Dairygold development prioritises Mallow Ring Rd – Barry

Fine Gael TD for Cork East and member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Tom Barry TD, has today (Friday), welcomed an investment of €117 million at Dairygold in Mallow and Mitchelstown, and the news that the Mallow Ring road is to become a reality.

A special event to announce the investment which will create 115 full time jobs was attended by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD and Minister for Agriculture & Defence, Simon Coveney TD.

“At today’s event Dairgold Chief Executive, Jim Wolfe, acknowledged the necessity of the Mallow Ring road to facilitate this major development. I have been calling for the construction of the 5.1km Ring road for some time, the project is already costed at €25 million and I am pleased that the Taoiseach has confirmed that it is inevitable that it will be given the go ahead in the near future.

“An investment of €117 million has been made in the post-quota expansion of Dairygold’s processing facilities in Mallow and Mitchelstown. This is extremely good news for the people of East Cork and the wider region as 115 full time jobs will be created and approximately 400 people employed on the site at peak construction. A development of this scale will also have a knock-on effect throughout the local eceonomy.

“The Taoiseach laid the foundation stone for Dairygold’s €83.5 million ‘regeneration’ of its milk processing site at Mallow. Later on he also performed the official opening of Dairygold’s €33.5 million upgrade of its Castlefarm Dairy Processing Complex in Mitchelstown.

“This major investment will be instrumental in managing the increase in milk production over the next five years. We are on the brink of the end of milk quotas which will provide huge opportunities for the Irish Dairy sector and the Dairygold expansion will also see a significant number of additional jobs in farming.

“The agri-food sector is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and has been a corner stone of the economic recovery. The Government is highly supportive of the agri-food businesses and the Action Plan for Jobs has specifically targeted this area for development.

“Such a huge investment in Dairygold is a massive boost for Cork and a definitive vote of confidence in the skills of our people. The jobs announced today are much-needed jobs in a rural area and they will provide new opportunities for our skilled young people.”