A west Donegal food packaging company has switched its operation to produce up to 10 million disposable face shields a week.
RA Pacáistí Teo (Rapid Action Packaging) operates from a production and distribution centre in Derrybeg.
It has already produced one million face shields, 65,000 of which were shipped out for free distribution to care homes across Britain and Ireland, north and south.
The company has kept production costs at a minimum and hopes to develop further business links in the US.
RAP normally makes high grade protective food packaging for ready meals.
Its products go to many leading stores including Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Marks and Spencer.
A spokesman for Údarás na Gaeltachta, the economic development agency which supports RAP, said it deserves great praise for its efforts to supply personal protection equipment (PPE).
Údarás chief Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh said the company had always been innovative.
“This product, the single use face shield, will certainly be a very important piece of equipment for healthcare in Ireland and further afield.
“It adds to a number of our Gaeltacht client companies who are making a significant contribution to the national and international efforts to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 virus,” Mr Ó hÉanaigh said.
RAP operations director John McDermott said the company was “extremely proud” of what its workforce has been able to achieve in Gweedore.
“We felt, like many others, that it was absolutely critical for us to step up and join the national effort to assist with the supply of PPE both nationally and internationally.
"With the difficult challenges being faced by the care sector, we also felt it only fitting that we started our PPE journey with a donation of face shields to the sector.”
Mr McDermott said the company was “even more proud” of its staff who have worked so hard in recent weeks to develop the new face shields.
