Pharmaceutical firm MSD [ Formally Organon ] has announced plans to close its plant in Swords in North Co Dublin
by the end of 2017, which will result in the loss of 570 jobs.
The company said today that
no job losses would occur before the middle of next year at the earliest, but said it plans to lay off about 130 people in
the second half of 2014.
The rest of the jobs at Swords will be phased out over the next three
years.
The Swords plant makes a range of family planning products and a treatment for fertility for sale to 50 countries
world wide.
The company said the proposed action is as a result of its on going review of
its worldwide manufacturing capabilities.
It said it plans to work with IDA Ireland to aggressively pursue a buyer for
the facility in order to potentially mitigate job losses.
MSD also employs over 2,000 people
in Carlow, Cork, Leopardstown, Tipperary and Wicklow. These sites are not affected by today's announcement.
It announced
the closure of the site in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow last March. That site is expected to close by the end of 2015.
"Swords
has been an important manufacturing site since 1990 and has a long history of operational excellence," according to Tony Pusic,
MSD'S Site Director.
"The proposal to cease operations is not a reflection of the site's performance or the highly skilled
people working here. The proposal is an outcome of MSD's ongoing review of its worldwide manufacturing capacity that has resulted
in sites being sold, closed or consolidated in all regions of the world,' he added.
MSD markets
a wide range of pharmaceutical medicines in Ireland in areas such as osteoporosis, asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure,
cholesterol management and HIV.
