Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Leader for allowing this issue on the Order of Business and the Minister for remaining here to deal with it. We often propose amendments to the Order of Business in the full knowledge they will never be accepted. I am glad it was accepted this time and I am grateful to the Leader and to the Minister. It is a recognition of its serious nature.

The Lagan Brick factory in Kingscourt, County Meath, with which the Minister will be familiar, is the last remaining brick factory in Ireland. It was closed by its owners 180 days ago, leaving the workers completely in the lurch. Some time later they went on an unofficial dispute and this dispute continues. There have been several unsuccessful attempts at mediation. Huge sacrifices have been made by the workers who have been badly treated. All they want is fair and equitable severance. However, the dispute raises much broader issues.

We have denigrated our manufacturing industries in Ireland and it is a disgrace that the last remaining brick factory is being closed in an area that is naturally good for the production of bricks and other building materials. It is a shame they will now be imported. That is not good for the Irish economy nor for the local economy. What is galling is that while workers are in dispute and are suffering, arms of this particular company still receive public contracts. That just does not add up. A particular insult to the workers was the contract awarded by Cavan County Council to an arm of Lagan to resurface the main street in Kingscourt, County Cavan. We are seeing a race to the bottom here, where companies want to get rid of reasonably paid staff who are earning enough to live and work in their own communities and contribute to their local economy. There is a race to the bottom to employ people at the cheapest possible price.

This dispute began on the same day as the Vita Cortex dispute. It has not had nearly the same media profile, but the workers deserve that same profile. They also deserve more action from the Government to try to force this major Irish company into some kind of serious settlement arrangement with the workers. The arms of the State that deal with industrial relations have not succeeded. The laws are too weak and I do not think they were envisaged for companies that were closing down and laying off workers. The Labour Court and the labour relations process seem to be more suited to dealing with the mundane issues that arise in the course of work such as work practices and shift arrangements in companies. They do not seem suited at all to the circumstances occurring so often today, where companies simply close lock, stock and barrel. We need major reform in this area.

As these processes have failed, I urge the Minister to take a much more proactive stance on this issue to get justice for these workers, but also to protect a native Irish industry which feeds off the natural resources of that particular part of Cavan and Meath.