Much of Wednesday's Morning Focus dealth with job losses at the Roche plant in Clarecastl. Hopes that the facility would be sold, and hundreds of jobs saved, were dashed with confirmation that the phased closure of the plant will go ahead.
Workers at the plant were informed yesterday (Tue. May 17) evening that talks on the potential sale of the plant ended without agreement and as a result, production will cease, as planned, on a phased basis.
Roche says it now enter into formal consultation with employees and their representatives and the company has committed to providing all necessary and appropriate support to staff.
Requests for interviews were declined by Gerry Cahill, Roche Ireland; and Niall O'Callaghan of the IDA Midwest.
The IDA have told Morning Focus that it's not appropriate for the IDA to discuss a commercial decision by individual companies. It said that nothing has changed since the news in November of the Roche Ireland decision to exit Clarecastle in a phased process. The IDA told us they have been marketing the plant since last November and will continue to do so.
Pat began with a clip of an interview from Roche MD Gerry Cahill on Morning Focus last November.
He then spoke to Dep Joe Carey, FG; and Paul de Puis, SIPTU organiser, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals & Medical Devices
Pat was joined on the line by Rita McInerney of Ennis Chamber of commerce and the Mayor of Clare, Cllr James Breen.
Morning Foucs then spoke to a Clare woman won the Employee Award at the Network Ireland Limerick Women in Business Awards last week.
Sandra Honan, originally from Ballynacally and now living in Quinn, won the award based on her work as Chief Communications Strategist with The Pudding Branding Agency.
She will now go on to the national finals which will be announced at a Gala Ceremony in September in Cork.
We returned to the subject of job losses at Roche and heard from Brigid in Clarecastle. She remembers the sod turning when the plant was built for Symtec. Brigid feels that the news is a huge blow to the community, families and voluntary organisations. Pat then spoke to Cllr Paul Murphy, FG who is Clarecaste based; and to Cllr Pat Daly, FF, Mayor of Ennis.
The show then focused on the subject of older volunteers. The Clare Older People’s Volunteer of the Year Award 2016 was revealed yesterday (Tue., May 17) at the second annual award ceremony in the West County Hotel, Ennis.
Maura Cotter was honoured for her service to the local community. She was presented with her award (an IPad sponsored by John Connell of Care Store) by social activist Father Harry Bohan, who said the risks of social isolation for older people have never been greater in this era of increased emigration.
The awards – in their second year – is organised by the Clare Older People’s Council in co-operation with Clare Volunteer Centre, as part of National Volunteer Week (which we heard all about on yesterday's show).
The award aims to highlight the fact that far from being a burden on society, older people make an outstanding contribution to the communities in which they live.
Pat was also joined by Fr Harry Bohan, PP Sixmilebridge, and by Stella O'Gorman, Chairperson of Clare Older People's Council
Pat was then joined by pupils from the Raheen Woods Steiner School who are to stage King Lear. The play is on this year's leaving cert text and is an exploration of light and dark, parent and child relations, the abuse of power, foolishness and wisdom.
The group have been performing plays for a number of years
The students collaborative scriptwriting has been included in the National Association of Youth Drama Playwrights' repertoire
King Lear will be preformed in Ennis at St. Columba's Church on Wed May 18th 7:15pm and Thurs May 19th 2:00 pm & 7:15 pm
Pat was joined in studio by Nell Smyth, Uisce Hammond, Josh O'Reilly and Grace O'Connell.
We returned to the subject of the Roche job losses and their impact with reactions from Clarecastle in a vox pop by Cian Kearns
Vet John Underhill talked about ticks in animals.
Pat was then joined by Tansy Watson from Irish Seed Savers, Capparoe, Scarriff. It's inviting members of the public to find out more about its activities this Sunday (May 22, 12-4pm). Irish Seed Savers, based in Scarriff, is offering a chance to learn more about native Irish species and to swop seeds to help boost the vitality of this country's indigenous crops.
Irish Seed Savers share the task of conserving Ireland’s fruit, vegetables, grains and potato’s in a real and practical manner. It's particularly interested to hear from people who may have the last of a particular type of fruit tree, or know of a family who may have been saving the seed of a rare variety of fruit or vegetable. They say that the knowledge of heritage plants is often with elderly people and could easily die with them.
