I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, to the Chamber. He is a former colleague here, and I think it might be the first time we have interacted since his elevation, so I congratulate him on both his election to the Lower House and his elevation to the position of Minister of State. Given the fact that we are former colleagues, I hope he will look on my request favourably.

The Commencement matter refers to the need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review the Uisce Éireann water connection policy in order that farmers with multiple land parcels would pay a single customer charge rather than paying for multiple connections. This is an issue of major concern in my end of the country and farther west, more so than on larger holdings in the Minister of State's neck of the woods. I know of one man who has ten meters. Some of them are on fields he cuts silage on. He does not even use any water on them, but he needs to have them because he has a fragmented holding. I also know of another gentleman who has 21 individual connections. Under the current non-domestic charges or tariff rates from Uisce Éireann that are set through the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, framework, there is a separate charge for each connection and then a usage charge. Most dry stock farmers would probably be in band 1, so with potential increases in October, they are looking at in the region of €90-odd per connection. For the man with ten, that is €900 but for the man with 21, that is between €1,900 and €2,000 per year before he starts using or paying for any water at all. There is no way out of it or around it. If a person has a farm, even a not very big one, because of the nature of the stone walls in the west of Ireland, the person could have, as is the case here, ten, 15 or 20 different holdings in a fragmented form.

My request is that, Uisce Éireann, in conjunction with the CRU and with the Minister of State's guidance, would have a customer charge as opposed to numerous meter charges. The farmers I am referring to would know at the start of the year what their charge was, irrespective of how many connections they had.

I have had a lot of correspondence with a friend and colleague of mine, Councillor Damien Ryan, in Mayo. He has raised this issue in respect of Mayo and has used a very good analogy to do so. He notes that the current system is the equivalent of the electricity supplier basing a person's bill on the number of light switches they have in their house. This is a very good analogy and comparison in that the current system does not make sense. A person pays for the amount of electricity, or in this case the amount of water used, not the number of light switches or meters a person has.

It is important that this be looked into. I know there is a review at the moment that is somewhat delayed. The outstanding tariffs expire at the end of September of this year. There will be a new charging regime going forward. I hope I am not to late and I would like to see that this would be considered under that review.

If the Minister of State's response is not positive, I will not be going away. I do not come here to raise these issues for a Facebook post. I raise them because I feel strongly about them and I want to get something done about them for the people concerned. I will not be going away; I will be in the Minister of State's hair. Maybe today would be the day for him to save himself all that hassle and give me the positive response I want.

Senator Daly might have a job finding the hair as I do not have much left. I thank him for raising this interesting point. I also thank him for his kind comments at the outset, which were appreciated.

I advise that the Water Services Acts set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann. These services, including the water connection policy, are matters for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, neither I, the Minister nor my Department have operational function in such matters.

The Senator rightly pointed out the role of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, as the economic regulator for Uisce Éireann. One of its roles is to ensure there is a fair and transparent system of charging for non-domestic customers. Under the Water Services Act (No.2) 2013, the CRU has the responsibility for approving the charges applied by Uisce Éireann to non-domestic customers for the provision of water and wastewater services. Uisce Éireann applies charges for water services provided to non-domestic customers, including mixed-use customers. A mixed-use premises includes a part that is a dwelling and a part that is a non-domestic premises receiving a shared supply of water, for example, a water supply serving a farmhouse and a farm.

Uisce Éireann has implemented a connection charging policy, which provides a standard set of non-domestic tariffs for connections to Uisce Éireann's water and wastewater networks. It provides a single, clear, transparent and fair connection charging framework. The charges are calculated in a cost-reflective manner, based on connection type. Standard connection charges apply to the majority of customers.

In April 2025, the CRU held a public consultation on proposals for new non-domestic water and wastewater tariffs to apply to its non-domestic customers commencing on 1 October 2025. The CRU is currently assessing submissions. I do not know if this review process has been formally submitted to by the IFA or other bodies, but submissions are being examined with a view to finalising the future charging mechanism.

