Quinn factories shut temporarily

Quinn Cement factories in Fermanagh and Cavan are to close for a month due to a drop in demand.

65 workers in Derrylin and Ballyconnell have been told not to return to work until mid-May.

In a statement, Quinn Cement said the production of bulk cement was suspended because storage facilities at the plant had reached full capacity.

Production of bagged cement is continuing as normal. The company said all jobs at the plants were secure.

The Quinn Group, owned by Fermanagh billionaire Sean Quinn, has also been ordered to demolish a glass recycling factory it owns in Cheshire.

The local council issued an enforcement notice against the plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, on Wednesday.

The company has said it will not comment until it has seen the notice.

Quinn Group is based in Derrylin and employs about 8,000 people in Ireland, the UK and Europe.

Mr Quinn and his family lost more than 1bn euro through a disastrous investment in Anglo Irish Bank which damaged the Quinn Group's profits in 2007 and 2008.

In a trading update issued earlier this month the company said the first quarter of 2009 had been a "challenging period" and that sales of cement and related products had fallen by 40%.

The update also said the group expected to make profits of between 400m and 500m euro in 2009.

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