‘It is imperative these jobs be replaced as a matter of urgency’

NEWCASTLE WEST’S business community last night warned of the anger, fear and frustration running high in the area over the Castlemahon Food Products’ liquidation decision.

The Chamber of Commerce said as well as the 300-plus jobs at the plant itself, another 300 spin off jobs could also be affected.

Chamber president John Hunt said: “Recent job losses in West Limerick have now reached 1,000.

“Enough is enough. The events of the past few days have put us on the back foot and serious questions have to be asked by all sectors. It is imperative that these jobs be replaced as a matter of urgency and on-going investment is maintained in line with the growth of the town and district.”

Mr Hunt said West Limerick was missing out on the major investment being channelled into other parts of the country.

Locals in Castlemahon village were still trying to come to terms with the news yesterday afternoon.

Garage worker, Tom Kennedy, 27, said: “Lots of our customers are Castlemahon workers and I have a lot of friends working there.”

John Mangan, 43, farms outside the village. His wife, Mary works at Castlemahon Food Products. He said: “She has been there for years. But it will hit other families much harder where both couples are working in Castlemahon and have young families and big mortgages. There are an awful lot of young people like this there who met while working at the company. It is symptomatic of the way things are going with big supermarket chains dictating prices and the margins are dropping all the time. Like beef, cheap chicken, is being brought in to this country and it is having hell of a knock on affect.”

Caroline Walsh, who also lives in Castle Mahon took redundancy from the food company last year after having her third baby.

She said: “I can count myself lucky but my brother is working there and is getting married next year and his fiancee is also there.”

Willie Gleeson of the West Limerick Poultry Producers Coop, representing 20 suppliers to Castlemahon said many of their members are owed money for chickens already supplied.

The producers said they found it hard to understand why Castlemahon is being put into receivership given they get 32c per bird while poultry companies pay suppliers 43c a bird.

Mr Gleeson said: “It is a mystery as they are getting their raw material so cheap.”