Implementation of the water charges plan is a matter in the first instance for Uisce Éireann. I accept the points the Senator made about multiple holdings for farmers and the ability to combine them into one charge. As I will outline in my later reply, it is possible to have redundant connections removed or to have a temporary or permanent pause where connections are not required. Those applications are made to Uisce Éireann. I accept that what the Senator is saying is slightly different from that. However, farmers who do not have a need for water on their holdings should utilise that existing mechanism, which would reduce the standing charges that apply.

I accept the Minister of State's response. Regarding his final point, the people I represent here do not have redundant meters; they are needed. There is an accumulation of costs because the meters are fragmented. Before 2014 and the establishment of Irish Water, the local authorities decided this. They had one customer charge irrespective of the number of meters.

I take on board what the Minister of State said about how neither he nor I could influence Uisce Éireann's charging regime, but it is hard to accept that. We are the policymakers and Deputy Cummins is the Minister of State. As I said at the outset, I will not be going away. There must be some way we can have an input into this issue. It is common sense. I know that seems to be very much a thing of the past, but it is something I would like to revive. We need to have common sense, if we can at all. Either in his response now or later, the Minister of State might tell me how as a policymaker, as public representative, elected on the Agricultural Panel to deal with issues in the agriculture sector, I can positively influence this in future for the people out there. I am not trying to influence it in any way in the negative.

I fully appreciate and respect the Senator's bona fides on this and other matters to do with agriculture. I know he has always been a strong advocate. As Minister of State, I want to ensure that common sense applies to any measure I am involved in. Under the legislation, however, these are matters for Uisce Éireann and the CRU. A dialogue commenced earlier in the year where submissions were invited on non-domestic charging for customers. People were able to feed into it and take these matters on board in the context of charging mechanisms going forward. While I appreciate the Senator's frustration on this, that is the process for resolving these matters.

In my experience I have come across redundant connections. If people have these, they should apply to have them removed because they obviously result in significant standing charges.

A vote has been called in the Dáil. Members may want to start and we will come back. Whichever you want to do, Minister

Is that the bells ringing just now?

We have approximately six minutes. We can proceed with the opening part or we can-----

It is up to you.

I will proceed, if that is okay.

The Senator can do so. We will take the reply when we come back.

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. This matter relates to defective apartment blocks and where exactly matters stand in that regard.

In January 2023, the Government announced its approval of draft legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013 and affected by fire safety, structural safety and water ingress issues. It is estimated that between 50% and 80% of all apartments and duplexes constructed in Ireland during that period may be affected, which is staggering. Only properties with defects that are attributed to defective design, defective or faulty workmanship, defective materials or any combination of these and that were in contravention of the relevant parts of the building regulations applicable at the time of construction will be eligible for inclusion in this scheme. The final cost of the overall scheme is estimated to be somewhere in the region of €2.5 billion, which is today's figure. This money will be paid to owner-management companies to carry out these works.

On 11 December 2023, an interim remediation scheme was launched to cater for any apartments or duplexes with fire safety issues. I understand that the interim scheme, as it was referred to, has been stalled as a result of procurement issues. The Minister of State might let us know where matters stand in that regard.

At the end of March of this year, 201 applications had been received and were validated as meeting the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent 19,305 residential units or, as they are for many people, homes located in 28 local authority areas. Circa 77% of these homes are in the Dublin region. This is a serious issue. When it comes to fire safety, we cannot afford to hang around because there is a health and safety issue at stake here for the occupants. The last thing we want is that anything untoward might happen. I would be grateful for an update in relation to the interim scheme.

For many owner-occupiers, these units are their homes. Many of these apartments, particularly in areas outside of the major cities, are still in negative equity, even at today's values, which most people would say are extreme. Many apartments in provincial towns, even at the market level today, are priced probably at half of what the owners paid when they purchased them in 2007 or 2008.

I would like if the Minister of State could tell me where the statutory scheme stands, assure me and the many people who are living in these apartments that this matter is treated with a sense of urgency and indicate when we can expect the scheme to be fully up and running in the context of the various defects by which these people's homes are affected.

Will the Acting Leader to move the suspension of proceedings until after the vote in the Dáil?

I move that the House stand suspended until after the vote.

