asked the Minister for Labour the steps he proposes to take to preserve the jobs of the 360 workers in the fertiliser industry in Dublin who are threatened with redundancy.

I met the management of the company concerned on 15th June last and in view of the employment consequences formally requested them to defer a decision on the question of the closure of the plant so that State agencies concerned could have an adequate opportunity of examining the situation. I was subsequently in touch with my colleague, the Minister for Industry and Commerce, in this connection and I understand that there have been discussions between the company and the IDA.

Has the date of redundancy been postponed and are there reasonable hopes that the employment in this factory will be continued?

The date for the redundancies has not been postponed but every effort is being made to ensure that these people will not lose their employment.

Could the Minister be more specific and spell out the steps being taken? We are already aware of the inadequacies of your regime in trying to protect jobs. Can we now be certain that there will be no loss of employment or lack of confidence in the future of our fertiliser industry and that any new projects will not be affected because of the Government's lack of policy on fertiliser imports?

As the Deputy knows, this has nothing to do with the future of the fertiliser industry. The IDA are doing their best to find a solution to the problem.

Could the Minister explain how it has no connection with the fertiliser industry generally when 360 people are becoming unemployed in an existing fertiliser industry?

The fertiliser firm concerned has two factories and it is reducing the number employed by closing one of them. This firm have no other solution to their problem. We are doing everything possible to safeguard the jobs of the workers.

What is the Minister doing? He said: "We are doing everything possible ..."

Just answer the question.

Everything possible is being done to safeguard these jobs. The IDA look after these matters. I am not going to spell out the minute details of what is being done. I do not think the Deputy expects me to do that.

Order.

Just give me one detail?

Why should I?

Could the Minister explain why this factory is closing?

The reasons for the closure of this factory have been given. I am sure that Deputy Fitzgerald is as aware of them as I am. The firm felt they were losing money on their operations in this factory and that they had no option but to close it.