Jobs boost if Dunbia opts for Beauparc

The Slane/Beauparc area could be in line for a major jobs boost if meat processing giant, Dunbia, relocates its 200-job Westmeath plant to its site at Beauparc. The company's plan to relocate the 55 jobs at the Dunbia (Slane) plant at Greenhills, Beauparc, to a new €12m abattoir development at Kilbeggan came to a halt this week when Bord Pleanala refused planning permission for the development on Kilbeggan's Clara Road. Dunbia's managing director, Padraig Browne, said he was disappointed, but wasn't at this stage prepared to say what the decision might mean for the future of the Slane or Kilbeggan plants. In July of last year, Mr Browne said that if planning permission was refused in Kilbeggan, Dunbia would close its Kilbeggan operation and transfer the 208 jobs to Slane within two years. At that time, he said they were considering a planning application to consolidate the business in Slane and the company would consider transferring the 208 jobs at Kilbeggan to Slane within two years, if it failed to get planning permission for the Kilbeggan plant.