Coughlan row over ‘welcome’ to brewery plan

THE Diageo announcement saw Mary Coughlan walking into her first row since being appointed Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister less than 48 hours earlier.

Under the company’s €650m restructuring plan, 250 jobs will be lost in Kilkenny and Dundalk in five years’ time when a new facility on the outskirts of Dublin becomes fully operational. Brewing will continue on the historic St James’s Gate site in inner-city Dublin, but on a smaller scale.

Despite this, Ms Coughlan issued a press release “welcoming” the Diageo announcement, which led to harsh criticism from the opposition. It also put her at odds with Justice Minister Dermot Ahern.