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MARK STEDMAN/PHOTOCALL IRELAND

Enterprise Minister to meet Meath TDs over Tara Mines shutdown

650 workers at the zinc and lead mine in co Meath have been temporarily laid off.

ENTERPRISE MINISTER SIMON Coveney has agreed to meet Meath TDs over the closure of Tara Mines, according to Peadar Tóibín.

650 workers in the zinc and lead mine in Meath have been temporarily laid off, with the government pledging to put supports in place for impacted staff.

Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Tóibín met with the minister today. He said in a statement: “The situation at Tara Mines [is] spiralling at the moment and the government need to get hold of the situation to protect the workers and the future of business.

“Key to all of this is viability of Tara Mines and energy costs is one area that the government could help”.

He said the six Meath TDs “are now calling on the Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys to join this meeting to ensure that financial supports can be put in place ASAP”.

Swedish parent company Boliden confirmed earlier this month that production and exploration at the mine will cease temporarily and it will be placed “under care and maintenance” within the next four weeks.

The company said that the decision had been taken “to safeguard the long-term future of the company, in response to significant and unsustainable financial losses that the business is currently experiencing”.

Gunnar Nyström, general manager of Tara Mines said: “This was not a decision we made lightly, but we simply have to stem the unsustainable cash outflow that we are currently experiencing, in order to safeguard the long-term future of the mine,” he said.

Trade union Unite, which represents some staff in the mine, has called for it to be taken into public ownership “in the absence of a firm commitment from the highly profitable parent company Boliden to an early resumption of operations”.

Unite regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald said: “Boliden’s decision to suspend operations at Tara Mines indefinitely would have a devastating impact on the workers concerned and the communities they support.

“Zinc has the potential to play a crucial role in a low-carbon economy. There is a very real possibility that, if and when Boliden decides to recommence operations at some unspecified future date, the highly skilled workers who built Tara Mines into Europe’s largest zinc mine may have taken their skills and expertise elsewhere.

“Immediate pressure must be put on Boliden to give a firm re-opening date, while also continuing to pay workers’ wages during this self-imposed shut-down – Boliden can well afford to do this.

“In the absence of such a commitment, the government should move immediately to take Tara Mines into public ownership.”

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    Mute Joe blogs
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:44 PM

    The ra done it better

    75
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    Mute Leo Lowe
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:02 PM

    Did not done. Shinner are not usually well educated.

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    Mute Motherofdivinejebus
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:08 PM

    Err, I think you forgot an apostrophe between Did and Not Leo,
    Oh the Irony, LOL

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    Mute Motherofdivinejebus
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:09 PM

    Whoops! I meant a Comma,
    (Karma is a bitch, I know )

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:15 PM

    There’s nothing more ignorant than correcting someone’s grammer..

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    Mute Karol Doran
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:34 PM

    Cosmo,

    It’s ‘grammar’.

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    Mute Leo Lowe
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:36 PM

    Mother, the initial letter in comma should be lower case.

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    Mute Thomas Delaney
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    Mar 16th 2016, 9:50 PM

    Also, spelling is not grammar you simpleton Cosmo.

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    Mute Kevin Blanche
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:50 PM

    Up like a bird and over the city

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:52 PM

    3 men are missing, I heard the warden say.

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Mar 16th 2016, 4:15 PM

    Copycats…..

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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:50 PM

    Video needs that Mission Impossible theme.

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    Mute Gerry Fitz
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:24 PM

    CLOSE THE GATES

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    Mute Gary O'neill
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:43 PM

    The Canadians should be ashamed of themselves for letting this occur. Thankfully their country is a lot more beautiful than the dump we live in so I won’t get too mad at them

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    Mute Timber Planks
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:55 PM

    Have you even been to Canada?

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    Mute Diolúin Ó hUigínn
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    Mar 16th 2016, 2:57 PM

    Good man for forgiving them Gary, I’m sure they were very worried there for a minute.

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    Mute Alan Cooke
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    Mar 16th 2016, 5:40 PM

    No, I don’t think he has but he’s just back from a quick holiday to Rome.
    It’s amazing how us tax paying fools can let Gary jet around on his well funded state pension and come on here and call our country a dump. Stop his pension for 6 months and that will cure his cough.

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    Mute Patrick J O'CONNOR
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    Mar 16th 2016, 6:37 PM

    @Gary O’neill……..Funny! Never heard a Canadian note anything like you say. Only your BS I would say.

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    Mute THE BIG LAD
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:48 PM

    Its happened here a few times ….

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    Mute Sean Bradley
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:27 PM

    Sound like something from the video game GTA

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    Mute richiecallaghan
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    Mar 16th 2016, 3:18 PM

    Good man Gary insult the country that’s paying your over generous teacher pension, bet you love the place when you use your bank card.

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    Mute Paul Knowles
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    Mar 17th 2016, 1:04 AM

    Done in mountjoy first

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