a particular issue here-----

-----but the issue he asked to raise is the overcrowding crisis in emergency departments, which is compromising patient dignity. He went on to raise a specific issue about an individual in a particular hospital, whose complaint relates to the poor care the patient received on a specialist geriatric ward, not in an emergency department.

He was on a trolley.

I have been in contact with the chairman of Beaumont about that matter because it is an issue of public concern and it is always a matter of concern to me when I hear of complaints about how people are treated on wards or in emergency departments in our hospitals, even though the vast majority of people who do speak to me tell me they have a very good experience of our hospitals once they get access to them. I am informed by the chairman of Beaumont Hospital that the individual case is being investigated and there is also a wider review of how elderly people are treated by that hospital. Beaumont is a voluntary hospital and is not a HSE hospital. It has its own chairman and board. It is important that is understood.

On the issue the Deputy gave us notice that he was raising, I acknowledge the difficulties the current surge in emergency department activity is causing for patients, their families and the staff, who are doing their utmost to provide safe, quality care in very challenging circumstances. As of 2 p.m. today, the number of people on trolleys had fallen to 306, with 214 on trolleys for more than nine hours. This ranged from one in Cavan and Kilkenny to 32 in Beaumont, where more than 28 were on trolleys for over nine hours. In Portiuncula there were three patients on trolleys, two of whom were there for more than nine hours. While the numbers have come down during the day, they remain very high. It must be acknowledged that through the hard work of hospitals working together, supported by other HSE services, HSE management and my Department, we have significantly reduced the numbers, which peaked on 6 January. All hospitals have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a responsive, controlled and planned way that supports and ensures the delivery of optimum patient care. Triage is operated to prioritise patients so that those with most acute needs are seen and treated as soon as possible.

The Government has provided additional funding of €3 million in 2014 and €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges. The HSE is accessing all suitable non-acute accommodation to the maximum extent possible to allow those who have been clinically discharged to leave acute hospitals. Actions currently being taken to address emergency department overcrowding include the provision of 900 additional transitional care beds in nursing homes, with 500 opening in January and an additional 400 in February. Some 173 short-stay public beds are being opened across the country for a three month period. There have been difficulties in staffing these, although we continue to try to do so. Up to 300 overflow beds have opened in acute hospitals; 400 additional home care packages are being provided, along with 300 additional fair deal places and there will be an extension in community intervention teams. Anyone opposite who thinks I am only interested in engaging in commentary and analysis can see it is possible to take action as well as engaging in commentary and analysis. They are not mutually exclusive activities.

The HSE has the capacity to recruit where it needs additional staff. Arrangements are in place in the HSE to allow the recruitment of such staff where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement. This year the number of nurses directly employed by the public health service will increase by at least 500. There will also be additional mental health nurses.

The Deputy will be aware that I convened the emergency department task force to find long-term solutions to overcrowding by providing additional focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by the current trolley waits. It is made up of relevant stakeholders such as senior doctors, lead hospital consultants, GPs, HSE national directors, union representatives and senior officials from my Department and the HSE. The HSE is currently finalising an action plan under the auspices of the emergency department task force with a view to delivering a significant reduction in trolley waits over the course of 2015. I am determined that the action plan be completed as soon as possible, taking the views of the task force into account, and then made operational without delay. The task force is due to meet again on 9 March.

I want to reassure all Members present that we are working hard to find workable solutions to the management of emergency care, with optimum patient care and patient safety at all times remaining a Government priority.

I welcome the Minister's response, particularly the confirmation that he will recruit additional staff in the area of mental health. I want to acknowledge that, considering that he is operating with 1,000 fewer staff than in 2011. There are 1,000 fewer of the support, caring and other staff required in the mental health service to deliver A Vision for Change. Has the HSE advised the Minister that it requires more money, somewhere in the region of €100 million to €130 million, for the action plan? Has the Minister costed the action plan involved in the statement? He says the action being taken would provide for 900 additional transitional care beds in nursing homes, that there would be 173 short-stay beds and that there will be 300 overflow beds and an additional 300 in the fair deal scheme. What is the cost of that? Has he spent the €25 million that was provided for in 2015? Is that satisfactory or will he need more to provide for the action plan?

The €25 million is not all spent but it is all fully employed and committed. When provision is made for an additional 300 fair deal spaces and 400 home care packages, they do not get turned off at a certain point. They must be funded throughout the year. The €25 million is not all spent, but it will all be spent because we are not going to take away those fair deal spaces or those additional home care packages during the year. Any additionality, more fair deal spaces, for example, would cost more.

