The closure of Budget Travel with the loss of 170 jobs is very bad news, and my thoughts first and foremost, are with workers who have learned today that will soon be out of work.

There is no good time to find yourself jobless, but in these uncertain economic times, I would be fearful that it will be particularly difficult for people to get back on their feet financially, at least in the short term.

The Irish travel and tourism industry has been in the doldrums for some time now, and Minister Noel Dempsey has been sticking his head in the sand in this regard.

I have repeatedly asked him in the Dail as to what steps he believes should be taken to avoid a meltdown in the industry, but his response is simply to shrug his shoulders and claim that it’s not his problem.

As a result, we now see where long-established operators like Budget Travel are going out of business leaving many workers and their families facing a very uncertain Christmas.

The various state agencies must ensure that workers who are being let go, are afforded every opportunity in terms of support, and retraining, so that when the economic climate does improve, they will be in a position to avail of opportunities that present themselves.