The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment has pledged its support to the continuation of infrastructure improvement at the site of where US biotechnology company Amgen had intended building an €800 million plant in Co Cork.
Amgen last October said it was deferring indefinitely its establishment of a 1,100-job plant at Carrigtwohill. It confirmed that it was retaining ownership of the 150-acre site at Ballyadam, just outside the east Cork town.
A delegation from the Oireachtas joint committee, led by chairman Willie Penrose TD, yesterday met IDA Ireland area director south Brian Conroy and an Amgen representative at the site.
Mr Penrose said the meeting was part of a fact-finding mission to employment black spots in east Cork and south Tipperary and the group had a frank discussion with IDA Ireland, Amgen, Carrigtwohill Community Council and local representatives.
Amgen proposed retaining the site but had no plan to restart the Cork project, Mr Penrose added. It was important for Cork County Council and the National Roads Authority to continue with upgrading the N25 near the site.
"The decision not to proceed with Cork was due to world economic factors but Amgen results are due at the weekend and we will always be hoping the company will take a positive position on Cork, though they have given no indication when that will be."
The committee would do everything it could to keep "the Amgen plant on the front burner".
Cork county manager Martin Riordan said Amgen would reimburse Cork County Council for €6 million worth of work carried out specifically for the company at Carrigtwohill. Mr Riordan said the council had spent close to €20 million on water, wastewater and surface drainage works but only €6 million of this was on works "for Amgen and Amgen alone".