Is there additionality?

As I confirmed several weeks ago, when the HSE put in its bid for 2015 it requested an additional €1.4 billion, to solve pretty much all our problems in the health service, if one believes that money alone can solve all the problems in the service. I imagine other agencies, like the NRA or the Department of Education and Skills, also put in very high figures for what they would like to get. Ministers then try to secure as much as they can. I managed to secure a supplementary of €680 million, as well as the first increase in seven years in the budget, after four years of cuts under Deputy Keaveney's party and three years of a budget freeze under this Government.

It is undeniable that we are struggling. We still spend €1.5 billion less than we did seven years ago, we have 15,000 fewer staff and there are more patients. They are older and they have more demands. I assure the Deputy that everyone in the Department of Health, including the Ministers, everyone in the HSE and everyone working in the health service is doing everything they can with limited time and resources to alleviate this situation.

Job Losses

Deputies Terence Flanagan, Broughan, Seán Kenny and Finian McGrath will each have two minutes as well as a final minute to respond following the Minister's remarks.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. I also thank the Minister for organising a briefing for local Deputies today.

Last Thursday's announcement of job losses at Cadbury, particularly in Coolock, is worrying and has had a significant impact, with the news still sinking in for the hundreds of employees at the plant. Like everyone in the community, I am shocked that Mondelz Ireland is seeking redundancies there. Cadbury has been a major part of the Coolock community, employing local residents since it first opened in 1964. This is devastating news for Cadbury's employees and their families. My thoughts are with them, as they face an uncertain future. It is important that the company keep job losses to a minimum and that it be open with staff regarding the process.

The news came as a bolt out of the blue. I am concerned that employees were given little prior notice. All Government agencies should be involved in assisting those who lose their jobs in the months ahead. I would be grateful if the Minister outlined the supports his Department, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA will make available to those who will be made redundant. Will he ensure that a fair package is agreed for them in the negotiations and confirm that the majority of the redundancies will at the very least be voluntary? Will he also provide information on Cadbury's recent difficulties? Is he aware that the Hershey Company has tried to block the import of chocolate into America? What effect is this stamping out of competition having on the workers?

I thank the Minister for the briefing. What are the chances of reversing these appalling job cuts in Coolock? It is clear that there were extensive contacts between the Minister's Department, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland and Mr. Justin Cook, managing director of Mondelz Ireland, during the past two years. If so, why was last week's announcement made in such a particularly shocking and cruel way? Why was more not done to stop these job losses?

Following Kraft Food's takeover of Cadbury in 2010, Kraft Food made certain commitments. For example, we were told that the plant in Coolock was so efficient that it beat off another in Bristol to be maintained. If it was so cost effective then, why are we now grappling with this situation and being told of cost issues? Many of the other countries that are famous for producing chocolate, for example, Belgium and Switzerland, are high-cost, high-wage economies. There seems to be a gap in what the company is saying.

Our first concern is for the workers who are being made redundant, the conditions applied, whether their redundancies will be voluntary and what their pension entitlements and the entitlements of those who have retired beforehand will be. What has the Minister done to secure these entitlements?

As Deputy Terence Flanagan stated, Cadbury is an iconic name on Dublin's north side, specifically in the five Coolock parishes and the other parishes in Kilbarrack, Donaghmede, Edenmore, Raheny and Airfield. Thousands of families have been supported by the company for many generations. Often, the key breadwinners were women. They valued Cadbury for that. Since 1964 when the Coolock facility opened, it has played a major role in our country.

The figures that the Minister provided for the number of remaining jobs do not seem to add up with what the company is saying. It refers to 700 jobs whereas the Minister seems to be saying it will be fewer than 400 at Coolock and Rathmore in County Kerry. Will the Minister clarify the figure?

Last Thursday was a sad day for Coolock. As someone who has represented the area for nearly 35 years, will the Minister revert to us with some strong suggestions for the future of the area?

I join with Deputies in expressing concerns at the manner in which the news of this bombshell came out of the blue to the workforce at Coolock, where it is predicted that between 90 and 110 people will lose their jobs. For the workers selected for redundancy, it will be a dark day.

For almost 60 years, Cadbury in Coolock has been an iconic brand and provided good employment on the north side of Dublin. Recently, it was taken over by Mondelz Ireland, part of the multinational Kraft Foods. The workforce of Cadbury has given sterling service to its company down the years. That workers' jobs will be gone when the lines they currently produce are transferred to Poland where there are lower wage costs is galling. This fact has added to their anger and to that of their colleagues in Tallaght and Rathmore.

