Bandon set to lose 50 jobs to Ballincollig

ABOUT 50 Bandon jobs will be moved to Ballincollig this May when the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) relocates from the West Cork town.

Set up in 1998 and based in Shinagh, the ICBF is a non-profit organisation which provides cattle breeding information services to the dairy and beef industries.

Its CEO Sean Coughlan said it gave them ‘no joy’ to leave Bandon, and added that the town ‘had been very good to them.’

‘But our remit is to do our best for farmers and we have to be where we can do that. We’ve outgrown our building, and as a technology company, we need access to people and infrastructure,’ he said.

Some lab staff will remain in Bandon, but the majority of the 50 staff, who come from throughout West Cork and also the city, will make the move to a specially fitted-out building from May.

FG senator and election candidate Tim Lombard has renewed his calls for ICBF management to reconsider the move.

He said: ‘I am very concerned at this decision. For an organisation that is centred around supporting the work of farmers, it sends out entirely the wrong message to be leaving their base in a rural town.

‘I have written to the management of ICBF to ask them to reconsider the move. They have a responsibility as a rural-based industry to support the rural economy.’

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