Carlow to close despite transport setbacks
Irish Sugar chief executive Dr Sean Brady said there appeared to be an erroneous impression that the Carlow plant might remain open if the company is delayed in its efforts to set up rail transport facilities.
“This is completely without foundation. The Carlow plant will not process beet in 2005. The closure decision is irrevocable,” he said.
Irish Sugar proposed to build a rail depot at Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, similar to one in Wellingtonbridge, Co Wexford, to facilitate the transport to Mallow of beet normally supplied to the Carlow plant.
It initially said it anticipated that about two-thirds of all beet currently processed in Carlow would travel to Mallow by rail, with Wellingtonbridge capable of carrying most of the crop grown in Wexford.
Some beet, mainly from counties nearer to Mallow or where there would be an increase in the distance travelled by going via Carlow rail, would be taken by road. This would include beet from areas such as Tipperary and Waterford.
However, reports last week that the proposed Bagenalstown rail depot was not materialising prompted IFA president John Dillon to reiterate a call on Irish Sugar to defer the Carlow closure for a year to allow an orderly negotiated plan to be rolled out to get the beet to the Mallow plant at no additional cost to growers.
Irish Sugar said it will work to establish the best rail and road options to enable the transport of former Carlow beet supply to Mallow, taking account of issues raised in regard to the development of a beet supply depot in Bagenalstown.
If for any reason plans for the proposed Bagenalstown railhead do not succeed, the alternative options include the establishment of a railhead at an alternative suitable location or for the beet to be supplied by road.
Dr Brady said the consolidation into Mallow for processing is necessary to safeguard the viability of beet growing and sugar processing in Ireland.
Irish Sugar has said it will do all it can to develop a railhead option and is currently examining location options.
Meanwhile, Cork East Fianna Fáil TD Ned O’Keeffe said he did not foresee a crisis over the transport of beet by road from the Carlow area as heavy traffic generated by the dairy and grain sectors will be off the roads during the sugar processing months. Portlaoise was also an alternative railhead location.
