Covid-19 and the associated travel restrictions are being blamed for the delayed opening of a Carrickmacross factory that local councillors say has been "lying idle for two and a half years".
At a recent Carrickmacross-Castleblayney MD meeting, PJ O'Hanlon queried when the Newbaze factory, which will supply infant formula to the Chinese market, would open.
It was officially opened in November of 2019, which Councillor O'Hanlon noted was around four months before the on-set of the covid-pandemic.
In response to a Parliamentary Question from local TD Niamh Smyth, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the regulatory approval process has been carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.
However, while Irish officials approved the site for production in mid-2021, Leo Varadkar says "Chinese approval is still outstanding due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic" .
The Tánaiste added that officials at the Department of Agriculture are hopeful that they can undertake this approvals process on behalf of their Chinese counterparts later this year.
