Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I will be very happy to work with all the local representatives in the area and on a cross-party basis on this matter. If the Deputy has any helpful leads on investors interested in the sites, I would be very happy to explore them.

I thank the Deputy for his recent letter to me on job losses in the area. As I said in my reply on 20 May, I was very disappointed to hear that Teva plans to close its Sudocream manufacturing plant in Baldoyle. Teva is an Israeli-based pharmaceutical company. The announcement came not long after the announcement by Viatris that it was going to close one of its Baldoyle operations. A primary concern, of course, is the workers and families affected by the news. While I understand that both plants will remain operational until the end of next year, the announcements are nonetheless a devastating blow for those affected, particularly those who have been working in the plants for decades.

My Department has agreed a job loss response protocol with the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education. This protocol puts in place actions to assist workers, including in respect of welfare entitlements, job-search assistance, and upskilling needs or opportunities. Every State support will be made available when the time comes to help workers transition and find new employment opportunities. I understand the members of the Dublin mid-Leinster employer relations team have already engaged directly with Viatris to offer supports to staff being made redundant and they will be available to engage with Teva once a formal notification of redundancy has been received. It has not been to date.

IDA Ireland is working with both companies at both local and corporate level. The agency will continue to provide support over coming months, including reviewing opportunities in terms of skills and retraining, as well as possibilities for the future use of the sites. The fact that both companies will continue to operate until the end of 2022 provides time in which to seek alternative investment for the area.

Yesterday we initiated the process of developing a new regional enterprise plan for Dublin. The capital is internationally recognised as a leader in areas such as digital and Internet services, financial services, international education and life sciences. However, Covid-19 has had a really negative impact on some businesses, with the pandemic having a hollowing-out effect on the city centre especially. The plan will be tailored to the needs of Dublin, and will examine how we can help workers adapt and retrain for the jobs of the future.

See this speech in context