There are also concerns that Mondelz Ireland is planning to restructure the existing terms and conditions of employment, with the number of shifts with 12 lines being consolidated into six lines. Paradoxically, all of this has happened after a recent announcement of an investment by Mondelz Ireland of €12 million in the Coolock plant.

Concern has been expressed to me regarding the future of the Cadbury pension fund and the position of retired workers currently in receipt of pensions. I understand that their positions are not secure under the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment), TUPE, legislation. Will the Minister clarify the situation?

I understand that the unions representing the workforce met Mondelz Ireland's management yesterday and that further talks are planned. What can the Minister do to minimise the effect of the proposed redundancies on the wider community on the north side? What retraining and reskilling options will be made available to the redundant workers and will they receive assistance in accessing similar employment that uses the skills they have acquired?

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak during this urgent debate on the job losses at Cadbury's chocolate factory in Coolock. This is a bad and sad blow to all of the staff of Cadbury and their families. It is also a significant blow to the people on the north side of Dublin. The staff, their family members and the people of my constituency have been gutted by the announcement of 145 job losses. It is a severe blow to the local economy, particularly when the company is making considerable profits in this country. We all have many friends and neighbours working for Cadbury. It is a major loss across the north side of Dublin.

Given the references to cost differences and restructuring, many of the remaining staff are worried about the future and the deterioration of their working conditions. At today's meeting, the Minister and Enterprise Ireland stated that the company's long-term interests were good, but that is not what I am hearing on the ground. Staff are worried about their pensions and their terms and conditions of employment. The TUPE issue is a significant concern for many staff, particularly electricians and fitters. The Minister needs to address these matters in his response.

A profitable company is claiming that it is investing more while also laying off staff and destroying working terms and conditions. Did IBEC play a role in this? A recent report in the Financial Times stated categorically that there was overwhelming evidence of higher levels of pay increasing productivity. We must be careful to ensure that this instance is not just another race to the bottom. Let us hope that this company is not just harvesting expertise and experience before heading back with its money to Zurich or Poland. I urge action on this company. The north side needs jobs, investment and the Government's support.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I share their concern for the workers involved. This is a disappointment for many people.

I have known this company intimately over a long period. It set up in Dublin in 1932 and, therefore, it has been here a long time. At any given time, we work with companies that are developing opportunities to grow and, sadly, with companies, including Cadbury, that are struggling with issues they have to overcome. We put a great deal of time and effort into working with Cadbury in the hope that this could be avoided. I spoke directly to those at the highest level in the company seeking to have this not occur but, unfortunately, the cost difference was such that it felt obliged to proceed with this. Nonetheless, as we outlined in our meeting with the Deputies earlier, the company is committing to an investment of €11.7 million in the site. It believes that it has a strong future in Dublin and it is putting hard money into that. Clearly, we will work with the company in seeking to deliver sites in Coolock and Rathmore that can be successful and grow into the future. It is worth recalling that in the Bausch + Lomb case, we faced similar downsizing and restructuring of terms and conditions and so on but the company is now growing and adding employment. It is my hope that this will be repeated in this case.

I assure the Deputies that I have instructed EI to do the co-ordination work across all the State agencies, including the Department of Social Protection, SOLAS, local enterprise offices, NERA and all the other services that could be of support to workers in this scenario.

A number of Deputies raised the issue of the transfer of undertakings legislation, which provides a guarantee that where an employer changes, that cannot in itself change the terms and conditions of employees. At the point of transfer, their terms and conditions are protected but that does not prevent a restructuring arrangement taking place in those circumstances.

The company is entering negotiations with trade unions. It has a history of offering reasonable terms in these circumstances but, clearly, this is a matter for the company and the trade unions to negotiate. The challenge for us is to work through this and to protect as many quality jobs in the plant as we can such that it will have the capacity to expand and be competitive in the longer term. It is a tough and competitive world and Deputy Finian McGrath is correct that investment in research and development, innovation and lean technology processes is crucial to maintaining strong manufacturing sectors and we stand ready to support the investment in those areas. Clearly we cannot offer capital support in Coolock.

We will not only look to source jobs in Coolock, Tallaght and Rathmore. We are focused on finding alternative employment and that remains our abiding drive. In Dublin, we have had considerable success. A total of 35,000 people in net terms have returned to work over the past four years and we are witnessing a recovery in manufacturing following almost 25 years of decline. There are issues we need to work through and I assure the Deputies that the support of State agencies will be available to the workers affected. We will work with the company and the workers who are retained to ensure they have strong and sustainable employment prospects when this process is through.

