Dairygold research project withdrawn

ENTERPRISE Ireland has said it was a major disappointment that Dairygold did not proceed with a large-scale added-value project at Mitchelstown, Co Cork.

Enterprise Ireland chief executive Frank Ryan made his views known in a letter to Ned O’Keeffe, TD, who is leading a campaign to save the Galtee meat processing plant from closure in the town.

“Enterprise Ireland worked with the company on this project for two-and-a-half years and indicated substantial support in principle to secure progress,” he stated.

Mr Ryan stated Enterprise Ireland has no role in the decision-making process within its client companies.

Dairygold Co-op revealed in 2005, before the company was restructured, that it was to establish a major new €15.6 million applied food sciences research and development centre in Mitchelstown.

But 18 months later Mr O’Keeffe declared that the project was not going ahead as the company had been split in two.

A spokesperson for Dairygold confirmed that in May of this year the co-op submitted a planning application for the development of a dairy sciences research and development facility within the company’s existing dairy facilities buildings at Clonmel Road, Mitchelstown.

He said the development, supported by Enterprise Ireland, comprises laboratory, pilot plant, test kitchen and office facilities.

The design complements the dairy science research and development facilities located in Teagasc Moorepark and UCC, where Dairygold is already heavily involved in a number of collaborative research projects.