Ballaghaderreen and west Roscommon were hit with a jobs blow yesterday with news of the potential closure of Exclusive Cigar Manufacturing Ireland (ECMI) in the town.
It is understood 38 people could lose their jobs if the closure takes place.
A period of consultation has begun and employees will be faced with redundancy on May 15th if an alternative to the closure is found.
The current plant was established by a Dutch company in Ballaghaderreen in 1978
Local TD Eugene Murphy said “I will be calling on the Minister for Social Protection to put a team together to visit the Ballaghaderreen area and consult with employees about their future options. My thoughts are with the employees, management and their families who now face an uncertain future. Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’ Connor needs to urgently address the imbalance of employment opportunities in rural Ireland”.
