Out-of-work staff hope plant can be reopened

LIMERICK workers who lost their jobs last February are still turning up at the closed-down plant each morning, holding out hope of getting back to work.

They spend some time checking out valuable production equipment at the Fitzpak plant in Gillogue before going home again.

Limerick consortium MMDS had been in talks with Shannon Development to buy the factory and reopen it.

However, Shannon Development withdrew from the deal after they were accused of undervaluing the property by millions of euro.

An MMDS member said yesterday that Shannon Development refused to talk to them about the future use of the old Fitzpak plant.

MMDS director Mike Neville said they have agreed with a liquidator to pay €2 million for a huge machine for making corrugated cardboard boxes. “There are only seven machines of its kind in the whole country,” he said.

He said Shannon Development insisted that they buy the 300,000 sq ft plant and a price of €3.95 million was agreed.

However, Shannon Development pulled out of the deal when they came under fire from other business concerns over the sale price.

The factory is located close to the extended University of Limerick campus which has been developed on the Clare side of the Shannon.

Mr Neville said if they were given the go-ahead to move into the factory, they would provide more than 100 jobs over a two-year period, many for the out-of-work Fitzpak workers.

Workers leader Denis O’Carroll appealed to Shannon Development to resume talks with MMDS to get their jobs back.

Mr O’Carroll said they have held meetings with local politicians to try and break the deadlock in talks between Shannon Development and MMDS.