Decision has nothing to do with economy - FF

POLITICAL REACTION:PFIZER'S job losses had nothing to do with the economy, but were caused by the "overcapacity" generated by the company's merger with Wyeth, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said.

“The decision made by Pfizer has nothing to do about the Irish economy, it has to do about the fact that Pfizer has purchased Wyeth and we have an overcapacity globally,” Ms Coughlan told the Dáil.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe said the news was “devastating” for workers. He said the Government would provide training and re-employment services to the 275 workers losing their jobs in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

It would also work with Pfizer Global Manufacturing to try to save the other 510 jobs at risk due to the planned closure of plants in Cork and Dublin.

Mr O’Keeffe said he “deeply regretted” the announcement.

“Although the 275 job losses in Newbridge are devastating for the workers, their families and communities, it should be acknowledged that the company has retained a workforce of 770 in the plant.

“I have asked IDA Ireland to begin the search for other major players in the life-science sector to take over the facilities in Loughbeg and Shanbally in Cork and Dún Laoghaire in Dublin over the 18-month to five-year closure period.”

The loss of such high-value jobs represented a “meltdown in the multinational sector”, according to Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar.

“The scale of the lay-offs in Ireland alone should send a clear signal to Government that it cannot afford to ignore Fine Gael’s warnings about Ireland’s lack of competitiveness any longer.”

Mr Varadkar’s party colleague Simon Coveney said the job losses should prompt policy changes within the IDA. “I’m calling on the IDA to review their policy of prioritising the locating of foreign direct investment in regions outside of Cork and Dublin. Clearly now the Cork region needs to have high priority status in any IDA strategy to bring multinationals to Ireland.”

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said he hoped the Government would “not simply . . . throw in the towel in the face of the Pfizer announcement”.

Prompt intervention could result in at least some jobs being saved, he said.

“We have now had 11 months in succession where the Live Register numbers have been in excess of 400,000, yet it is evident that unemployment remains very low on the Government’s list of political priorities,” Mr Gilmore added.

Labour MEP Alan Kelly said he would raise the issue in the EU parliament.