Mattie McGrath: Carrickenshire 'decimated' after Meloko plant closure

The Prime Minister, I am glad you are here to discuss this. In recent days, the dairy company, Cormoran Meloko, who implied 31 people at his manufacturing plant facility at the end of June, came as devastating news for the family of those impacted in the town of Carrickenshire and surrounding areas. In a statement, the company said the decision was as a result of a reduction in volume of the business contracted at the facility in recent years, and followed significant restructuring efforts to enable it to operate in a highly competitive marketplace. Cormoran Meloko was the last of the traditional employers in Carrickenshire. Meloko is there 70 years at most. Cormoran Meloko was there longer than I am, and indeed the tannery in Waterford was there, and sorry, the tannery also in Carrickbeg. And between them, they must have had, you know, 700, 800 jobs. I remember Meloko, you know, they worked three shifts, an excellent workforce. They worked three shifts round the clock, and they also supported local hauliers and local Atlantbeer tankers for the washing facility. And they were a tremendous workforce, and a good company to work for, let's be fair about it. And I want to thank you, Minister, and I know you've been engaging, and you're going to engage further with the factory and with the company. The town of Carrickenshire said, you know, it's decimated because we don't have the jobs. Now, we have caused that, the Development Association, and we have many local employers, and we have the likes of Councillor Cianne Burke, who did all the work there, to try and keep the town going. But it's becoming a satellite town for other towns, because we don't have any industry. And to cope with the question, I come to Tara, and, in fact, has the option been explored for an alternative use for the manufacturing plant, which is located just off the N24s, right on the N24s, and in order to continue to have an important role in the local economy. Will it be established to examine the potential for job creation in this area, and what efforts are the idea they're making to attract foreign companies to set up operations in those areas? Minister, I couldn't emphasise enough that the workforce, how good they have been, and the many families that I knew over the years that have worked there. And I hope that they'll be engaged in other plants that Lanbea have, will be able to give them jobs, or if not, if they prefer to take redundancy, I hope they'll be well looked at, because they've earned it, they deserve it, they're a good workforce. I wanted just to say that the site's a very delicate site, while it is on the N24, the N24, actually, the front wall is beside the N24, it's only feet away from it. The plant is set probably five or six metres away from it. At the back then, the newly developed sure, Blueway, right behind it, four or five metres away from it again. So that's a huge tourist attraction for cyclists, walkers, fishermen, for everything. So we can't have this site go into any way, any state of their election. I'm not giving up the ghost that we'll find some other business for it, but we must maintain that site. It's a highly technical site. Now, one time there used to be orders, and that is all sorted out with different state-of-the-art high-tech, you know, percolation treatments and all. So it's a good plant, it's up and running. We have it in June. Please, God, some other use will be found first, and if not, the staff must be supported. But, again, as I said, the plant with Tipperary County Council, and, as I said, caused it in Carrickinshure, must be put to good use, can't be left into any state of their election. The tannery is a distant memory in Carrickinshure, across the border, I keep saying it's in Carrick Bay, it's the town of Carrick, but it has given long service and it's a sore pint with the people of Carrickinshure, and South East Tipperary, and East Waterford, and we want to make sure this doesn't go the same road as that, that we'll find an alternative, and we'll keep a willing workforce engaged in productive work. Goal Magut. I'd like to thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, and giving me an opportunity to address it. Like you, Deputy, I was extremely disappointed to learn the news of this closure, and my first concern, obviously, goes to those workers and their families, as well as the wider population of Carrickinshure, straddling the water for a Tipperary border that so many of us know so well, and have enjoyed visiting so many times. The Department learned of the impending closure of the plant last week, and, unfortunately, as you know, Deputy Cormann and Maloko have experienced reduced volumes in recent years, and restructuring efforts simply were not successful. The Company has now begun a consultation process with all existing employees regarding a redundancy programme, and they have been in touch with my Department about this. I can assure you, Deputy, that Tyrlawn and Enterprise Ireland will remain in close contact with the Company, as will Departmental Officials, to support the workers and Company through this very delicate process up to and beyond June. I have requested that Officials in my Department monitor the situation carefully, and, crucially, work closely with the Department of Social Protection, to do whatever we can for the employees affected. I know, Deputy, this is a really frightening time for the employees and their families, but I think it is important to talk to them about what the opportunities are and what work will be done by the Government and its agency to help them through this very difficult process, because they are the number one key priority, and, of course, all the related people, be they family members or the people who relied on these workers in this business, second-hand and character, I'm sure. It is very difficult at a time when there is so much job creation in the country and effective full employment. It is very simple for a lot of people to dismiss any sort of redundancies and say, well, there are always jobs out there. But, Deputy, as you know better than I do, a lot of these people have put their entire livelihoods into this enterprise. It was a good plant, as you said, but, unfortunately, restructuring a parent company has meant that they have had to move their operations elsewhere. But that does not mean we give up on the site, or we give up, more