Spectre of economic despair returns

IN the good old days the workers would come in groups of 100 and visit all the pubs in the village. Now the groups are smaller but Packard workers still account for about a third of the business at Molloy's in Tallaght village, according to the manager, Des Kelly.

A handful of locals sat in the pub at lunchtime. "It's a disaster," Mr Kelly said. "It's a seven day business, and after six months when it settles down, people are not going to have that cash."

With an average take home wage of £160 a week the loss of 800 jobs takes more than £6.5 million a year out of the local economy. Its newer redbrick neighbours, like Cable and Wireless, United Drug and UPS, tend to have a commuting workforce. Packard Electric drew almost all its workers from a five mile radius.

Tallaght grew up around the corrugated iron and concrete Packard plant, which predated the motorway links and DIY super stores.

One local news agency has timed its opening hours around the comings and goings of the shift workers. About half its business selling sandwiches, cigarettes and newspapers in the early morning comes from Packard workers.

A local estate agent, Tom Maher, said a substantial number of his clients were Packard workers. "Packard will be a major loss to Tallaght. Most people live in the locality and many would have mortgages. Now they're left in the position of no man's land."

He said the IDA should concentrate on replacing Packard.

One man who took redundancy from Packard two years ago said the business in the village would dip.

He enjoyed his 18 years in Packard. "It bought me a house and I brought up a family on it. A lot of young people have bought houses on the strength of working there."

When he left 21/2 years ago, he gave the plant two years before it closed. "Decisions were made elsewhere and management here were told about them".