Sanction lift secures jobs at Aughinish

US DROPS PENALTIES AGAINST OWNER OF SHANNON ESTUARY’S BIGGEST EMPLOYER

THERE is widespread relief across north Kerry and west Limerick following news that the United States has dropped sanctions against the owners of the Aughinish Alumina facility on the Shannon estuary.

The US had imposed the sanctions on several companies linked to Russian oligarch and Vladimir Putin ally Oleg Derispraska in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea; Russian support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The companies affected by the sanctions included manufacturing giant Rusal, the parent company of Aughinish Alumina, leading to fears for the future of the Limerick facility, which employs 460 people directly and supports up to 500 indirect jobs in the wider area.

While the majority of the plant’s workers are from Limerick, a significant number are from north Kerry, with numerous Kerry-based hauliers also providing services to the plant.

The massive plant – located just outside Limerick city on the banks of the Shannon – supplies a third of all of Europe’s aluminium supplies and is the largest direct and indirect employer in the Shannon Estuary region.

Following confirmation that Derapaska’s control of Rusal has been severed and his stake in the company dramatically reduced, the US Treasury announced on Sunday that the sanctions will now be lifted.

The fate of Aughinish was one of the top priorities for US-Ireland relations this year, resulting in a series of high-profile meetings in Dublin and Washington.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney welcomed the development.