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A 'black day' for Donegal Gaeltacht as 140 jobs go at Largo Foods

The firm announced the loss of 140 jobs at its Donegal plant today.

DONEGAL SENATOR BRIAN Ó Domhnaill has described Largo Food’s decision to exit Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore) as a “devastating blow”.

He said today is a “black day” for the county’s Gaeltacht area.

The company announced that it would close its plant today, resulting in the loss of 140 jobs.

Production of products, which include Hunky Dorys and Tayto crisps, will transfer to the firm’s other operations in Meath by August. The Ashbourne facility employs 360 people.

Redundancies will commence from May.

“Many staff have worked there since the company first opened 18 years ago and many have other family members who also work there,” added Ó Domhnaill. “They are now wondering what they will do after the summer.”

CEO Maurice Hickey told Highland Radio that the decision was taken because of the high costs of manufacturing in Donegal. He hopes that 70 of the employees offered full-time positions in Ashbourne will transfer to Meath.

If they don’t redundancy arrangements will be made with discussions due to take place with staff and unions over the next month.

Commenting on support the company received from State agency, Údarás, Hickey said he believes Largo Foods will honour its obligations.

He noted that discussions have been ongoing with the agency.

Read: Northern Ireland’s richest man killed in helicopter crash

More: 4×4 set on fire at Quinn plant in Cavan

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36 Comments
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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:00 PM

    Testing tracing and tracking, a sure fire way of staying on top of and maintaining control of the virus and the very minute the numbers begin to surge it starts to crumble, it’s been a half hearted effort from the get go, appalling…

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    Mute Tony Humphreys
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:02 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: absolutely. Proven method too.

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:08 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: one word that constantly springs to mind when you think of the HSE is failure.

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    Mute Rob Buggle
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:10 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: not defining them.. but the numbers turn out to be huge… 9thousand cases at peak represent 50k tests a day.

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    Mute Rob Buggle
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:12 PM

    @Rob Buggle: defending….

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:15 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: Absolutely. Bit I think the issue is broader. Leadership generally in this country over the last 6 months has been pitifully weak. When COVID is finished we need to have a look at our system which allows the Taoiseach to come from a party with absolutely no mandate to lead. A weak character in a very weak position. What do people expect?

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:17 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: Worldwide issue. How many contact tracers should we have had working immediately after Christmas, keeping in mind that daily cases were in the thousands and many positive cases were reporting up to 40 contacts. Tracing these contacts would have been an enormous task and testing them all would have been physically impossible. Would have led to a massive backlog in tracing, testing and in the labs. But we should have put Kate Flaherty in charge coz…expert.

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    Mute Rob Buggle
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:22 PM

    @Vonvonic: agree or disagree with their policies… I don’t really care, but to suggest he has no mandate is very trumpian.. he reprsents a government with over 50% first preference votes in last election. I don’t like it, but its true.

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:25 PM

    @Tommy Roche: I’m no expert Tommy, and neither do I claim to be but a fool could see this has all been mismanaged from the get go or do you forget Leo dithering about the place a week before the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade trying to decide whether or not it should go ahead, he’s a physician and there was a novel virus coming our way, they have been reactive from day one and have not been in any way shape or form have then been proactive in any area affected by this pandemic, unless weak and uninspiring…

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:26 PM

    @Rob Buggle: Trumpian? Lol. You don’t do irony obviously Rob.

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:29 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: useless not unless…

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:31 PM

    @Kate Flaherty: You’re 100% on the money.

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    Mute Rob Buggle
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    Jan 27th 2021, 7:00 PM

    @Vonvonic: you don’t do proportional representation obviously Von

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 27th 2021, 7:05 PM

    @Rob Buggle: I definitely don’t do duplicity. “I’m not defending them. I’m just giving you their point of view in a positive light.” You’re fooling noone.

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 27th 2021, 7:09 PM

    @Rob Buggle: What part of “we need to have a look at our system …” do you want me to explain for you?

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    Mute MrHammey12
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:23 PM

    So the numbers we are getting at the moment are really only a part of the story!

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    Mute eoin carroll
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:29 PM

    @MrHammey12: the are using the method they used last March

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    Mute Jonnie Marre
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:50 PM

    @MrHammey12: yes

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:20 PM

    I don’t know is there much point in the testing of close contacts. After all, even if you test negative, you still need to restrict your movements for 14 days. Also, seeing as they do not differentiate between those who carry the virus, SARS-COV-2, and those that develop symptoms of the disease, CoViD-19, I think it is skewing people’s perception of how dangerous the disease can be, as everybody seems to be classing it as CoViD-19, with symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.

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    Mute Lorraine Mac Rory
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:54 PM

    @Joe_X: testing of close contacts is important because they find people who are positive BEFORE they have much opportunity to spread the virus.

