merrion street

Responding to the announcement by Glaxo-Smith-Kline that it proposes to close its Sligo manufacturing site, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, said:

This is very disappointing news for Sligo and the hard-working employees at the Glaxo-Smith-Kline operation there. Our immediate concern is for the workers and the families directly impacted by this development. I understand that the closure will take place on a phased basis, over a three year period. The company has indicated that there will be no job losses this year, and the majority of workers will remain in employment until 2020. GSK will shortly be entering a period of consultation with employees, and will be offering support and re-training opportunities to staff. The Government will also be making every State support available to these workers. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection is aware of the situation and we will be doing our utmost to help these workers transition and find new employment opportunities when the time comes.

While this news is deeply regrettable, the overall trend in terms of job creation in Ireland is very positive. 2017 was another record year for the State in terms of FDI-driven employment and investment, and that growth is continuing through 2018. The Government is committed, under the Regional Action Plan for Jobs, to providing quality jobs in regional areas, and this year has seen several significant jobs announcements in Sligo by Phibro (150), Abbvie (100), Abtran (350), E3 Retail (40) and Live Tiles (50). As difficult as it may be to appreciate right now, we have reason to be confident that we will find new opportunities for the employees of Glaxo-Smith-Kline.