Rondo Food job concerns
Deputy Brady raises fears for 150 jobs at Rondo Food in Arklow and accuses the company of bad-faith consultation, seeking action on WRC engagement and a task force. The Minister says Enterprise Ireland is working with the company and the regional enterprise plan will continue supporting indigenous firms, but Brady repeatedly says the question was not answered.
Last month, Rondo Food in Arklow announced that there was serious concern about the future of 150 manufacturing jobs in the Arklow area. It committed to engaging in a 30-day consultation process. It is apparent that it entered that consultation process in bad faith. It has dismissed cost-saving measures from representatives from the workforce. It has also rebuffed proposals from Enterprise Ireland. This company has received substantial State grants via Enterprise Ireland and it is quite clear that it had no interest in that process because when it consulted workers in the factory, it was in the process of bringing engineers over from Germany to measure up and move the equipment to its plant in Germany. It knew what the outcome of that consultation process was. There is a dispute because the redundancy package being offered by Gaines is totally unsatisfactory. The workforce has referred it to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. Rondo Food, which has received substantial State funding, is refusing to engage with the WRC. I ask the Minister to intervene, contact this company and ask it to engage with the mechanisms of the State when there are industrial disputes. Arklow is unfortunately an unemployment blackspot and the loss of 150 jobs is devastating. I ask the Minister to commit to establishing an employment task force in the Arklow area.
Comment on this
The regional enterprise plan is the mechanism by which we continue to encourage investment and to support indigenous companies across that region. Enterprise Ireland has been working closely with this company to try to find solutions.
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The Minister did not answer the question.
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The Minister did not answer the question. Maybe the Minister, Deputy Doherty, might answer the questions about the task force and WRC.
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In fairness, we are supposed to get answers.
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The Minister did not answer whether she will encourage the company to engage with the WRC and if the Government will commit to establishing a task force.
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I did not give the answer the Deputy wanted but I gave an answer.
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The Minister did not answer the questions.