John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Griffin for raising this matter, which refers to efforts to develop a global pharmaceutical centre of excellence to be located in Tralee. The concept involved is to develop and build a multidisciplinary life sciences and pharmaceutical contract research centre in Ireland. The original concept as outlined my predecessors, to my Department and to the State agencies, was estimated to cost €4.7 billion and envisaged jobs for 116 leading academic professionals, 321 corporate management executives and 4, 380 graduates. The project was to operate on a commercial market basis, carrying out paid research for clients such as international pharmaceutical companies.

Since the project was originally mooted, I understand there has been much local and national political involvement. The support of the industrial development agencies and of my Department has been available to the proposers to discuss and develop proposals. In late 2010, the promoters met the former Taoiseach and the former Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. However, the proposers have not thus far succeeded in developing the concept to a point where a firm business plan has been proposed. Being in business, it is important for me to make the point to Deputy Griffin about the necessity of getting the business potential of such a project onto a plan. Such a plan always is necessary in order that the relevant State agency board, which under legislation is tasked with deciding on how much State monetary aid might be paid to any industrial project, can assess the proposal and reach a decision.

In late 2010, an enterprise agencies team, led by the IDA and involving representatives of Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Shannon Development was set up to examine a plan submitted by the promoters, which related to the original full proposal. Incidentally, on the issue of Enterprise Ireland, I believe we are well served in this regard. Moreover, since my appointment as Minister of State, the amount of foreign direct investment into Ireland has been extraordinary. Consequently, I would be disappointed to hear this is not the case in County Kerry. The aforementioned group was tasked to furnish its analysis to the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation by the end of the first quarter of 2011. However, in early February, the then Minister was informed that the backers of the global pharmaceutical centre of excellence had, for the time being at least, withdrawn from the engagement. An examination of the plan was therefore in abeyance until such time as the promoters of the global pharmaceutical centre of excellence were in a position to re-engage with the agency group.

More recently, proposals for a first phase of the project have been in discussion. It has been indicated that this might involve a number of international research operators and international funding and might have the potential to create approximately 280 jobs. Again, however, neither a business plan nor an application for State support has yet been submitted. A lengthy meeting took place last Friday in which Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development advised the promoters on drawing up a business plan and on submitting an application for State financial support. If the Deputy has contacts with the promoters, I appeal to him to emphasise to them that the business plan is the absolute starting point. The proposers were given an application form that can be used in a global pharmaceutical centre of excellence application to Enterprise Ireland for financial support. I hope this can lead to an early application for State support. In the meantime, I emphasise to Deputy Griffin, who raised this important issue of huge potential to the region, that he may be assured the support and advice of all relevant State agencies and Departments are available to the promoters.

The Adjournment motion this evening refers to a potential loss of jobs to Northern Ireland. In all negotiations on the location of and State support for mobile industrial projects, it is not unusual for promoters to talk to a number of different countries and State authorities. In this case however, where it is not yet clear whether a firm proposal will emerge or how many jobs might be involved, it is premature to talk of jobs being lost to any alternative location. Finally, from a business perspective, this is about the promoters engaging with the State agencies such as the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and so on. The IDA has been highly successful in terms of both job retention and job creation and I am certain that were an application to be put on its desk, it certainly would get all possible State support to ensure this potential enterprise was located in the region to which the Deputy refers.

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