Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last weekend's edition of The Sunday Business Postand yesterday's edition of the Irish Examinerraised issues about the Eli Lilly plant in Kinsale in County Cork. It is one of the major employers in Kinsale, employing several hundred people and has been there 35 years. A major planned expansion of €200 million has been postponed because of the America First policy that Mr. Trump proposed after meeting the heads of major pharmaceutical firms in the US. We have had much talk about Brexit and we have focused on it. We now need to focus on foreign direct investment from the US.

Cork Harbour is a hub for pharmaceutical companies, many of which have American-based ownership. It is a great concern for the people of Cork that the America First policy promoted by the US President will have a knock-on effect on foreign direct investment such as the postponement of the expansion at the Eli Lilly plant.

It is a key issue the Taoiseach will need to raise when he goes to the White House. It is about foreign direct investment, jobs and hubs like Cork which have built themselves on pharmaceutical industries. We need to ensure continuing investment. Companies like Eli Lilly are the backbone of this. I hope that when the Taoiseach goes to the White House, he will raise these issues with Mr. Trump. If he does not, the knock-on effect in locations like Cork will be significant. We need to get a handle on Mr. Trump's proposals and prevent this issue from stopping foreign direct investment with subsequent knock-on effects.