Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Matt Carthy has described the announced closure of BD Foods at Glaslough, Co. Monaghan as a devastating blow for the workers at the company and the local economy. He said it is a worrying signal of the challenges in the food services sector.

The Henderson Group announced on Wednesday a merger of its acquired companies to its operational base in Mallusk, with the loss of jobs at Glaslough, Ashbourne and Lisburn.

He said:

“This is a devastating blow at the worst possible time, and the worst affected will be the workers involved and their families. These are job losses that the local economy can ill afford and this presents a very worrying signal for the food preparation and services sector which is vitally important for the economy in this region.

“I have made contact with senior representatives of the Henderson Group and with workers at BD Foods. In the first instance we need to see if there is any possibility of reversing this decision.

“We also need to determine whether the company informed statutory agencies or government of the potential of this move, and whether any support or assistance was provided to prevent this closure.

“My initial thoughts are with the workers and their families – we need a swift government response to ascertain whether the jobs can be saved and we need swift action to ensure that there are no further job losses in this sector.

“I intend to work with all elected voices in pursuit of these objectives”.