Odour fears from Mayo pet food plant are allayed

FEARS of an odour from a dog and cat food plant in Mayo have been allayed.

Independent Councillor Christy Hyland said that while he welcomed the jobs provided by Irish Pet Foods he was concerned about possible smells emanating from the production facility which is based at The Quay, Westport.

“In another town in Ireland where a petfood enterprise is located there is an awful smell,” he claimed at a strategic policy committee (SPC) meeting in Castlebar on economic development and enterprise.

Adding that The Quay area is a hub for tourism related businesses and that major investment is ongoing, the independent councillor continued: “I presume all the checks and balances were done to ensure there would be no odour.”

Councillor Hyland made his comments at a SPC meeting where Barry Egan, regional manager of Enterprise Ireland, delivered a presentation on the work that is being done to promote regional enterprise and the entreprenurial sector.

Mr. Egan cited Irish Pet Foods, which is owned by a Turkish businessman, as a good example of a successful firm which Enterprise Ireland supported last year.

Responding to the councillor's concerns, Mr. Egan said the plant is a dry rather than a wet petfood facility and he is not aware of any issues relating to odour.

“I know they put a lot of time and effort into the planning of the facility,” Mr. Egan stated. “I heard no comment back. The company has been operating for many months.”

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne, cathaoirleach, said that in the early days of a previous fish feed facility at The Quay there had been odour problems but his understanding was that these issues had been sorted.

At startup, Irish Pet Foods employed six people. The workforce is projected to rise to 15 in two years time.