Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

IDA Ireland has worked with the Braun Oral B management team to seek replacement projects for the Carlow operation. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and IDA Ireland have had meetings at corporate level with Proctor & Gamble in the United States to explore opportunities for Ireland.

The decision to exit certain product lines was taken following the steady decline in consumer demand for gas-powered hair care appliances in recent years. A sourcing study was initiated to examine all potential options for Carlow. Regrettably, the decision of the study is that in order to keep the business viable, the company will transfer the remaining product lines from Carlow to the Braun Oral B manufacturing site at Newbridge, with the closure of the Carlow site by mid-2010. This is disappointing for Carlow. However, a decision was made to keep the business in Ireland and Braun Oral B will be able to secure future employment for approximately 100 of the Carlow employees at the Newbridge site.

IDA Ireland's strategy for County Carlow within the south-east region is to progress the development of a knowledge economy in order that it, and particularly the county town of Carlow, can compete both nationally and internationally for foreign direct investment. Specifically, this includes the provision of world-class property solutions with supporting infrastructure and working with local development partner agencies in County Carlow to advance critical supporting infrastructure, both hard and soft, which will contribute to a sustainable business environment for the long term. IDA Ireland is also actively engaged with the existing client base in County Carlow to encourage its transition to continually higher-value activities to promote further investment in Ireland.

Carlow has traditionally been a centre of manufacturing, with a strong engineering tradition in both the indigenous and overseas sectors. For companies in the engineering and consumer products sectors, the business environment has become more challenging in recent years. With much of the investment globally in these sectors now going to low-cost destinations such as eastern Europe and China, the task of moving up the value chain becomes increasingly urgent and relevant.

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