The Government is being called upon to act to save jobs at Cadburys in Coolock in Dublin and Rathmore in Kerry.
It was announced yesterday that parent Cadbury's company Mondelez Ireland, intends seeking up to 160 redundancies.
The firm also plans to close its gum factory in Tallaght in Dublin with the loss of 62 jobs.
The Unite union, which represents around 400 workers at the Cadbury plants, is to meet with management to discuss the implications of the announcement.
Fianna Fail Senator Averil Power says that the Jobs Minister Richard Bruton was aware of the situation a few days ago, and that the Minister should explain whether he took steps to prevent the job losses.