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this matter and for the opportunity to provide an update on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As the Senator rightly pointed out, there is currently an interim scheme for people with fire safety defects in their apartments and duplexes where they can and, indeed, are drawing down money to complete remedial works on their homes.

In December 2023, the then Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced the opening of the interim remediation scheme for fire safety defects in eligible apartments and duplexes. The scheme provides for the funding of eligible emergency fire safety defect works to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings pending completion of the full remedial works. Apartments and duplexes built between 1991 and 2013 with eligible defects qualify for the scheme. Full remedial works, which will include all necessary fire safety measures as well as those related to water ingress and structural damage, will be funded within the scope and defined parameters of the statutory scheme when in place. Through the scheme, owner-management companies, OMCs, will receive funding to carry out the necessary remediation works. Only applications from authorised representatives of OMCs will be considered and funding is not directly allocated to any individual homeowner.

The administration of the scheme is being managed by the Housing Agency on behalf of the Department of housing. Applications are made to the Housing Agency via its website. The application process is broken into eight distinct phases. Phase 3 requires significant input from OMCs, involving engagement of a competent professional, which is a registered architect, surveyor or engineer, to carry out a thorough fire safety investigation and the subsequent identification of required works. Phase three can be broken down as follows: the selection and engagement of a competent professional through a dynamic purchasing system hosted by the Housing Agency for the discovery of fire safety defects and the identification of the necessary works, followed by completion by the competent professional of the fire safety risk assessment and the preparation of a proposed interim remediation works plan subject to engagement with local authority fire services, and, finally, procurement of a competent builder via the eTender process and a determination of costs. The appointed competent builder will be required to carry out the necessary eligible interim remediation fire safety works under a public works contract.

To support the implementation and increase the efficiency of the scheme, four pathfinder projects are under way. The projects have been selected from the more-than 200 applications made to the interim remediation scheme up until the end of May, representing 595 residential units. They vary in size and complexity and will provide valuable insights for both the interim and statutory schemes. The pathfinder process, which will also inform the development of the statutory scheme, is facilitating the design of templates and standards for documents to be prepared by competent professionals, including procurement arrangements, proposals for fire safety assessments, fire safety risk assessments, interim measures, remedial work plans and other project related paperwork. Funding has already been released to the pathfinders to pay a majority of their professional fees. It is expected that the actual work on the ground will begin in these pathfinder projects in the coming weeks. This work will be funded subject to eligibility and meeting the governance requirements around certification for the scheme.

Regarding the statutory scheme, I will address those points in my follow-up reply.

Before I call Senator Gallagher I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, and his guests to the Gallery this afternoon. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House. They are very welcome.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, and his guests to the House.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, for outlining the interim remediation scheme. There is an urgency attached to this because we are speaking about fire safety. On the face of it, listening to the Minister of State's response, it has been a fairly long-winded exercise to date. We are going through the pathfinder route, which makes sense from the point of view of learning lessons before we roll out the entire scheme.

I have several quick questions. Will the Minister of State tell me how long it will be approximately before the scheme is up and running for all apartment owners? I look forward to the Minister of State's response on the broader scheme. Many people bought these apartments back in 2008 and 2009 and they are their homes. In the intervening years, many have moved on and have had children but they are trapped in this situation. I cannot stress enough the urgency of progress on both issues.

Yes, it has been a lengthy process but it is important to state that the work that has been done will be banked work, which will benefit all of the interim and statutory processes in future. On the new statutory scheme that will replace the interim scheme, the Minister received Government approval on 18 September for the priority drafting of the apartment and duplex remediation Bill. Drafting the Bill will enable the establishment of the statutory scheme and it is progressing. Various issues requiring legal advice are under consideration. The Bill has been included in the summer legislative programme for 2025 and it is intended that Government approval will be sought shortly to publish it. Subject to this approval, the general scheme will be available to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. It is expected that the statutory scheme will be in place later this year and will provide support for the fire safety, structural safety and water ingress issues for those buildings constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is envisaged that it will cover 100% of the cost.

