James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the engagement he has had with pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in the context of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35052/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is well known that Ireland is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in the pharmaceutical sector and in the broader life sciences sector.

In recognition of critical work of those Irish-based companies, in early October I convened a series of short meetings with several of IDA Ireland’s biopharmaceutical client companies to hear about the crucial role they are playing in the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and particularly on the work being done in Ireland to assist in the global efforts to combat COVID-19.

I was encouraged to hear those companies explain how important their Irish operations are in global efforts to develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. As I’ve expressed previously, it was made very clear to me during the course of those meetings, that our highly-qualified and talented workforce is a key factor in those company’s decisions to locate in Ireland and in their ongoing success once operational here.

Prior to that, in September I met with several of the leading pharmaceutical companies at a broader event focused on foreign direct investment and I have also recently visited the Pfizer campus in Grange Castle.

I am very happy to continue engaging with pharmaceutical and life science companies so that I can reinforce our strong and ongoing commitment to this critical sector. I am very conscious of the importance of supporting innovative companies that are taking the lead in developing the new products and processes that will further develop the industry here in Ireland, and help us, in the longer term, in the fight against COVID-19.

This is further underpinned by the introduction of the COVID Life Sciences Scheme. The scheme allows for up to €200m in targeted State support to aid the research, development and production of medicinal products in Ireland that are used in the fight against COVID-19. Grant aid under the scheme is available to eligible companies and projects through IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.