‘Empty site ideal for new industry in Fermoy’

A 19-ACRE fully serviced IDA site has lain empty for over five years in the north Cork town where 440 job losses have been announced in the last month.

Now local politicians in Fermoy have demanded the Government, IDA and Enterprise Ireland act immediately to bring a strong industry to a town which is part of an expanding employment blackspot in north Cork.

In the last two years, 1,500 jobs have been lost with the closure of Dairygold plants, Greencore and Nestle. A further 440 workers have been slated to go — 200 at BUPA as announced in December and 240 at FCI as announced earlier this week.

While neither of the Fermoy announcements would see wholesale job losses for at least the next few months, their departure would leave the town in a “devastating” position, especially as there were few major industries left now according to Mr O’Flynn.

“These large-scale redundancies also have a profound effect on the variety of ancillary businesses which exist in the town,” he said.

However, he added there were options open to the government bodies if they used the resources available to them.

“There is a 19-20 acre site, the former army grounds, on the Dublin Road owned by the IDA,” said Fermoy Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn.

“It is fully serviced with footpaths and an electricity supply, but has been lying empty for the last five years. It would be an ideal location for a new industry.

“All the job losses in north Cork are a wake-up call for the government that we need a new industry. We have the site. That is the first requirement fulfilled. We also have the highly skilled workforce.”

According to local TD and Trade and Commerce Minister Michael Ahern efforts are being made to redress the major loss of employment in Fermoy.

“It is important going forward that Enterprise Ireland and the IDA redouble their efforts to attract new industry to Fermoy and in particular that they focus their efforts on high-tech industry that is less likely to move to a low cost location,” he said.

“I know that Enterprise Ireland has already been successful in securing jobs for the Enterprise Park in Fermoy and that the IDA has hosted companies interested in investing in the town.”