It is expected that the plant will start producing cheese for the European market in 2024.

Glanbia says the new plant will be “one of the most efficient and sustainable” cheese-production units in Europe.

It will produce over 50,000 tonnes of cheese every year, including Edam, Gouda and Emmental, using about 450 million litres of milk from Glanbia suppliers every year.

“Glanbia Co-op currently sends some milk for processing by third parties during the peak milk supply months; the new facility will allow this milk to be brought in-house for processing in one of the most sustainable cheese plants in Europe. This will consolidate milk processing and reduce transport movements,” the company said .

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue attended the sod-turning ceremony at the site.

“It’s a huge boost for the south-east which has experienced significant and long overdue investment and jobs growth in the past year or two,” Mr Varadkar said.

“The UK’s decision to leave the European Union was a seismic event for Ireland’s agri-food sector and the over 163,000 people it employs here.”

Glanbia Co-op CEO Jim Bergin said the factory will help the company diversify their product offering, post-Brexit.

“This facility is essential in the context of a sustainable future for our Co-op and our sector as set out in our Living Proof sustainability strategy.”

Royal A-ware CEO Jan Anker said production of the cheese in Belview will allow them to bring “high-quality cheese, produced through a local supply chain, into the marketplace”.

Sales also fell last year, down 1.3% overall, with consumption on a per capita basis dropping 2.3%.

“Today’s report illustrates the significant impact the pandemic continued to have on Irish brewers last year, with production particularly hit,” said Peter Mosley, Managing Director of the Porterhouse Brewing Company and Chair of Drinks Ireland | Beer.

“There were some signs of early recovery, as consumers returned to the on-trade in the second half of the year.”

“Prior to Covid just over 60% of beer sales were in Ireland’s pubs, restaurants, and hotels. In 2020 an estimated 29% of beer sales were from the hospitality sector, but this rose to 46% in 2021.”

The Irish Beer Market Report also shows that beer worth €246m was exported in 2021, 3% less than the previous year when exports also decreased.

The largest amount was sent to Great Britain, with the US the second most popular overseas market.

Despite the reductions in production, sales and exports, beer remains Ireland’s most popular drink.

Because it is mostly drunk in pubs, stout sales suffered considerably during the pandemic, but recovered last year by 6.9% to 32.2% of overall market share.

However, sales of lager, which rose as people consumed beer at home during restrictions in 2020, decreased again last year by 8.3%, while non-alcoholic beer sales increased from 1.1% to 1.5% in 2021.

Overall though, consumption of beer fell 9.6% over the past three years and is 30% below the peak in 2001.

“Following two of the most challenging years for the brewing sector and the ongoing issue of spiraling business costs, we are calling for an excise reduction in this year’s Budget,” said Jonathan McDade, Director of Drinks Ireland|Beer.

“This would enable more investment and innovation within the sector. It would also benefit hard pressed consumers, facing rising cost of living pressures.”