Oireachtas

Rabbitte to set up task force on jobs for Tallaght

THE disappointment outside the House at the Packard closure was reflected among deputies

By DERMOT KELLY and MICHAEL O'REGAN
Wed May 01 1996 - 01:00

THE disappointment outside the House at the Packard closure was reflected among deputies. The tone was set by Mr Pat Rabbitte, Minister of State for Technology and a LTD for the constituency "We are naturally shell shocked at the proposed closure, its catastrophic effect on the Tallaght area and the manner in which the workforce learned of their future," he said.

Mr Rabbitte said Tallaght was now facing a very serious jobs situation. He outlined the plans for setting up a local task force to be chaired by Mr Dan Tierney, chief executive of the Cross Group. Its membership would include the county manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, and representatives of the IDA, Forbairt, FAS, Tallaght/ South Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the Packard Shop Stewards' Committee, Tallaght RTC and Get Tallaght Working Co-Operative.

"In discussion with the vice president of General Motors, I have been assured that every assistance possible will be given to ensure an orderly wind down of the Tallaght plant and that full co-operation would be forthcoming to assist IDA Ireland in finding a replacement industry," he said.

In that context the IDA would be discussing with senior General Motors management the potential for alternative investment projects in Ireland. The best way forward was for the company to work closely with IDA Ireland in making the plant available to promote new investment. The plant was the single most important infrastructural resource in the area, comprising over 15 acres and 120,000 sq ft of modern factory buildings.

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The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on enterprise and employment, Ms Mary O'Rourke, said the way the workers learned of the closure on the television news was "brutal and savage".

Mr Rabbitte agreed and assured Ms Mary Harney, leader of the Progressive Democrats, that the news had not been leaked from his office.

Mr Tom Kitt (FF, Dublin South) said Government Ministers had been "conned and duped" by General Motors management and Ministers had shown "an extraordinary level of naivety". He accused them of co-operating with management in deceiving the workforce.

When Ms O'Rourke suggested Ministers should have informed the workers of events, Mr Rabbitte retorted "I do not think it is my job to communicate with the stuff of General Motors. That is the task of the management of the company. If I were to function as a messenger boy for the company I would e open to the accusation made by Deputy Kitt."

Ms Harney said the setting up of Baldonnel as a commercial airport should now be urgently explored. Mr Rabbitte said some commercialisation of Baldonnel was likely, and it was among the options to be examined.

Earlier, Mr Rabbitte said the US and European management of General Motors had informed him that, after considerable market and other analysis, they had reluctantly concluded that the Tallaght plant did not have a viable future.

This situation had to be seen in the context of the continuing overcapacity in the automotive component sector, especially cable harness, in both Europe and worldwide, and a much more favourable cost environment in competing locations in eastern Europe. This had very adversely affected market prices for this labour intensive product and recent further price reductions had compounded "an already difficult situation".