importantly, on the workers. And I know this does not make the loss any easier for those who work in the plant, but I hope it gives them hope that the Government is going to put massive effort into them as people, if they want to do any retraining, if they want to reskill, or, more importantly, help them get so many jobs that are unfilled in this region, in the dairy and production sector. And you know as well as I do, Deputy, the amount of companies around Tipperary and into Waterford who are dying out for good, high-quality staff, like those people who worked in Cormoran and Maloco and gave their livelihoods to it. And it's important to stress that we are there to support and to help those who find themselves losing their job or without work. Those training courses, financial support and mentorship, I would urge everyone impacted to reach out to their local Intrio office to see what is available to them when a statutory redundancy package is offered. And the Government will be there to make sure that that package is fully compliant with the requirements that Cormoran and Maloco have to Irish law. Deputy, you asked a little bit more in relation to the use for the site. As you know, the site in itself will go back over to Tierlawn, whereas the equipment will go to Cormoran, who will use it in their other operations. I have great hope for this site. As you rightly say, it's located in a perfect location in the country, in the region, to attract good, high-quality investment, like the 600 additional jobs that Enterprise Ireland has brought to Tipperary in recent years, but also in the surge in jobs in Waterford. And needless to say, Deputy, even though these jobs losses will be very difficult for many people, no stone will be left unturned to make sure that new jobs are provided and, crucially, that that enterprise goes into such an important town, like Harkinshire and the affected regions nearby. Thank you, Minister. And thanks for your positive reply. I want to say you should engage, I hope you will engage, with the district members. I mentioned Cian Broke, and David Dunne is the chair of it at the moment. Upstream, Minister, you have a wonderful plant facility of Merck-Shoppen Dome. They all say they comb these FDIs and they go away. They're there for nearly 60 years now. So, if you remind you, up the river, I think with COSDA, a wonderful organisation, the Carraganshure Development Association, great people involved, with the business people, we have a wonderful network of schools and sporting clubs, and everything gets in Carraganshure. The spirit of the people cannot be questioned, but they're willing to work and engage with you in a task force, with the likes of Merck, maybe, and they did help in the past, with Carraganshure and issues. So, I'm hoping that we will have a replacement plant in there, because this plant, as I said, is so close to the road. I mean, when we had the barges coming up, just the river was right behind it. We've got stuff from the deliveries up to the barges. That's long ago. But this plant has served well. A dedicated workforce. Some of them are second generation there, that worked, and their parents worked as well. As I said, it precedes me, and I'm Shashka Akahara Blinadish. So, I'm saying that we need to work sensitively with the county council, with the council I mentioned, COSDA, and indeed with companies like Merck, and other business people that are in Carraganshure that have great ideas, and they give private people, they give great employment for the people. So, all hope isn't last year, and as I said, the workers mostly looked after, but the plant must be kept. I was a bit alarmed to see, they said that equipment might be moved with the parent company. At Glanby, I remember, until I know, that that offers South Tipperary farmers, ordinary people, in the spirit of the cooperative society, spirit of the male, and we must go back and invoke that spirit now again, the late great Canon Hayes, and try and revitalise this plant, get new people into it, because in advance of their leaving, or as soon as they leave, because the wheels and the cogs must be kept turning, we can't leave it in any sense of their election. We must work hard to try and keep it going. Gohra Maghut. Gohra Maghut. Laskan Curla. Deputy, I can assure you that this is, hope is most certainly not lost, in relation to this site, and the people who've worked in this plant for so many years, and I think we have to put it in the context, when these redundancies are happening. It's nothing to do with the efficiency of the plant itself. It's certainly nothing to do with the 31 workers, who've put their blood, sweat, and tears into it. Unfortunately, it is a decision of a parent company, and it's happening, Deputy, I think you would acknowledge, at a time where the economy is growing, we are at effective unemployment, we are able to invest all that time that you talked about, into not just the town of Caraconshire, but this specific site. And you asked for a couple of undertakings, of course we'll engage with the local county councillors, both in Caraconshire and over on the border in Waterford. I've already had a meeting with Senator Garthor Hearn about this, and you mentioned Merck Sharpen Dome, and it is convenient, Deputy, that I will be meeting them next week, in the department, not just about this plant, but about wider issues in the south-east and mid-west, where they have a lot of operations. I can give you that undertaking, that I'll bring this specific area, and the need for reinvigoration, into this area, up with them next week, when I meet them. I hope you can get across, Deputy, that I want to work with you on this one, that I share your passion, to make sure that we get these extremely skilled people, once the statutory issues have been dealt with, that we get them back into the workforce, because we badly need them, particularly in the dairy sector, these workers are needed. This isn't like the dark old days, when the shutting down of a plant like this, could destroy an entire town. There is opportunities, there are opportunities for jobs, there are opportunities for trading, there are opportunities, more importantly, for these skills to be put back, into the economy, extremely quickly. And I look forward, Deputy, to working with you, over the coming weeks, into June, and past that, to make sure that we, breathe that bit of entrepreneurial life, into the town and surrounds.