Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I share the Deputies' deep sense of concern and disappointment regarding this morning's announcement. There is no denying that it has been a bad week for Cork, Clare and the wider Munster region. However, I assure the Deputies that the Government is treating this as a priority and will make every State support available to the impacted employees. The redundancies will take place on a phased basis over the next three years. Intensive efforts will be made in that time to offset these losses through the creation of new employment opportunities in the Ringaskiddy-Carrigaline area. IDA Ireland will work closely with Novartis to determine its plans. As someone stated at this morning's meeting, there is no reason opportunities cannot arise further down the road while operations at the plant continue. We will capitalise on any that do. IDA Ireland will also consider the plant's production capacity to see if other companies are interested in going to the area. There is a rich pool of talent there. I have visited Pfizer in Ringaskiddy, for example. The area is a hive of activity for the pharmaceutical sector and is an attractive place for any investor.

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