Taoiseach to announce at least 100 Mater jobs

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to make a significant jobs announcement when he visits the Mater Private Hospital in Cork this morning.

He is set to announce the creation of at least 100 jobs at the facility at the City Gate complex in Mahon, in what is the first of several appointments for the taoiseach in the city over the next two days.

The Fine Gael parliamentary party will today arrive at Inchydoney in West Cork for its annual two-day think-in, while tomorrow Mr Kenny will turn the sod on Dairygold’s new, €83.5m milk-processing plant in Mallow, and also open the company’s new €33m plant in Mitchelstown. The €116m Dairygold investment is expected to generate around 115 jobs in the two North Cork plants, which is exclusive of those employed during their construction.

The new processing facilities have been put in place to meet the demand that will be created by the lifting of milk quotas next year, and Dairygold’s suppliers have forecast a 63.5% increase in milk production, from 941m litres in 2011 to 1,539m litres by 2020.

Opened in January 2013, the Mater Private Cork recently signed a five-year deal with Vhi to extend cardiology services and develop an integrated heart and vascular centre.

The agreement with Vhi means that the private hospital is now covered by all private health insurers.