Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited water and wastewater treatment specialists EPS Group at their head office in Mallow, Co. Cork on Friday to address the EPS team.

During his speech, Enda outlined how his long term economic plan focuses on creating more and better jobs throughout the country in companies like EPS. Richard Bruton, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, also addressed the team stating that the party’s long term economic plan to deliver 200,000 new jobs and abolish USC over the next five years would affect EPS and its employees.

The visit saw a huge turnout with approximately 200 people in attendance. Welcoming the Taoiseach, Patrick Buckley, Deputy Managing Director at EPS said: “Recent investment in water infrastructure was led to a boost in business for EPS. Companies like EPS, our partners and supply chain have all been growing and creating jobs over the past number of years. The unprecedented level of investment in Irish water infrastructure by the government through Irish Water is providing a platform for anyone involved in the sector to grow more. The majority of the jobs that EPS has created over the past 24 months and plan to create over the next 2 years are due to our continued growth outside of Ireland but equally are because of the growth opportunities here in Ireland”.

With 75 new recruits over the past 18 months, EPS has 360 employees currently on its books. A further 50 highly skilled roles will be created over the coming months as construction for a €3.5m design and manufacturing centre of excellence at its Mallow facility commence. This is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. The new manufacturing centre will be an industry-leading centre of excellence for the design and manufacture of key products and assemblies utilised in the construction of water and wastewater treatment plants. EPS will commence construction in March 2016, with an expected completion time of 8 months. Construction will create 35 construction jobs to facilitate the completion of the project.

EPS Group is a specialist wet infrastructure support services group of companies operating across the Republic of Ireland and the UK. It is one of the few genuine end-to-end service providers in the global water sector. Founded upon 46 years of experience, EPS has grown from a modest electrical and pumping services business into an innovative, internationally exporting product and service provider, now focused upon the water, wastewater and clean technology sectors.

EPS are Ireland’s largest, privately owned Design-Build-Operate (DBO) partner for the delivery and operation of water and wastewater assets. Current long-term operational concessions cover over 230 treatment assets serving a population equivalent close to 1 million. We have held contracts with all 34 water authorities in the Republic of Ireland (now transferred to Irish Water), as well as a significant share of the Trader sub-market.