Meath East General Election candidate, Cllr Deirdre Geraghty Smith, is calling for immediate assurances over the future of jobs at the Takeda pharmaceutical plant at Dunboyne Co Meath.
Cllr Geraghty-Smith said the news today that Takeda is selling the facility has come as a major shock to workers and the community. She raised concerns about the risk posed to highly-skilled jobs that have provided a boost to the local economy.
“Our immediate thoughts are with the staff at Takeda in Dunboyne who have only learned today that that their employer is already in the process of selling the plant. This has come as a huge shock, particularly as Takeda only acquired the Dunboyne facility so recently,” Cllr Geraghty-Smith.
“These staff need assurances that their jobs will be protected after their current employer leaves the facility. Minister Regina Doherty made sure in the past that she was front and centre in media opportunities with Takeda. Now that the news is less positive, the Minister needs to be equally present to ensure jobs are saved.
“The top priority must be to protect these jobs, but also to ensure Dunboyne’s standing as a location for multinational investment. Takeda is an international giant in the pharmaceutical sector. We need to attract more of this type of investment to Co Meath and the North East, as well as working continually to protect existing highly-skilled jobs.”