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Jan 27th 2021, 7:05 PM

    @Lorraine Mac Rory: What you say is correct, and believe me, when they first started testing close contacts I was in full agreement of it. However, regardless of the close contact’s result, they are still meant to isolate/restrict movements anyway, from the time you have been contacted by the HSE, which stops them spreading the virus. So why not keep the testing for symptomatic cases of CoViD-19, keep the close contacts restriction of movements in place, and possibly we may see a more accurate indication of who is at most risk of CoViD-19. Possibly then report on so many cases of the disease proper, with X amount more cases isolating due to being close contacts.

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    Mute Paddy Cullen AIWS
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    Jan 27th 2021, 11:07 PM

    @Joe_X: you teat the close contacts because if they have the virus then they too have a set of close contacts that need to be tested & isolate If you don’t test the close contacts then this second set may be infected and go spreading it about

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Jan 27th 2021, 11:18 PM

    @Paddy Cullen AIWS: actually Paddy, that thought never crossed my mind. I had only thought of the primary person and their contacts. I still think they should differentiate between symptomatic sufferers of CoViD-19 and assymptomatic carriers of SARS-COV-2, and not blanket it all as CoViD-19.

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    Mute Ted Murphy
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    Jan 27th 2021, 6:58 PM

    Why are they not using oximeters at the time of testing. Immediately the can tell if blood oxygen is compromised and if patient needs to be hospitalised. Early detection means shorter hospital stay. This is being done in NYC. Check out Amanpour show on CNN. Dr Richard Levitan. God can the HSE ever keep up?

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    Mute Daniel Lehane
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    Jan 27th 2021, 7:58 PM

    @Ted Murphy: there are loads of reasons a person’s O2 saturations might be abnormal that have nothing to do with covid19. We’d end up admitting patients that don’t need to be, and exposing them to covid19 patients in hospitals. A patient may also be on the verge of deteriorating but with normal saturations. A snapshot of O2 saturations is fairly useless on its own, the equipment costs money, that equipment is already needed in hospitals, and there is a (probably very small) possibility of transmitting the virus from one patient to the next via equipment contamination. Also we don’t have any particularly effective treatments, so early detection does not equal shorter stay. It probably means longer stay, as they would be admitted earlier than they may have been otherwise.

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    Mute Sohoma Roanie
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    Jan 28th 2021, 6:20 AM

    @Ted Murphy: I got a pulse oximeter through my pharmacist as we have high risks in the family due to asthma. You can get them online too. Covid-19 in the lungs eats away at the part that takes in O2 first, and then goes to the part that expels CO2. Rising C02 is what causes gasping and shortness of breath. So you can feel fine because CO2 is still getting expelled when your ability to take in O2 goes down. This is called silent hypoxia. By the time 02 rates have plummeted you are in trouble. This progression is unique to Covid-19 and is why people don’t realise they are sick until it’s really bad. Pulse oximeters can help monitor things better and they are cheap: https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.amp.html

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    Mute Jack Inman
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    Jan 27th 2021, 10:55 PM

    Did everyone not realise something was amiss when Ireland’s numbers went from a few thousand a day to 1,500 in a couple of weeks. Said it from the start regardless of the reason we are cooking the books. Like we did in March when we cancelled 50 odd thousand tests after people waiting 10 days and this no longer needed testing
    All it needs are the usual numpties to start blithering on about how well we are doing compared to the rest of Europe to really complete the circle.

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    Mute Asid
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    Jan 28th 2021, 1:27 AM

    Did a trip around 5 testing facilities yesterday absolutely none of them where super busy, literally none. What in the name of… is going on? I’ve been in 3 different countries since this all began last January and I have to say Ireland’s response to this is absolutely shambolic. From testing to hospital beds etc everything is amateur in this country, I’m not talking about the frontline staff but nphet and government aided and abetted by media hysteria and an absolutely gullible and scared public.. sick
    0.06% of the population of Ireland died “with” vivid since this all began, yet the country is on its knees??

    4
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    Mute Asid
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    Jan 28th 2021, 1:40 AM

    iMask Protocol with Ivermectin..
    It obliterates covid… Please check out the FLCCC ALLIANCE
    Ivermectin has been known for its anti viral properties for decades especially around sars, if you take this protocol you will not get sick..
    The HSE need to move on this NOW
    Ivermectin is readily and easily available alongside the other parts of the protocol which include high doses of vit c, vit d3, zinc..etc
    The Ivermectin patent ran out in the 90′s… So vaccine vaccine vaccine $$$ the world is run by sick people who at the end of the day only care about profit.. take your health into your own hands with a doctor that is not compromised by pharma..
    Doctor Pierre Kory a front line critical care doctor in the states said..” if you take this protocol, you will not get sick, it obliterates covid”

    1
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