Town shocked by loss of 150 jobs
General manager Padraig Barry said the decision was taken because of the competitive nature of the medical business in Europe. The Tipperary operation will be taken up by factories in Puerto Rico and Mexico.
The Pall Corporation makes products for use in transfusion medicine, bio-technology and pharmaceuticals. While 80 jobs will remain at the factory, which is continuing its machinery and equipment division, townspeople were last night in a state of shock.
“You might as well place a gate at either end of the town and padlock them. We now have nothing and it looks like we not about to get anything,” said one of the workers.
The Chamber of Commerce in Tipperary town said the loss of 150 out of 230 jobs was a devastating blow for the area.
Labour Party Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment Brendan Howlin expressed his sympathy with the Pall Ireland employees.
The closure was a “devastating blow to the local community”, he said.
“This medical company has seen fit to transfer much of its operations to Puerto Rico and Mexico. The government must ensure that this haemorrhaging of jobs to other parts of the world ends. In recent weeks and months we have had severe job losses in the IT sector, and it is extremely worrying to see other industries follow suit,” Deputy Howlin said.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the news came as a devastating blow to an area which has already suffered a number of economic setbacks.
“Tipperary town and the west Tipperary area already has a very high level of unemployment. The loss of 150 jobs at the Pall plant will cast further gloom over the area with a resultant loss of up to €4 million to the local economy.
“When the Taoiseach visited the town he would have been far better employed meeting the people who are about to lose their jobs, in order to explain how is going to stem the haemorrhage of jobs from the regions.
“The Tánaiste should also state what proposals she has to provide alternative employment for the area,” Deputy Kenny said.
Local Fine Gael TD Tom Hayes has called on the Government to set up a task force.
The redundancies will take place on a phased basis between June and October of this year.
Pall Corporate is headquartered in New York and has revenues of $1.3bn. Pall Ireland was a profit making concern.
