Fine Gael National Press Office
Press Statement by Senator Jerry Buttimer
Seanad Spokesperson on Community
Tuesday, 18th May 2010
Pfizer job losses will have major impact on Ringaskiddy/ Shanbally area – Buttimer
Speaking following the announcement this afternoon (Thursday) that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is to shed close to 800 jobs in Ireland, closing two plants at Ringaskiddy, Fine Gael local Senator Jerry Buttimer said the move will have a devastating impact on the area which has been beset by a raft of big corporation closures in the last 24 months.
“The closure of two Pfizer plans at Ringaskiddy will have a major impact on Cork which has, since May 2008, seen companies such as Motorola, Hormann Electronics, Smurfit and Odlums either scale back operations or pack up altogether.”
“In August 2008 the Pfizer plant in Little Island was also shedding staff and at that time I called for the establishment of a Government taskforce to get a handle on the situation and determine why so many jobs were being lost in Cork.”
“It is tragic to hear of any job losses but coming so deep into a recession is extremely difficult to take. This is an extraordinarily sad day for the Cork workers of Pfizer and their families. The heartbreak of this announcement is compounded by the fact that it will affect so many young people who have mortgaged themselves up to the hilt to buy houses they couldn’t afford that they are now struggling to keep.”
“Job losses of this nature are also a real cause for concern as they are the sort of high-value jobs that we should be attracting to Ireland. This Government has been so focused on cosying up to the banks and balancing the books that it has completely refused to address the jobs crisis despite umpteen warnings from Fine Gael. It is as plain as the nose on Brian Cowen’s face that unless we stem the flow of joblessness we will never get the country back on track.”
“With 44,702 people now recorded on the Live Register in Cork, the need to lock-down alternative employment, to give people hope in the future, is even more pressing than ever. This Government must stop ignoring our continually sliding competitiveness and set about adopting the myriad Fine Gael proposals which can steer us to calmer waters today. Better still they should step aside and allow the Party with the plan and the team to step into action while we still have some Cork jobs to save.”