The last in a series of closures of ESB peat-burning stations has been finalised with the decision by workers at Bellacorick, Co Mayo to accept a closure package.
The 56 employees at the plant voted almost three to one in favour of the deal, which was identical to that accepted last year by workers at the plants at Rhode, Co Offaly and Cahirciveen, Co Kerry.
Welcoming the ballot result, the ESB said the Bellacorick plant was scheduled to close in April 2005 after more than 42 years' service. It is the last of six closures to be finalised. The peat-burning plant at Ferbane, Co Offaly has already shut-down while two others at Lanesborough, Co Longford and Shannonbridge, Co Offaly will be wound down as a pair of state-of-the-art peat-burning facilities is built at the same locations.
More than 300 workers are affected by the closures, which could cost the company more than €20 million in redundancy payments, according to some estimates. The ESB had been forced to improve its offer to workers last year after staff at Rhode turned down a closure package worth about €250,000 each. Workers at Bellacorick, as at other plants, have been offered a series of options including voluntary severance, retraining and redeployment.
Mr Paddy Reilly, secretary of the ESB group of unions, said it had no indication as to how many workers would opt for severance as "it is up to each individual".
The board of the ESB, which meets today, has yet to decide on the future use of the Co Mayo site although it is expected it will be sold. Plans to dismantle and demolish the plant are already under way.
