Clonakilty-based SouthWestern wins €7m contract to build animal database

Staff at SouthWestern’s base in Clonakilty, Co Cork, are to develop a database for sheep, goats, and deer in England as part of a €7m five-year state contract.

Up to 20 jobs will be created at the shared services group’s subsidiary in Bedfordshire, near Luton. Much of the work, however, will be done by West Cork SouthWestern in Clonakilty, which is owned by Ion Equity.

The staff in Clonakilty will develop an electronic movement reporting system, and the accompanying livestock database, for the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The database, which will replace the current paper-based system, should be fully operational by Apr 2014.