Fears have grown over the future of jobs at the ProAmpac packaging plant in Carnew, Co Wicklow, as the company announced it is exploring the possibility of relocating its business.

There are 39 people employed at the plant, which has operated in Carnew for about 35 years and was previously known as Irish Flexible Packaging.

The company has been contacted for comment.

Last week president of ProAmpac Europe Francis Minogue wrote to the company’s business partners to inform them the company had “entered into a consultation process regarding ProAmpac’s Carnew facility, which includes a proposal to relocate its manufacturing assets to other facilities within our group”.

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Minogue assured clients of the company’s intention to continue to provide them with supply services.

Wexford Wicklow TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin said he had been told by company personnel that the group was moving its operation to Gweedore, Co Donegal.

Ó Súilleabháin said he had also been told the move would not happen before the end of the year.

“This is very bad news for Carnew, which is a town the Celtic Tiger forgot,” Ó Súilleabháin said.

Carnew is on the border of Wicklow and Wexford and has a population of just over 1,000. “It would not have a lot of other large employers and people who have been there for 20 years or so are unlikely to relocate to Donegal,” he said.

TD Malcolm Byrne said he had been in discussions with Wicklow County Council, the IDA and the Carnew Town Team “as we all need to work together now to match these skilled workers with new jobs”.

He said he had been assured that relevant State agencies would provide advice and support to the workers “as a result of the decision of the American food packaging company to relocate all of its operations to its other plants in Co Donegal”.

“For a small and vibrant community such as Carnew, the loss of 39 jobs will have a huge impact. It is critical that the company support these workers for their loyal service in terms of adequate redundancy and with training and upskilling opportunities so that they can take on new employment,” he said.