A €200 million cheese factory at Belview will be officially opened today, providing 400 jobs in the construction phase.
Kilkenny Cheese Limited is to be developed under a joint venture agreement with Glanbia’s Dutch partner Royal-A-Ware.
In a statement, Glanbia said the new continental cheese facility will support the incomes of 4,500 farm families once operational, adding that "consistent with the Government post-Brexit market diversification strategy, and its sustainability policy, the new Enterprise Ireland-supported facility is also expected to create 80 full time jobs and support 400 construction jobs in the south-east."
It was confirmed in February that construction of the plant could go ahead, following a Supreme Court decision and a two year battle with An Taisce.
The appeal at the Supreme Court heard arguments that the potential environmental impact of annually producing 450 million litres of milk to supply the cheese plant should be treated as “significant indirect effects” of the development.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue will be among those in attendance at today's official sod-turning in Belview.
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