100 pharma jobs set for Cork plant

MORE than 100 jobs could be created in Cork over the next five years after BioMarin Pharmaceutical confirmed it is to buy the Pfizer manufacturing facility in Shanbally.

Pfizer planned to close the Shanbally facility by September, with the loss of 65 jobs.

However, BioMarin’s confirmation that it is to buy the facility at a cost of $48.5 million (€34m) and create 100 jobs over the next five years will lead to a net gain of 35 jobs, with the investment supported by IDA Ireland.

Biomarin focuses on the treatment of rare diseases.

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said increased investment in the pharmaceutical sector was crucial to lifting the country out of the economic crisis.

“The pharmaceutical industry has developed into a particular strength of the Irish economy in recent years: most of the world’s leading companies in the field have a presence here and we have developed an industry which plays a global role out of all proportion to the size of our economy,” Mr Bruton said.

In May last year, Pfizer announced it was to close its Shanbally plant as well as those in Dún Laoghaire in Dublin and at Loughbeg in Ringaskiddy in Cork.

The pharmaceutical giant also confirmed it was to scale back operations at six other plants in Ireland, as part of a restructuring which would lead to 6,000 global job losses.

However, Pfizer said it would put the plants up for sale in a bid to save as many of the 550 jobs here as possible.

It sold the Dún Laoghaire plant to Amgen, securing 260 jobs and is continuing to offer the Loughbeg plant for sale.

Meanwhile, Butterfield Fulcrum, a fund administration company, is to increase its workforce in Dublin city centre to 100.

The company initially established an operation in Ireland in 2009 and has experienced strong growth. At the time it envisaged the creation of 40 jobs. But based on upward projections, it will now grow its Irish workforce to 100, with the new jobs in fund administration, finance and relationship management.