C&C Group announces 98 job losses

C&C Group plc, manufacturer, marketer and distributor of drinks and snacks in Ireland, has announced a re-organisation of its snacks division Tayto.

Tayto is implementing a programme to reduce operating costs and enhance efficiencies.

The programme includes the outsourcing of crisps manufacturing to Largo Foods and the closure of the Tayto crisps factory in Coolock, Dublin; the integration of snacks logistics with that of beverages; and the re-structuring of the snacks sales organisation.

The decision to cease production at the Dublin crisps facility will result in the closure of the company's Coolock plant in October with a loss of 98 jobs.

The re-organisation programme will give rise to an exceptional charge of approximately €10m in C&C’s 2005/6 fiscal year.

These exceptional costs will be funded through the disposal of surplus manufacturing and distribution properties.

Maurice Pratt, C&C Group CEO, said: "The difficult decision to close the crisps facility follows a review of the required level of capital investment at the facility, the availability of alternative manufacturing suppliers and an increasingly competitive environment."

"We would like to record our appreciation for the commitment and loyalty of the affected workforce over many years."