The Drumshanbo Food Hub is a food manufacturing facility promoted by Drumshanbo Community Council on the site of the former Laird factory. The following funding for the Food Hub project has been made available through my Department's Programmes: Phase 1 — €100,000 from the LEADER Area Based Rural Development Initiative and €100,000 under the CLÁR Programme; and Phase 2 — €74,750 from the LEADER Area Based Rural Development Initiative and €74,750 from CLÁR. Phase 1 opened in January 2006 and phase 2 is expected to open this month.
I understand that 4 commercial food enterprises are now operating from the Food Hub:
Lough Allen Foods with 10 employees;
Irish Organic Herbs with 3 employees;
Glenboy Sausages with 2 employees; and
Gourmet d'Or with 2 employees.
I have visited the facility and consider that the development is very positive in terms of the progression of the small food producer sector in the area.