Fallout over Waterford Crystal plant continues

THE fallout from the closure of the Waterford Crystal plant in Dungarvan with the loss of almost 400 jobs continues.

The view amongst the local community that the closure was unjustified, and that the plant was made a sacrificial lamb for the headquarters operation at Kilbarry in Waterford city, shows no sign of subsiding.

The winding down of the plant is continuing with about forty maintenance and other workers still employed there. A number of the Dungarvan staff have been redeployed at Kilbarry while others have been successful in securing alternative employment.

The Dungarvan closure was raised again this week at a county council meeting by Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Kieran O’Ryan who described the company decision as “a travesty.” His criticisms were shared by Cllr Billy Kyne who also hit out at the “insensitivity” of paying out huge bonuses to directors at a time when hundreds of hard working employees were being thrown onto the scrap heap.