Concern was expressed yesterday over the future of some 100 jobs at the former Galtee Meats processing factory in Mitchelstown, north Cork, amid speculation that parent company Dairygold is planning to close the plant this year.
The plant, which operates under the name Breeo Foods and is part of Dairygold's Reox Holdings subsidiary, is involved in the processing of pork products such as rashers, sausages and hams under the Galtee Meats label and in the production of processed cheese.
Cork East Sinn Féin candidate Sandra McLellan said she had received information that the plant was due to close in June but no announcement of the closure was intended until after the general election.
Dairygold moved quickly to halt speculation about the plant's future, releasing a statement saying that Reox Holdings plc had no plans to cease manufacturing at the Mitchelstown plant.
However, the company did acknowledge that Breeo Foods operated "in an intensely competitive marketplace characterised by increasing tight margins and must continually strive to maximise operational and production efficiencies.
"Against this background, all business activities, as with all the operations, are under constant review."
Over recent years Dairygold has moved towards outsourcing many of its activities, such as the closure of its pig-slaughtering plant in Mitchelstown in 2005 with the loss of 170 jobs and the buying in of pigmeat for processing.