Promised 1,300 jobs on hold after drugs giant shelves plans for facility

MORE than 1,300 new jobs promised for Longford two years ago are now unlikely to come on stream before 2007, if at all.

Business interests in the Midlands are sceptical about the future of a planned $100m investment in Longford following yesterday’s announcement by the US pharmaceutical supplies giant, Cardinal Health, that it has deferred its plans for a new manufacturing facility in the town until 2004 at the earliest.

“As far as many people are concerned, they will forget about Cardinal and concentrate on getting other much-needed projects for the area,” said Michael Fenelon of the Longford Business Action Group.