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Roche Ireland boss had no advance notice of decision to close Clare plant

The pharma giant is pulling out of Clarecastle, leaving 240 jobs in the balance.

roche The Roche Ireland plant in Clarecastle Google Maps Google Maps

Updated at 9.30am

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR of Roche Ireland has said he was given no advance notice of the pharma giant’s decision to close its facility in Clarecastle in Co Clare.

The company announced yesterday that it plans to exit the site, where it has been in operation since 1974.

Gerry Cahill, Roche’s Ireland boss, has said management are “committed” to working with jobs minister Richard Bruton and the IDA to seek a buyer for the site.

No notice

Speaking on Morning Ireland today, he revealed he had not been given notice of the planned closure, which leaves 240 jobs in the balance.

“Nobody from this site was involved in the decision making process,” Cahill said, noting several times that the decision was made on a corporate level.

Roche announced its plan yesterday to exit sites in South Carolina, Spain, and Italy in addition to the Clarecastle plant. The company said it would be restructuring its manufacturing process for small molecules*.

“A new generation of specialised medicines based on small molecules requires novel manufacturing technologies and will be produced in lower volumes than traditional medicines,” a statement said.

The company, which employs 88,500 people worldwide, is investing in a dedicated facility in Switzerland “to support future technology requirements”.

roche Roche Roche

‘Shock’

In his interview this morning, Cahill said news of the planned closure had been a shock for workers and for the wider community, adding that Roche would reach out to other pharma companies and contract manufacturers to seek a buyer for the plant. 

The closure process would take three to four years, he said. If no buyer can be found, the first redundancies will happen next year.

Cahill said management at Clarecastle met with local Siptu reps yesterday, and plan to meet with area representatives in the coming days.

“The decision is final,” he said, reiterating that it was a corporate decision with no local involvement.

“The intent of us here is to find a buyer.”

Reaction

Fine Gael TD for Clarecastle Joe Carey said yesterday that “every effort” will be made to support the Roche workers.

“My thoughts are very much with the workers of Roche and their families at this difficult and uncertain time,” he said.

I know many of the workforce personally as well as their extended families.

Clare Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley meanwhile described the news as “a devastating bolt out of the blue”.

“The loss of these jobs would have an enormous impact on the employees themselves as well as the local community and the economy in the Midwest,” he said.

The immediate shock for the workers will quickly turn to concern for their future livelihoods and the Government needs to do everything it can to respond quickly and comprehensively to this announcement.

*What are ‘small molecules’? More here. Additional reporting Daragh Brophy. 

Read: ‘We won’t be exchanging butter for margarine’: Avoca sold to a US catering giant

Read: Mairia Cahill ‘deeply regrets and is deeply sorry’ for dissident involvement

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42 Comments
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    Mute david dickson
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    Nov 12th 2015, 7:51 PM

    Terrible news for all in Clarecastle. Hope IDA get a big firm in there soon.

    217
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    Mute Fian
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    Nov 12th 2015, 9:02 PM

    they have a while to try and sell it so not all doom and gloom just yet. if it does close it won’t be until 2018/2019

    77
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    Mute gregory
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    Nov 12th 2015, 11:50 PM

    That is sad. A good provider of local employment. Where is the I.d.a.?

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    Mute Jodus
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:12 AM

    The local MD didn’t know this was happening, how quickly would you expect the IDA to be able to act??

    60
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    Mute glenoir1
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    Nov 12th 2015, 7:54 PM

    this effects over 1000 people contract workers etc

    121
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    Mute Conor Hickey
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    Nov 12th 2015, 7:54 PM

    Where’s Enda now? Cork?

    110
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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Nov 12th 2015, 7:58 PM

    Can’t stand the Snake but what exactly can he do here.

    106
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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Nov 12th 2015, 8:04 PM

    Sad day for the workers to hear this news at this time of the year.

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    Mute Chuck Eastwood
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:16 AM

    Was he involved in the decision to close the plant Conor ? Not exactly sure why you need to know where he is

    27
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    Mute glenoir1
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    Nov 12th 2015, 7:51 PM

    oh my God this has been peoples life family’s reared etc

    94
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    Mute Tommy D
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    Nov 12th 2015, 7:54 PM

    Who cares the boom is back people now get on board the gravy train with biscuit wheels. So what if my house is still worth fork all an my wages are shit The boom is back

    73
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    Mute scoop delivery
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    Nov 12th 2015, 8:19 PM

    SOBO baby !these river views are world class. Roar

    13
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    Mute P Quinn
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    Nov 12th 2015, 8:14 PM

    The government and the IDA need to support more regional development and investment. Investment and development centred in Dublin, Cork and Limerick is not going to create an equal recovery.

    It is deeply sad to see a company that has provided work for a number generations close and we can only hope that something will soon emerge to provide employment in the area for those who are losing their jobs.

    72
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    Mute gregory
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    Nov 12th 2015, 11:55 PM

    Dublin is not Ireland. Dublin is a separate economy. 40 years of Govt mismanagement created a monster Dublin. Result overheated economy/massive rents. Our Govt cannot plan. Only 2 cities in NL have just over 1/2 million people (r’dam and a’dam). But…they have maybe 20 cities around country with 400-500k. That’s planning.

    65
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:04 AM

    Has NL successfully attracted huge and flourishing Microsoft, Apple, eBay, Twitter Intel and even viagara operations?

    16
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    Mute Gene Parmesan
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:26 AM

    Royal Dutch Shell?

