LOCAL TDs, senators and councillors met this morning (Thursday) in Nenagh with the Chief Executive of Arrabawn Co-op in an effort to try and save as many jobs as possible in the Kilconnell liquid milk bottling plant.

The meeting – organised by Roscommon-Galway Independent TD, Michael Fitzmaurice – comes against the backdrop of the decision taken last week by the Board of Arrabawn to sell their liquid milk sales book to the Aurivo co-op.

In a statement issued by Arrabawn, they confirmed that the Kilconnell bottling plant is not part of the sale, adding that they were looking at options for ‘alternative use’ of the east Galway site.

“The co-op employs 110 people in this area of its business. Approximately half of these, mostly sales employees, will transfer with the business, with redeployment opportunities also being made available to others across the wider business,” Arrabawn have confirmed.

Deputy Fitzmaurice told the Connacht Tribune this week that while there was ‘no silver bullet’ solution to the Arrabawn decision, the meeting that took place this morning at the Arrabawn HQ in Nenagh with Chief Executive, Conor Ryan, had the primary aim of saving as many jobs as possible.

“We want to try and establish what can be salvaged both in terms of jobs and also as regards possible alternative enterprises that could be established on the Kilconnell site.

“We have to face the reality that the Arrabawn decision on Kilconnell is a done deal – now it’s a matter of trying to pick up the pieces in terms of saving jobs and looking after the local community,” said Deputy Fitzmaurice.

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