Eli Lilly's plans for new €400m pharma plant in Limerick appealed by local landowner

Farmer claims his lands had been flooded due to the destruction of canal and stream by discharges from Raheen business park, while his livestock had also suffered 'unexplained physical distortions'

Farmer has called for no further development to be permitted in the business park in Raheen, Limerick. File picture

Plans for a €400m investment by pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly in a new manufacturing plant in Limerick have been put on hold following an objection by a local landowner over concerns of flooding of his lands by contaminated water.

An appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the recent decision of Limerick City and County Council to grant planning permission for the proposed new plant at the IDA Business & Technology Park in Raheen.

Eli Lilly announced earlier this year that the creation of its proposed biopharmaceutical manufacturing campus with a €400m investment would create 300 permanent jobs once operational as well as 500 jobs during the construction phase.

The campus, with an overall floor area of almost 47,400 sq m, would consist of a four-storey manufacturing building, a two-storey canteen, laboratory and administration building as well as a two-storey warehouse and ancillary plant.

The US-based pharmaceutical firm said the new facility would expand its manufacturing network for biologic active ingredients as well as supporting increased demand for the multinational’s existing products and playing a key role in bringing its “clinical pipeline to patients around the world.” 

Before the appeal, the company had already submitted revised plans to reposition the facility following concerns raised by council planners about its impact on a protected species of meadow barley found on the site.

Agreement with local landowners

However, a landowner from Mungret, Tom Ryan, claims water from the Loughmore canal and stream which enters the Barnakyle River through his lands has not been maintained by the local authority as contained in an agreement with local landowners.

The farmer said his lands had been flooded due to the destruction of the Loughmore Turlough by discharges from the business park, while his livestock had also suffered “unexplained physical distortions”. 

Mr Ryan said multiple planning applications had been permitted in relation to the business park without concerns about the flooding of lands being addressed.

He claimed there had been misconnections to the foul and stormwater network during various expansions of the IDA site.

Mr Ryan has called for no further development to be permitted in the business park in Raheen.

Council planners said the proposed development was on a greenfield site, while Eli Lilly has indicated to the local authority that all surface water would be attenuated on site.

Council officials also noted there is no pathway for surface water or contaminants from the business park to the Loughmore area and expressed satisfaction that the new manufacturing plant would have no significant environmental impact.

The Irish subsidiary of Eli Lilly has been operating in the Republic since 1978 and currently employs about 2,300 staff across its manufacturing base in Kinsale, Co Cork, global business services centre in Little Island, Co Cork, and a network of commercial staff based around the country.

A ruling by An Bord Pleanála on the appeal is due by early March 2023.