    10
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    Mute Mjhint
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:28 AM

    short answer is yes. Holland is all Europe’s hub. nothing comes in or out of Europe without Holland being involved. If you have an iPhone/ipad it was delivered to you through Holland. even when you bought a dell computer from Dell in limerick prior to it closing it was made in Ireland shipped out of Ireland to a hub & then shipped back to athlete. Holland is one of the most successful countries in Europe thanks to the EU.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:28 AM

    *athlone

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:19 AM

    NL may not have european HQs of MS, Apple and the other giant US corporations, but with 16 m people in an area no bigger than size of Munster, sure it’s like one big spread-out booming city.

    NL, given its geographical position, with its seafaring tradition and being a former top colonial power, has achieved
    a level of population growth Ireland can only dream about!

    With 500,000 of our finest helping to grow other economies around the world since 2007, little is about to change on that front.

    Anyone remember that old oft expressed quip: if Holland had Ireland it would feed the world; and if Ireland had Holland all would drown!

    Something must be done on the long-range planning front to grow the economy and population and keep the people employed here.

    9
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    Mute Mer Curial
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    Nov 13th 2015, 1:00 PM

    I’d say the continued migration of culchies to Dublin over many decades has resulted in the city being too large & populous for a small country to be able to support.

    3
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    Mute Mer Curial
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    Nov 13th 2015, 1:06 PM

    The Dutch are lucky that almost all of their (albeit small) country consists of flat habitable and arable land.
    Ireland on the other hand, consists mainly of hills, mountains, and boglands, with some a smaller % of land suitable for agriculture and modest areas sutibable for larger-sclae habitation around the coastline – hence the reason we have a low population density and have been unable to grow out population like the rest of Europe in the past.

    2
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    Mute Maj Coll
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    Nov 13th 2015, 7:47 PM

    Culchies would prob not have moved to Dublin if the same job opportunities were available down the country

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    Mute BERTIE
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    Nov 12th 2015, 9:10 PM

    The government were falling over each other takin g credit for Apple and indeed yesterday now, even Joan he moan managed to take credit for Apple in leaders questions this morning, they’re all very quite now, they make me sick

    60
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    Mute gregory
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    Nov 12th 2015, 11:57 PM

    Apple can be gone tomorrow. Pharma is hard to move…not an assembly plant…fda approval.

    27
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    Mute Bob Mac
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:42 AM

    Oh grow up. We live in an open market economy where private enterprise creates jobs, not the government, no business lasts forever, a business is only a vehicle for making profit after all, they don’t exist to provide employment, you may be amazed to learn.

    Government “taking credit”, that’s entirely your own take on the matter, what exactly do the government have to do with it? Why not be honest about your convictions here BERTIE, would you prefer if there was no private enterprise at all and the government just provided us all with jobs for life? Seeing as you expect them to do everything else for you. /i think some places tried that in the past, not sure how it worked out, I’ll have to look that one up…

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    Mute BERTIE
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:22 AM

    Bob, you are the champion of assumption, you moron

    1
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    Mute Jodus
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:25 AM

    Apple would also take a long time to move, they are investing in infrastructure, and in people. In a company that needs brain power and business savvy, moving out of a western country to a lower cost location comes at a knowledge price…

    4
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    Mute Dingle Holiday
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    Nov 12th 2015, 8:20 PM

    Very sad 240 jobs lost is a huge number

    59
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    Mute Pete Gibson
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    Nov 12th 2015, 8:20 PM

    It’s called Capitalism. Nobody owes you a job. Get over it.

    49
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    Mute gregory
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    Nov 12th 2015, 11:59 PM

    No. The most successful economy in the world is Not Capitalist. It is called China where the economy is “planned”.

    5
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    Mute Sinéad Griffin
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    Nov 13th 2015, 5:34 AM

    Actually China is moving towards a ‘Mixed’ economy.

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    Mute Jodus
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:23 AM

    Sorry, which economists in government are being paid millions??

    6
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    Mute Frank's Cat
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:51 AM

    On what metric is China the most successful economy?

    4
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    Mute AlanH -AFC
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    Nov 12th 2015, 8:56 PM

    So that the trolls come out in force to mock the unfortunate families who now face a Christmas without the security of an honest income. These decision was hardly made overnight ,surely the IDA /government had an idea this was on the cards. Hopefully a replacement development will be brought into the clare region.

    37
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    Mute Dave Moran
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    Nov 12th 2015, 11:13 PM

    At least AlanH -AFC understands how business works with well though out comments compared to most of the ignorant clowns on here…change the f’in tune..

    14
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    Mute AN other
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    Nov 12th 2015, 9:53 PM

    He can’t do anything about it, but he’s taking ask the credit for apple and indeed jobs yet says nothing at all about this…

    16
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:02 AM

    Unless they’re closing it right now this minute, he does have advance notice.

    15
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    Mute rupertl
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:19 AM

    I don’t think we’ll hear Richard Bruton on anything today .

    7
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    Mute proctor
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    Nov 13th 2015, 10:26 AM

    Goverment are to blame here

    6
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    Mute Jodus
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    Nov 13th 2015, 11:22 AM

    It’s scary how stupid some comments are.

    I work in a big company, I know how these decisions get made. Without a huge financial incentive to stay, government cannot impact these decisions. They can only manage he fallout and continue to create opportunities for these people.

    18
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    Mute Liam O Duill
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    Nov 13th 2015, 7:13 PM

    It will end up like Tipperary town if they don’t act now , we have nothing here since Atari, Coca Cola , Tambrand , Pall and Continental Enterprises left. Last week Super Value closed with the loss of 20 jobs now over 30 business closed on the Main Street alone.

    4
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    Mute Sternn
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    Nov 13th 2015, 2:39 PM

    “Fine Gael TD for Clarecastle Joe Carey said yesterday that “every effort” will be made to support the Roche workers.” – …and then he and his party cut their benefits and hit them all with new taxes and water charges. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

    4
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