I reiterate that the work that has been done on the pathfinder projects and on the interim scheme is banked work that will benefit everything in future. It is a priority for the Government.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, to the Chamber.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this all-important issue. I raised this back in August 2024 and I am raising it again. It is on the removal of VAT from sunscreen products. Sunscreen is considered a cosmetic product whereas in actual fact it is a healthcare product, in that it protects against skin cancer. In Ireland, we have 13,000 diagnoses of skin cancer per year. It is one of the highest numbers in terms of types of cancer diagnoses and it is expected to double by 2045. This is about UV rays. While we do not have as much sun in Ireland as there is in other countries, it is about the rays. Regardless of whether the sun is shining, the rays still get to our skin.

The 23% VAT rate raises an issue of people having access to sunscreen. This issue mainly concerns people with fair skin or sensitive skin and people who are on low incomes and cannot afford this luxury, because it is called a luxury product. I know Councillor Dara Mulvey in Sligo raised this issue recently at council level, and a lot of pressure has been coming from healthcare professionals and advocacy groups. I believe it is something we need to look towards because we need to give people access to a preventative measure in the form of sunscreen. A good sunscreen is very expensive, and even more so with VAT.

There is a group called Face the Future Ireland, which is an online store, and I am not encouraging people to shop online, which has reduced the price of its sunscreen by over 20% until October to highlight the high rate of VAT on sunscreen and to encourage people to buy sunscreen.

Are there any moves likely in this regard? I ask because I believe we must forward in a proactive measure to make sure sunscreen is accessible to all.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for her ongoing advocacy in this regard.

I am advised by Revenue that the VAT rating of goods and services is subject to EU VAT law, with which Irish law must comply. In general, the VAT directive provides that all goods and services are liable to VAT at the standard rate unless they are exempt from VAT or fall within Annex III of the directive, in respect of which member states may apply reduced rates of VAT. The reduced rates of VAT in Ireland are 9% and 13.5%, respectively. Under VAT law, there is, unfortunately, no scope for a reduction in the rate of VAT on sunscreen products as it is not one of the products listed in the aforementioned Annex Ill. Therefore, the supply of sunscreen products is liable to the standard rate of VAT of 23%.

I understand that, in 2023 - the Senator said she raised it in August 2024, so between those times - this issue was something the then Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, asked to be raised directly with the European Commission. Following his instructions, officials sought clarity on whether the text of Annex Ill of the VAT directive, which refers to pharmaceutical products, could be understood to include sun protection products. However, the European Commission confirmed the position that it was not possible for sunscreen products to be considered pharmaceutical products as they are deemed to be classed as a product in the category of cosmetic or toilet preparations. In those circumstances, the Commission advised that a reduced rate cannot be applied to sun protection products such as sunscreen.

It should be noted that with regard to Annex Ill of the VAT directive, I have been advised that an agreement was reached to amend and expand its scope in April 2022. These changes to the VAT directive, which require unanimity among member states, were negotiated over a four-year period. I understand no further changes to Annex Ill of the VAT directive are expected in the medium term. The Senator also be aware that the changes made to Annex Ill of the VAT directive did allow the Government to apply a zero rate of VAT to non-oral medicines, such as hormone replacement therapy patches and creams, and to nicotine replacement therapy patches. In addition, the Government was able to move the VAT rate for automatic external defibrillators to zero, which the Senator will be aware was a long-standing request of many in the Oireachtas. Worthy of mention is the fact that Ireland has always maintained a zero rate of VAT on oral medicines and ensured these zero rates were maintained in the 2022 agreement.

In summary, because sunscreen products are not considered a medicine for the purposes of the VAT directive, it is not possible to apply a reduced or zero rate to them. There is, unfortunately, no scope at this time to change this position. I am sorry I am not the bearer of better news for the Senator.

While I understand we must comply with European law, perhaps I need to raise directly with the Minister for Health and suggest that sunscreen be added to the medicines list or be listed as a preventative cure. Ireland has a high rate of skin cancer and the VAT rate makes it so prohibitive that many people cannot afford to buy sunscreen. It can be quite expensive, especially the better products which have extra ingredients that prevent skin cancer.