I thank the Minister for his response. I acknowledge he is hugely genuine in trying to ensure alternative employment is found for workers in the area. Reskilling and retraining are possibly needed and, as he said at our meeting earlier, there are opportunities in Mylan in Baldoyle. Perhaps he could elaborate on what other opportunities there will be for these workers in the months and years ahead. The decision came as a bolt out of the blue. People are only coming to terms with it and there is an adjustment factor. It will take time, as it is a huge strain on the workers who will be directly affected. There is concern that the terms and conditions of the workers who are retained will be watered down and this process will be used as an opportunity to do so. Can the Minister give an assurance to the workers that their terms will not change? Will he ensure a fair redundancy package is offered to the workers directly affected, including pension entitlements? As Deputy Finian McGrath said, this is not a profits issue. The company is successful and making huge profits. It needs to reward workers directly.

How much of the €11.7 million investment programme will be used to ensure the workforce in Coolock will grow in the future? Upskilling and replacement jobs are needed for those made redundant but is there a commitment to increase the number of jobs in the Coolock plant?

A number of food companies have closed in the area in recent years, including Chivers and Tayto nearby. These were iconic Irish brands and, although the Minister represents the area, he has done absolutely nothing since taking office to restore the high quality production jobs lost in Coolock. He referred to the number of jobs gained in Dublin but almost 65,000 have been lost under the Government and the previous disastrous Government. Cadbury under Donal Byrne and his successors was a strong supporter of local development. I was the founding chairperson of Coolock Development Council and I have been a long-time director. Has the Minister finally removed the threat to the business development manager grant, the provision of which was uncertain over the past year? It has produced many jobs on the ground in the Coolock area.

I thank the Minister for his response and for meeting with local Deputies earlier along with EI officials. I am glad he has given assurances that he will use his office to ensure redundant workers are provided with opportunities for retraining through EI, SOLAS and the local employment service. The message I am getting from workers is that the workforce in Coolock is in competition with other Mondelz International sites and because of the lower wage costs in Poland, in particular, production is being transferred abroad. People are losing their jobs in Coolock because it is cheaper to move to another site with lower wage costs. That is galling for those who have worked all their life in a company such as Cadbury. They have contributed to the company's growth and profits. It is disappointing for them to have to face this now. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue.

I welcome the €11.7 investment because such investment is important on the north side of Dublin.

In 1824, John Cadbury opened a small grocer's shop at 93 Bull Street in Birmingham. He came to Ireland in 1932 and to Coolock in 1964. The plant exports approximately 200 products to 30 countries, which is worth €110 million to the economy. Does the Minister accept that this magnificent company and wonderful productivity was the result of a high quality workforce on the north side of Dublin? The workers delivered quality products. He should be cautious about losing high quality people with great expertise to low cost countries that might not have the same standards we have.

This is a reminder to us that every day is a battle. We are trading in a competitive global environment and costs in plants in a global group such as this are compared. That, unfortunately, is the world in which we live and if we want to sustain higher pay, we have to have better production process, increased efficiency and so on.

That is one of the tough parts of the environment in which we are trying to compete. I think Ireland has been very successful in this regard. We have been very good adopters of lean technology. We are innovative. Our workers are very flexible. That is true in all of our plants. While this comes as a huge blow, we have an opportunity to work with the investment the company is making to ensure the plant that remains is very competitive and provides good jobs into the future. There are alternative retraining opportunities. When it is clear who will be losing their jobs, we will undertake an audit of their skills and needs and talk to them to see what would best suit them. Many options, including SOLAS training, are there to re-equip them.

When I raised the issue of a package with the company, I was told that it wishes to negotiate directly with the trade unions. I think people will recognise that it has offered reasonable packages in the past. The company is fully committed to getting this plant up to the highest competitive standards. It wants the plant to be what it would describe as a tier 1 plant. That would make it a leader in the group. There is a strong commitment here. Obviously, that will require a great deal of reskilling, etc. The company is restructuring its lines from 12 to six. This will involve many changes in conditions and shifts, etc. That is what is being negotiated. I think there is something to work with. As Deputy Finian McGrath said, the company has a very long history and has provided quality employment over a long period. I hope we can work to ensure it continues to be an important employer after this. I share the other Deputies' sympathy for those who are confronted with this uncertainty. We will do our best to work with them to get the best possible outcome.

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