The Government has defended its lack of involvement in the closure of the Littleton peat factory's production operations.
The Bord na Mona facility will shut its 24/7 production at the end of this month until mid-August leaving up to 80 permanent workers on reduced hours and temporary layoffs.
In a statement, the company says a combination of a mild winter, the carbon tax and an unusually high timber supply has led to reduced sales and it has implemented its contingency plan to deal with the situation.
The issue was raised in the Dail by Tipperary TDs Noel Coonan and Michael Lowry.
Junior Minister with responsibility for European Affairs Dara Murphy, speaking on behalf of Energy Minister Alex White, said it's not the role of the Government to intervene in an 'operational matter'
However, Fine Gael TD Noel Coonan was not happy with the response from his Government colleagues.
