Harrington welcomes major jobs boost for Cork after series of positive announcements

Fine Gael Cork South West TD, Noel Harrington, has today (Monday) welcomed the series of announcements made earlier which will result in hundreds of new jobs being created in Cork city and county. In the largest of the announcements, 260 new jobs will be created at SouthWestern, which is headquartered in Clonakilty.

“This is a great day on the jobs front for Cork. The outsourcing company SouthWestern, which is an impressive locally-grown success story, has announced major expansion plans. The company is creating 100 new jobs immediately at its Little Island office, with a further 160 positions to be filled over the next two years.

“The announcement is a great testament to the hard work and dedication of the SouthWestern workforce. The company has attributed the expansion to an increasing demand for its businesses services both domestically and internationally.

“The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney TD, has also announced that hundreds of new jobs will be created thanks to the Food Academy Start programme, a collaborative initiative between the Local Enterprise Offices, Bord Bia and SuperValu, which will see start-up food businesses supplying SuperValu retailers for the first time.

“It’s expected 300 jobs will be created over the next 12 months as a result of the collaboration. Local food suppliers will benefit hugely from this announcement, as it will allow them to get their produce onto local supermarket shelves. 

“The start-ups are being directly supported by Bord Bia and the new network of Local Enterprise Offices, which have opened in every county across the country. Most of the jobs which will be created as a result are in small businesses in both urban and rural areas.

“This announcement is a great boost to local artisan food producers, who are playing a very important role in our recovery.”
 
ENDS