Department confirms €7.4 m spent on €130m in Portlaoise factory now on sale for €12m after 132 jobs lost
Lerpino Foods announced it was closing with the loss of 132 jobs to Portlaoise last year
State funding of €7.4 million was granted towards the €130 million Leprino cheese factory which is now on sale for €12 million after the loss of 132 jobs to Portlaoise.
Glanbia, who have since rebranded to Tirlan, established the factory in Portlaoise in a joint venture with US food producer Leprino Foods. The venture was supported by Enterprise Ireland. The state-of-the-art cheese factory, which was capable of producing 45,000 tonnes of cheese a year, was opened in 2021 when it was hoped over 300 jobs would be created.
In 2023, Glanbia sold its 50 percent share of the factory to Leprino in a deal valued at €179 million euro. In 2025, Leprino announced it was ceasing production at the Laois factory with the loss of 132 jobs to Portlaoise. The phased closure is due to be completed by the second quarter of 2026 with production moving to Leprino sites in Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment confirmed to the Leinster Express/Laois Live that the Leprino plant had secured over €7 million in state funding.
“Leprino received both capital and training grant support from Enterprise Ireland amounting to a total of €7.4m,” a Department spokesperson confirmed.
The Department didn’t specify how much money went towards the building and how much went to training.
They said Enterprise Ireland client companies seeking to improve productivity and competitiveness through the acquisition of new capital equipment and technology are eligible for capital funding support. This support can be used for the purchase of capital equipment and covering installation costs and purchase of computers and software used in the production process.
“The IDA and Enterprise Ireland are working closely with Leprino and its appointed property agents, Colliers International, in the promotion of the facility to potential investors.The Department is working with IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Laois County Council, and other regional stakeholders to identify alternative investment opportunities for the site and to support broader economic development in the area. The facility remains a strategic asset within the National Enterprise Park at Junction 17,” the Department spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, “IDA Ireland will continue to collaborate closely with national and local stakeholders to foster the conditions necessary for enterprise, innovation, and job creation in the region. The IDA’s ongoing focus is to build on the strengths of the Midlands, with particular emphasis on high-value manufacturing, services, and research and development opportunities.”
The performance of the IDA in Laois has come in for criticism in recent years. In 2025, Laois has the lowest number of IDA supported jobs in the entire country.
Figures released following a Parliamentary Question in the Dail revealed Laois had 156 IDA supported jobs which is more than eight times less than the 1,299 jobs in neighbouring Offaly, more than nine times fewer than the 1,428 jobs in Carlow and whopping 65 times fewer than the 10,258 jobs it supports in Co Kildare. Nationally, IDA supported companies employed 312,468 last year.