Sir , – In the course of answering a question from Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats on June 11th about the continuing export of alumina to Russia from the Aughinish plant in Co Limerick Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke told the Dáil that the Irish Government would not tolerate any exports that were feeding the Russian military complex.
Regrettably this is precisely what our Government is now doing. The Irish Times has already published enough evidence to justify banning these exports and that evidence was placed on the Dáil record by O’Callaghan. There is no need for any further investigation and accordingly no justification for our continuing prevarication.
Some commentators have suggested that if the Government acts decisively on this issue there might be a backlash from the company threatening a loss of jobs and possible factory closure. Were this to happen then there is a simple answer. The Government would have to step in and take the Aughinish Alumina plant into State ownership . – Yours, etc,
GARRETT SHEEHAN,
READ MORE
Dublin 14