In the long term, it would be a cost-saving measure because if you can prevent something or cure it, people do not have to have treatment. Perhaps the Minister of State will take back to the Minister the question of whether there is any way of changing how sunscreen is classified.

I again thank the Senator for raising this issue. I acknowledge that it is very important for many people.

The position remains that the VAT directive provides that all goods and services are liable for VAT at the standard rate unless they are exempt from VAT or fall within Annex III of that directive, in respect of which member states may apply reduced rates of VAT. As sunscreen products are not included anywhere within Annex III of the VAT directive, the VAT applied to them must be at the standard rate of 23%. The only way that the VAT rate could be reduced on sunscreen products would be to reduce the standard rate of 23%. However, the estimated cost of a 1% reduction in the standard rate of VAT would be €653 million, which is high. A reduction must be applied to all products currently at that rate, so this is obviously not an option.

Unfortunately, there is no scope to change how sunscreen products are treated from a VAT perspective without a change in the EU VAT directive. Such a change would rely on a proposal from the European Commission in the first instance, followed by unanimous agreement by all member states to the change. At present, no such proposal is on the horizon.

The Senator made a valid point on the designation of sunscreen. If the designation changed from a cosmetic product to a healthcare product, would it then fall as VAT-free under the directive? We need to check that out. It may not. Even if the designation changes, I am led to believe that it must be specifically designated and negotiated on a unanimous basis across Europe. We will double-check that, as the Senator requested. I will get my officials to come back to her in that regard.

Before we take the next Commencement matter, I welcome the people from Praxis Care in Mulhuddart, who are guests of Emer Currie, who used to be a Member of this House. I also welcome the group who are here at the invitation of the Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy. I thank them for being here.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and thank her for coming.

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this important issue. She is aware that Wellman International, based in Mullagh, County Cavan, recently went into examinership. Serious concerns have been raised regarding the future of the company and the rights of its employees. There are more than 200 jobs at risk. The company has been an established employer in the area for more than 50 years, and many employees have worked for it for decades. The potential loss of these good-quality jobs would be a devastating blow to the community and the local economy. Some 215 people will be out of work if a new, well-intentioned owner is not found. That is 215 people who will be worrying about their mortgages, household bills and how to put food on the table.

Many people went to Wellman’s as craft apprentices and have stayed with the company since. Some employees have been with it for more than 45 years. Those employees will only be offered statutory redundancy. How can this be?

I was surprised by the statement the Minister of State issued in which she indicated that her thoughts were with the workers. Is offering thoughts and prayers all the Government can do? She is a local, and she is also Minister of State at the Department of enterprise. She needs to start throwing her weight around in the Department and deliver something for the workers of Cavan. She also said that the Government is well aware of the challenges.

If the Government was well aware that this company was headed for disaster, why did it continue to pump taxpayers' money into it without oversight as to how it was being run, without contingency plans for the workers who have been affected, and without ensuring workers' rights to redundancy packages? The company knew it was not profitable for the past two years and yet there was no attempt to rightsize or scale it back from a 24-7 operation. This company is supported by the IDA and therefore by the Irish taxpayer. There should be some level of Government oversight. There is an onus on the State to ensure the assets derived from taxpayers' money are not simply sold to speculators or stripped for God knows what.

Do we know anything about the new investor and his or her intentions? Will the Minister of State tell us why employees of the Indorama Ventures group received redundancy packages in other countries but not here? How can a multimillion euro corporation plead insufficient finances and only offer statutory redundancy to Irish workers? Why has the loophole in the law that allows this to happen not been closed? The company went into examinership at the High Court last Tuesday at 2.45 p.m. At 5 p.m., an investor appeared out of thin air. This has created real concern among workers. They are wondering whether this is a genuine investor or a speculator or asset stripper. They do not know. How can we be sure the company has not choreographed the situation with this investor all along? Does the Minister of State have further insight into the investor? Can the employees trust him or her? Will the Minister of State answer these questions and outline the steps she is going to take to support the employees and workers in Mullagh?

