CRH subsidiary Irish Cement is to seek 55 redundancies at its facility in Castlemungret, Co Limerick, as part of restructuring measures.

The building materials giant said that the restructuring follows five years of decline in the Irish construction industry, with activity now 80 per cent below the 2007 peak levels.

“Unprecedented deterioration in market conditions, combined with a sustained decline in the demand for cement products, has led to the need for a significant restructuring plan to be put in place at the Limerick facility,” the company said in a statement.

It is understood that the restructuring plan will be negotiated at talks with workers and unions to take place over the coming days.

Earlier this year, staff working at the Irish Cement plants in Castlemungret and in Platin, Co Meath, downed tools in a row with the company over payments that were worth somewhere between €5,500 and €9,500 to each worker.

The staff and their trade union, Siptu, said that a Labour Court ruling obliged the company to pay them the money.