Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
49. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the up-to-date position in relation to the commencement of operations and provision of employment at an organisation (details supplied) in Tralee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41860/22]
View answerIn December 2018 Central Pharma set out its plans and took a long-term lease on the Advance Technology Building in Tralee. The company subsequently experienced delays in progressing its plans in part due to Covid-19 restrictions preventing work on site from getting underway. The IDA has advised that the company has recruited a Head of Warehousing and Head of Business Development and it is actively pursuing manufacturing business for the site. The company has commenced business in Tralee, providing warehousing for its first customers, with plans to progress to secondary packing and sterilisation when production commences. Manufacturing operations will include primary contract packing, secondary contract packing, serialisation and aggregation for track and trace of commercial pharmaceutical products. The company plans to add production employees over the first three months of operations.Central Pharma’s total investment in the facility to date (including construction, rent and salaries paid) is €1.1m. The company has obtained the following licence approvals from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
- Manufacturing & Import Activities License (MIA)
- Good Manufacturing Practice Certification (GMP)
- WDA Good Distribution Practice Certification (GDP) Central Pharma is currently experiencing supply chain issues in the UK, related to sourcing components required for its manufacturing operations. In addition, the company has seen a sharp downturn in demand since March 2022, due to the war in Ukraine. As a result of these issues, Central Pharma has revised its plans for production commencement and expects to commence production in Q1 2023. Central Pharma is experiencing business growth in cell and gene therapy manufacturing, medical devices and robotics AI, which the company sees as opportunities for the Tralee site. The company is disappointed in the delays to production commencement but remains committed to the site as a key component of its corporate strategy.
