Warning signs ignored, claims Opposition
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the multinational had been sending up “distress flares” for several months which had gone unnoticed.
The accusation was dismissed by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, who claimed the mass job losses “had nothing to do with the Irish economy” but were the result of global overcapacity at the drugs group.
Ms Coughlan was standing in for the Taoiseach as the economic blow dominated leader’s questions in the Dáil.
And another 2,000 jobs dependant on the 785 Pfizer workers to be let go would now also disappear due to a failure by ministers to get a grip on the situation, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore stated.
“I hope that the Government is not simply going to throw in the towel in the face of the Pfizer announcement. The jobs are to go over the next 18 months and prompt intervention on the part of the Government could yet result in at least some of these jobs being saved,” he said.
Mr Kenny said that pleas by Pfizer chiefs for specific help like tax breaks for research and development had fallen on deaf ears in the run-up to the job slashing announcement, and the Government had failed to bring in PRSI reforms that would make it easier for employers like the major drug corporation to keep workers in their jobs.
Mr Kenny said it was another example of the Government looked the other way while huge job losses were imposed on key technology industries.
The Fine Gael leader demanded the Government raise its game so that other high profile multinationals did not look to Ireland for cutbacks as well.
Ms Coughlan insisted the job losses had “nothing to do with the Irish economy” as they were due to global overcapacity by the newly merged company formed between Pfizer and rival Wyeth.
The Tánaiste, who met the Pfizer chief executive during the merger, said he could not talk directly to her about what was going on due to the timing and said she expected all three sites to be sold.
Ms Coughlan said the IDA would work closely with Pfizer to see if any of the 785 jobs could be sustained.
