The Government and the IDA must source and secure a replacement employer in the Knocknacarra area following pharmaceutical firm AbbVie’s decision to cease operations by the end of this year, with the loss of 75 jobs.
Last Friday, AbbVie announced its intention to close its Knocknacarra plant. While the company said it will engage with workers in relation to “redeployment opportunities”, local politicians have called on the Government and the IDA to attract new industry and employment to the area.
Independent Galway West TD Noel Grealish said the IDA must now live up to the pledges it made in 2018 that it would attract industry to the Knocknacarra/Rahoon region.
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“Any loss of jobs to this extent is a devastating blow to any area,” said Dep Grealish, “as well as to the individuals involved and their families, but in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, it is particularly concerning.”
Independent Galway City West councillor, Donal Lyons said previous promises that locally zoned lands would be marketed to potential investors “have not come to pass”, but with the pending AbbVie closure, that has to change.
Issue raised with Tánaiste
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Fine Gael Galway West TD, and Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton, has already been in discussions with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar, on this. “He understands my concern and is actively working with our State agencies to secure an alternative enterprise that will continue to provide employment in Knocknacarra,” she said.
Minister Naughton has also been in contact with the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, to ensure welfare supports will be in place for the employees impacted by the closure.
“My priority in the short-term is to ensure that the affected workers who cannot avail of redeployment opportunities receive every possible support until alternative positions are found,” she said, “but work must also start to ensure a replacement enterprise is identified.”
‘Confident’
Minister Naughton said she is confident such a replacement will be found. “AbbVie’s difficulty will be another firm’s opportunity,” she said, “as Galway has never been a hard sell for prospective investors.”
It is a view with which Dep Grealish concours. “There is a big population in Knocknacarra of about 17,000 people, with a large pool of skilled and highly educated workers,” he said, “so there is no reason why this would not be a very attractive location for investment.”
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Cllr Lyons said that apart from the manufacturing facility occupied by AbbVie, there is a large land bank in the area zoned for enterprise and industrial uses.
“There would also be a huge benefit to the city and the environment in bringing more employment to Knocknacarra,” he said. “It has a substantial population who travel to work daily on the other side of the city; providing employment for them locally would reduce cross-city traffic flows and air pollution.”
