Cardinal Health is slated to shut its Tullamore unit, resulting in a potential job loss for as many as 315 employees. The decision to close the facility was communicated to the workforce on a Thursday morning and is expected to span a phased timeline till 2026. The company’s operations in Dublin are likely to be unaffected.
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke expressed deep concern for the employees and their families who have been affected by this communique. He pledged that his department, in conjunction with the IDA, would collaborate closely with Cardinal Health’s management and workforce to explore present and future prospects. He further assured that all avenues to identify alternatives for employees who have been affected would be pursued tirelessly.
Employees were informed on a Wednesday afternoon that production activities would be suspended, and a meeting was scheduled on Thursday morning to discuss this announcement further.
Ashling Dunne, the SIPTU area organiser, speaking on RTÉ radio’s news at One, committed that no stone would be left unturned in the efforts to safeguard jobs and attract a substitute enterprise for the site.
Councillor Tony McCormack, the Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, confirmed that he had reached out to Micheál Martin, the Tánaiste, and Peter Burke, the Minister for Trade and Employment. He solicited their assistance and was reassured of the government’s commitment to providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities for the impacted workforce. He remains optimistic that everyone can secure jobs.
Cardinal Health’s Tullamore facility, a historic site that has hosted several medical device corporations over the past four decades, will be shut down. The workforce, some of whom have been employed for over 20 years, have been extremely loyal, contributing greatly to the local economy. Additionally, a number of companies offer numerous services to the site, all of which will now face an uncertain future. McCormack was hopeful, however, that IDA will be able to find a new occupant for the facility soon and possibly attract another medical device company to stimulate the local economy.