Deasy to view factory next week

The Herald, Saturday, July 9, 1983.

By Francis Farragher.

The Minister for Agriculture, Deputy Austin Deasy, will visit Tuam Sugar Factory on either next Wednesday or Thursday (July 13th or 14th) in what will probably be the most crucial visit ever made by a Government representative to the factory. He is expected to arrive in the factory in the afternoon where he will be brought on a tour of the plant by members of the Workers Action Committee. Afterwards he will have a meeting with the factory representatives and members of the Workers Action Committee who will present him with a detailed account of the cost cutting measures which have been undertaken at the factory. Western Health Board is also expected to be present at the meeting.

Later on the Minster is expected to meet the Town Commissioners and Chamber of Commerce representatives, and his visit will conclude when he meets the East Galway Fine Gael executive.

A further doubt has been cast over the Tuam Factory with the recent Ministerial announcements that financial targets not being reached this year would be made up for by cuts in expenditure and not by extra taxes. ButDeputy Paul Connaughton, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, said he didn't think such general policy statements would have the slightest influence in determining Tuam's future.

"As far as the C.S.E.T. report is concerned, the Dept. of Agriculture is still sifting through it, and certain points have had to be clarified. Nothing else has happened in relation to the factory," Deputy Connaugthon said.

Jimmy OMara, chairman of the Workers Action Committee, said that the case for the retention of Tuam would be put to Mr. Deasy. He added that they would be highlighting the cost cutting measures already and they would be making projections as to the future viability of the factory. "It will be one of the most important visits ever made to the factory as a decision on its future will be made afterwards by the Government. We are very hopeful. The West of Ireland Dáil Deputies have shown great unanimity in supporting the case for keeping the factory open," Mr. O'Meara said. He denied allegations made in last week's Herald bySenator Ulick Burke that the campaign to save the factory had taken on a very definite political slant.

"All parties in the town have joined together in the fight to save the factory," he said. He concluded that the $1.4 million loss figure now seemed to be accepted as the actual loss figure per annum for the factory.

During the Dáil discussion on the factory last week, Deputy Noel Treacy (F.F.) said that the state had received many millions of pounds by way of Company Tax, dividends, P.A.Y.E. and V.A.T. payments from Tuam. He added that Tuam was blatantly discriminated against for years by C.S.E.T. and that the good work done by church, State and civic leaders in promoting the growth of beet "was thrown to the winds and destroyed by an arrogant executive in St. Stephen's Green." Deputy Michael Kitt called on the Government deputies in the West to come together and fight for what "we are entitled to in East Galway."

Support for Tuam was also expressed by a number of Western Deputies including M.E.P.s Neil Blaney and Joe McCartin and Deputy Liam Naughten.

But DeputyEnda Kenny hit out at the management of the Tuam factory. Speaking about people in the West of Ireland who grew beet he said: "They grew the beet out of a sense of pride and dedication and because they wanted to see the plant continue. When they arrived at the Tuam plant they were left waiting for a day before their beet was unloaded. "They saw trucks arriving from Carlow and other counties and this beet was unloaded before theirs. The management of the factory have a lot to answer for," statedDeputy Kenny.

The Workers Action Committee have another meeting lined up for next week. They are to meet the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in Dublin and they hope to get their support in the fight to save the factory.