Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and to put on record the situation regarding Amgen, which involves no mystery or secrecy whatsoever. In fact, I contacted Deputies yesterday to inform them in advance that Amgen would make a public announcement to the workforce at 2 p.m. We all share the fundamental objective of wanting to bring investment into the country and we work through IDA Ireland to attract that investment. We do not control the boardrooms of the companies concerned or how events play out among regulatory authorities in the United States. We do everything we can to advance employment in the interest of the people of this country. That reality must be taken on board.

I am deeply disappointed by the announcement by Amgen that it is postponing its planned investment in the plant at Carrigtwohill, County Cork, because my Department and the IDA put a lot of work into the matter. Ireland won this project from the largest biotechnology company in the world in the face of strong competition from Singapore and Switzerland. Amgen received planning permission from Cork County Council in September 2006 for site development and ancillary road works on a significant and expensive application. These activities commenced in November 2006.

The company has already invested over $100 million in site acquisition, conceptual design and site clearance and preparation. The decision by Amgen does not reflect in any way on the business environment here. Amgen has been laudatory of the responsiveness of all the public authorities in Ireland, including county councils, IDA Ireland and the Government. The decision has been made as a result of a review of its own operations and is based purely on developments related to the company's global business. It is in no way related to the economic or competitive environment in Ireland.

This decision follows from a substantial drop in its share price. The company commenced a global production capacity review in August 2007 which resulted in the announcement of job cuts and the closure of some facilities including manufacturing. Following a further assessment of manufacturing capacity by the company, IDA Ireland and I learned only yesterday that Amgen has decided to indefinitely postpone its planned design and build of its bulk manufacturing facility in County Cork. The decision was communicated directly to us by Amgen through a conference call. We had already arranged to meet Amgen within the next fortnight but there was no anticipation of the decision. With the IDA, we go on various trade missions and meet a range of companies.

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