Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department and its agencies closely monitor political and commercial developments, both in the United States and elsewhere, and we plan accordingly for changes that could affect the enterprise environment in Ireland. This is a normal and ongoing part of our work in ensuring that our open and export-oriented economy remains internationally competitive.

There has been speculation about the potential impact of the recent American presidential election result on foreign direct investment into Ireland. It is still far too early to make any definitive judgments on this. I do expect, however, that Ireland will continue to attract significant foreign direct investment from the United States. That is because US companies will have a continued need for a global presence in the years ahead, and Ireland is well placed in this regard given its proven track record and continuing access to the European market.

On the cancellation of the investment plan by the company referred to, I understand the company has not linked this to the forthcoming change of Administration in the United States. Instead, it is my understanding that the decision followed the cancellation of a proposed new drug that had been due for manufacture in the Irish plant. While this was regrettable, the company in question continues to employ very significant numbers of staff in several locations here and has made significant investments in its Irish facilities.

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