Medtronic, the medical technology company poised to buy the Dublin-based Covidien plc and move here for tax purposes, said its quarterly sales grew 5% as demand rose for its pacemakers and aortic valves. 

Workers at the Athlone unit of US healthcare giant Covidien have rejected a Labour Court recommendation giving employees a 4.5% pay increase over three years.

Salix Pharmaceuticals has agreed to buy the patents to some drugs for gastrointestinal diseases from Cosmo Pharmaceuticals for about $2.7bn (€1.98bn) in stock in a deal that will allow the US company to move to Ireland and lower its tax bill.

A spate of takeover activity in the pharmaceutical sector pushed Irish-related acquisition values to a 20-year high in the first half of 2014 and saw the country account for nearly 18% of European merger activity, in value terms.

Shares in Shire hit a record high yesterday on expectations of a takeover as dealmaking sweeps the drugs sector, after Reuters reported the group had hired investment bank Citi as a defence adviser.

US medical device maker Medtronic Inc has said it agreed to buy Dublin-based Covidien Plc for $42.9bn (€31.6bn) and shift its executive headquarters to Ireland in the latest move by US firms to harvest lower corporate tax rates abroad.

SIPTU has requested an immediate meeting with the management of Covidien following today's announcement that the medical device manufacturer has agreed to be acquired by Medtronic.

Dublin-headquartered Covidien Plc is to buy Oridion Systems Ltd, an Israeli maker of devices for patient breathing safety, for $346m (€260m).

GLOBAL healthcare company Covidien has been named the EU’s top research and development & investor in the healthcare industry.

COVIDIEN Plc, a maker of surgical products and drugs, plans to spin-off its pharmaceuticals division into a separate company that could be based in Ireland.

Siptu trade union have accepted assurances from Covidien that there will be no redundancies at the Athlone plant before next summer.

Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton has expressed disappointed at potential job losses at Covidien in Co Westmeath, but said the company's R&D commitment is encouraging.

Medical devices firm Covidien is to transfer the manufacturing line for one of its products from Athlone in Co Westmeath to Thailand.

JOAN SOLON is realising her dream of going to art college, four years after a brain haemorrhage nearly put an end to her life.

INDUSTRY in Europe cut its spend on research and development by 2.6% last year despite much greater drops in sales and profits.

WORK to improve healing after surgery and reduce the time patients have to spend in hospital is getting underway at an Irish university.

A multinational medical firm today announced a €900,000 investment in research and development projects with an Irish university.

A multinational medical firm today announced a €900,000 investment in research and development projects with NUI Galway.

US company Covidien is announcing that it is to invest almost €1m in research and development at NUI Galway.

Healthcare products company Covidien has opened its European services centre in Cherrywood in Dublin.

Talks between union officals and management at Covidien in Tullamore get underway later today.

ALMOST 200 people working in one of Offaly’s biggest employers are to lose their jobs by the end of the year.

Almost 200 jobs were axed today at a medical devices plant in the Midlands.

There are fears for 200 jobs at medical devices company in Co. Offaly.

THE Commercial Court has granted orders sought by Ingersoll Rand to facilitate its relocation to Ireland for tax reasons.

Better news on the jobs front is expected as two companies are reportedly gearing up to announce significant expansions in the Dublin area.