A multi-million Euro expansion proposed for the Dunbia meat processing factory in Kilbeggan

A multi-million Euro expansion proposed for the Dunbia meat processing factory in Kilbeggan will create up to 100 new jobs in the construction phase alone if given the green light by local planners according to the firm.

The plans for the proposed new 13 million Euro expansion, which will see the production capactiy of the facility increase significantly if successful, includes details for construction of slaughtering facilities, a new value added section, plant rooms and a new effluent treatment plant.

Describing the new development as a “huge vote of confidence” in the Kilbeggan area by the Dobson family-the Northern Irish owners of Dunbia- and Enterprise Ireland which is providing a grant of over four million Euro for the development, Padraig Browne, Managing Director of Dunbia Ireland, admitted to the Westmeath Examiner that until the new expansion is completed it would be very hard to quantify how many new jobs would be created, but that “we hope there will be a lot more jobs going forward.”

Over seventy staff from the Kilbeggan factory, which currently has a workforce of 218, were made redundant last year, but according to Dunbia most of these workers have been reemployed since, a fact which Mr Browne is proud of.

“Given the times that we’re in we feel that that’s a pretty good achievement. Without the managers, employees and staff that we’ve got none of this would happen and we would like to thank them for their hard work and loyalty. It makes us what we are.”

Local planners have received a number of objections to the proposed expansion by locals concerned about the impact the development will have on the locality, but according to Dunbia’s Group Engineering Manager, Austin Weir, the firm intends to ease fears through a consultation process with a third party.

“If people have issues with potential noise or smells, or if they are worried that we will be a nuisance to our neighbours- no that is not our intention and as part of our Environmental Impact statement we will address those issues.If you are asking me if we are going to build a whopper of a plant here and cause all of our neighbours losts of problems with noise and smells and lots of trucks at night that’s not our intention and not only that the planners won’t allow us to do that.”