This is a highly important issue that affects not just east Cavan but also Meath, Monaghan and the entire community of Mullagh. I contend that way more than 217 people will be affected by this. In addition to the workers themselves, there are ancillary staff, canteen staff and many outside companies that provide services and look after machinery in the facility. I have been in regular contact with the staff within Wellman over recent days following this really shocking announcement. This is devastating to say the least. Families and workers have felt this coming for some time. I have relatives who work there and who raised families while doing so. Over the 50 years they spent in Wellman, the company demonstrated great loyalty to the staff employed in it, the community of Mullagh and way beyond.

It is very sad to hear this announcement but we have to deal with reality. The company went into an examinership process on 3 June. That process is overseen by a court. The company is placed under court protection for a period of time to allow for the potential rescue and return to financial health of the company, which may be in severe financial difficulty, potentially securing its viability. It is incredibly important to say that this examinership process always looks for ways to protect jobs and the company, ensuring its viability into the future. That is the way we need to continue to talk about Wellman International. We must talk about it as something we hope will be there long into the future.

The foremost concern of the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Government is the potential impact on employees and their families during this difficult and uncertain time. As I said at the outset, I have spoken to quite a number of them since this announcement was made. People who are coming towards the end of their working careers are concerned about their pensions. There are second generations of some families working in Wellman International who have much younger families. They are also concerned about where their income will come from in the future.

I can confirm that the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment received collective redundancy notifications from Wellman International Limited on 6 June, details of which are for the company to disclose. However, Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation in place to protect and support workers where collective redundancies are proposed by an employer. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations in these situations, including the requirement to consult and provide information to employee representatives for a 30-day period before any notice of redundancy can issue. The consultation with employee representatives should include the possibility of avoiding the proposed redundancies, reducing the number of employees affected or mitigating the consequences. The proposed collective redundancy must also be notified to the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes place. Furthermore, the Government provides a range of supports to employees facing job losses. The Intreo services of the Department of Social Protection can assist with income supports and relevant employment and training opportunities where needed.

I would like to talk about this in more positive terms. I hope that the examinership process provides a viable proposition for a new buyer to come in.

I am sorry. I did not realise I was over my time. I will revert further.

The Minister of State did not answer any of my questions with concrete solutions. She has a lot of hope and talks a lot about hope. The Government said it was well aware of what was happening. If it was well aware, why did it continue pumping taxpayers' money into a business it knew was going into examinership?

These workers are supporting families. They poured years of their lives and dedication into the Wellman company. Thoughts and prayers are a nice platitude but they mean nothing to families who are wondering how they will pay for their weekly shopping. Instead of the Government offering sympathies, it needs to look at how it can intervene, either by finding a new investor or by ensuring redundancy packages are offered to workers. The Government has to get out and fight for these people. They are turning to their Ministers for help and for someone to stand up and fight for them. Tea and sympathy are not what they are looking for.

Is the Government taking the necessary legislative steps to close the loophole that allows this to happen?

Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome members of the historical society from Oldcastle, who are Deputy Guirke's guests. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House.

I welcome the visitors in the Gallery. I have no doubt that some people in the Oldcastle area are affected by the sad news about Wellman International.

I have been in touch and have been very active. Let us be clear. I am not paying platitudes to anyone, as I feel strongly about these people. I represent them. I was elected to do so and I will certainly do that. I have met them and am meeting them. On a daily basis, I am in touch with workers and their representatives. The Senator can be assured of that.

I have also written to the Department of Social Protection and the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and asked him to set up a working group in his Department to ensure that the necessary supports are put in place, if it comes to that. I hope it will not, but it is inevitable that a certain number of jobs will be lost. We have to be factual about these cases when we talk about them. As I said, the Minister, Peter Burke, is keeping a close eye on this.

The work of IDA Ireland is incredible. It has worked closely with Wellman International and the representatives there over the past two years. The Government has not kept pouring money into a company that was failing. It has worked closely with IDA Ireland to ensure the latter provided whatever supports it could to make sure that Wellman International did not go out of business and to look at the idea of rescaling the business. I assure the Senator that I am liaising not only with officials in my Department, but also officials in IDA Ireland who are liaising with Wellman International. I will continue to do that and to liaise closely with workers and management in Wellman International.