asked the Minister for Labour the number of workers made redundant as a result of the closure of the Ferenka factory, Limerick; and the number of these workers who have since obtained employment.

The total number of workers made redundant as a result of the closure of the Ferenka factory was 1,367. The National Manpower Service offered their services to all the redundant workers concerned and 250 of them registered with the service in the Limerick area. Of these 88 have been placed in employment. The total redundancy figure included 103 craftsmen and all of these have since found alternative employment. There were 49 apprentices and all but a few of these have been placed in jobs or taken into AnCO training centres to continue their training.

Is the Minister saying that the figure was 1,300 and only 88 other than craftsmen and apprentices who went to training were re-employed? Is that right?

I must correct the Deputy. I am sure the Deputy can appreciate that I do not have information on all of them but the National Manpower Service offered their services to all the redundant workers and 250 of them registered and of those 250, 88 people were placed.

We can take it from this that as far as the Minister is aware only 88 people out of 1,300 were re-employed.

That is not correct.

As far as the Minister is aware?

That is not correct. The Deputy should have listened to the rest of the answer. There are 103 craftsmen and 49 apprentices.

That would bring the figure up to 200 people who have been re-employed out of the 1,300.

I am giving the answers from the information available to me from my Department.

So the figure at the moment then, as far as the Minister is aware, is that about 1,100 people are still unemployed as a result of the Ferenka closure.

I will not accept that.

As far as we are aware that is the position. Could the Minister say what he is going to do about this question of 1,100 unemployed and can he give them any reason to hope that any great promise of a new firm taking over the Ferenka factory is likely to mature in the reasonably near future?

That is a matter for another Minister. I read some Press comments of his at the weekend. I must emphasise again that the National Manpower Service and my Department are available to assist any of these people into alternative employment, and of the 250 who registered, 88 were placed.

Is it not a fact that if the manpower service were able to tell the Minister that they could employ the 1,300 they would have told the Minister that? They have 88 people who as far as they are aware have been re-employed. Is this not a scandalous failure on the part of the Government not to seek more energetically some firm to take over this Ferenka disaster and do something about it? Surely the Minister must know what the present position is in relation to negotiations going on about the use of the Ferenka factory by somebody else.

Is the Minister aware that there is a great reluctance on the part of employers in Limerick to employ these people due to the allegations that because of their activities Ferenka closed? Would the Minister for Labour and the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy make a joint statement appealing to the employers to give work to these people? Will the Minister admit that the closure came about not as a result of the activities of the workers but as a result of the inactivity of the Minister for Labour and of the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy?

I will certainly not admit the last part of the Deputy's question.

The Deputy is well aware of that and in typical style he is playing low politics. I will get away from local politics and I will be a bit more factual.

Order.

The first part of the Deputy's question is covered by a later question which we will be coming to today.

Question No. 18, Deputy Noel Browne. We have had enough supplementaries.

The Minister has not answered my question.

Does the Deputy hear the Chair? Is the Chair getting through?

The Minister has not answered the question. I have asked only two supplementaries?

Will the Deputy please resume his seat?

The Minister has answered Deputy O'Brien but has not answered my question.

Will the Deputy resume his seat?

The Minister must answer my question. I will not resume my seat.

I will ask the Deputy to leave the House.

I am not leaving the House.

I will have the Deputy named.

Fair enough. I do not see why I should not get an answer to this question.

I have asked the Deputy to leave the House.

I am not leaving the House.

I would ask the Minister to propose the Deputy's suspension.

The Minister was in a mind to answer the question.

May I relieve the tension?

The Chair is in control of Question Time, or should be with the co-operation of the Deputies. Deputy Browne asked six supplementary questions, Deputy O'Brien was offering, and he asked two or three supplementary questions rather disorderly.

The answer to my question was not given before Deputy O'Brien intervened and the Chair should have seen to it that my question was answered.

The Deputy got more than enough latitude.

That is a matter of opinion.

The Deputy had introduced debate. If the Minister does not wish to name the Deputy I will carry on with the next question.

The Minister does not wish to name him because he would be embarrassed by the whole Ferenka affair. The Minister should answer the question.

Order, please. Question No. 18.

Reply to the Deputy.

asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware of the view expressed by former Ferenka workers who are members of the MP and GWU that they have been blacklisted and are consequently unable to obtain alternative employment; and if he will take action to ensure that no such victimisation will take place.

I am not so aware. The National Manpower Service of my Department gives every assistance possible to all workers towards finding suitable employment.

I have been given to understand that this is happening. If I supply a list of the names of people who feel they have been victimised in this way will the Minister be prepared to act in the circumstances?

I will assist in any way I can. I condemn any approach of this nature although I am not aware that there is any question of blacklisting people in that area. On the other hand I appreciate that it is very hard to uncover evidence of this nature and if the Deputy has any information or evidence to offer I will look at it and do what I can.

I would ask the Minister to have it investigated because the members are victimised at the moment. They were not responsible in any way for the closure.

The Deputy heard the answer to the question and I am sure he will appreciate that it can be difficult to uncover such evidence. If the Deputy has any evidence available to him, I should be delighted to receive it from him.

If the workers approached you, you would not take any notice of them?

The Deputy heard the answer to the question; it is the same as I gave to Deputy Browne.

It is very important.