asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that a firm (name supplied) in Bandon, County Cork, intend to close their bottling plant; and that this will result in hardship to the workers concerned; and if he has any proposals to keep this plant in operation.

53.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that the Bandon branch of a firm (name supplied) is to close on May 5th with the resultant loss of employment to 70 men; and what steps, if any, he intends to take to safeguard the employment of these men.

54.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware that the bottling plant of a firm in Bandon (name supplied) has closed down; and if he has any plans for keeping it open.

I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 52, 53 and 54 together.

I understand that it is the intention to transfer the mineral water manufacturing and depot facilities at Bandon to Cork as part of a reorganisation programme aimed at securing increased efficiency. This is a matter for the company and is not one in which I could intervene.

I am advised, however, that most of the workers are being offered jobs at the Cork plant and that those declared redundant are being granted special redundancy payments.

I should like to remind the Minister of the great hardship caused to the families of the 69 men engaged in this industry. Would he use his influence with his colleague, the former Taoiseach, who is chairman of this brewery and who on his last visit to Bandon promised two new industries to the town and is now taking away the only thriving industry there is there?

May I point out that we are dealing with mineral water manufacturing and a bottling plant employing at the moment 67 people, that it is expected that the majority of them will be offered employment at a higher remuneration in Cork, that those who are not so offered employment are being offered resettlement pay and redundancy payments. It is, therefore, misleading to describe the situation in the terms used by Deputy Creed.

Surely the Minister is aware that those employees have their own homes in Bandon, and no matter what increased wages they will get when they move to Cork—and some of them have not been offered any alternative employment—that employment is almost 20 miles away and will involve the workers in expense in providing transport to reach their place of employment in Cork?

The Deputy is not asking a question.

I would appeal to the Minister to use his influence with his colleague, the former Taoiseach.

That is not a question.

I did not get an answer. I would appeal to the Minister to use his influence with his colleague, the former Taoiseach.

The Deputy should be aware that if a form of reorganisation such as this is not carried out there might be no employment in Bandon and less employment in Cork in the plants of this firm, and obviously such a programme would not be embarked upon unless it was necessary. As far as the Deputy is talking about appealing to my former colleague, let me tell him, apart from the mention of reorganisation, which is one for the company, that although I do not know who is responsible for the arrangements being made for those being declared redundant. I strongly suspect that the former Taoiseach might have had a great hand in the arrangements.

He promised them two factories in Bandon and now he is taking away the only one they have.

Has the Minister had any consultation with his colleague, the Minister for Local Government, as to how these people who are being transferred from Bandon, at great personal inconvenience and expense, might be housed in Cork, bearing in mind the fact that we already have in the books of Cork Corporation 2,000 people in need of housing?

I have not consulted with my colleague nor am I aware that all those who will take up employment in Cork would necessarily want to live in Cork.

In fact, none of them would.