Employees need a Minister who’s up to the challenge, not one preparing the ground for failure

The Tánaiste’s response to the emerging threat to jobs at Cadbury is grossly inadequate. She is preparing to be out-thought and out-manoeuvred.

While the UK’s Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has already had a series of direct contacts with Kraft, the US company planning to take over Cadbury, our Minister has only got as far as meeting with Enterprise Ireland.

This is a challenge which demands the use of all our political leverage. The Government should be doing all it can to protect these jobs, which have been in Ireland for 80 years. Clearly Lord Mandelson is exercising all the leverage that he can, while our Minister hasn’t even entered the fray.

It seems to me that the Tánaiste knows bad news is coming, and wants to run as far away as possible from the challenge. In an amazing statement this week, she seemed to throw in the towel on the prospects of saving the jobs. In doing so, she is only giving ammunition to those within the company, and to other competing locations, who would like to see Cadbury abandon Ireland.

We do not need a Minister who is preparing the ground for failure. We need one who is up for the challenge.”