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Cardinal Health plans to wind down operations and aims for a full closure by spring 2026, impacting 315 staff.
Medical device company Cardinal Health has today (29 August) announced plans to permanently shut down its Tullamore, Co Offaly facility, resulting in the loss of more than 300 jobs.
The company will implement a phased shutdown of its facility at Tullamore Business and Technology Park, with a full closure expected by spring 2026.
Staff and union members were given the news at a meeting this morning, with SIPTU confirming that it would be entering a 30-day period of consultation with Cardinal Health. According to SIPTU industrial organiser Ashling Dunne, employees have left the premises for the remainder of the week and will return to work on Monday.
Dunne said the closure of the Tullamore facility was a global decision and she understands that manufacturing may potentially be moved to Costa Rica or Thailand.
Speaking following the announcement, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke, TD, said his primary concern was for the staff at the facility and their families.
“I have been engaging and will continue to engage with the company,” he said. “Following this morning’s Town Hall meeting with staff, and along with the IDA and my department, we will work with the company management and with staff on current and potential future possibilities.”
Headquartered in Ohio, US, Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products. In a statement, the company said that commercial activities in Ireland “will not be impacted by these plans”.
“This decision is part of our regular assessment of our global business, manufacturing and supply chain operations to ensure we are able to meet the evolving needs of our customers, the industry and our business.”
The site in Tullamore has been in operation since 1982, with Offaly Live reporting that one person has worked there for 38 years and, on average, current employees have 16 years of service. At its busiest, more than 600 people worked at the site. In 2012, the company cut 150 jobs and it has sought voluntary redundancies over the years.
This is not the first time Cardinal health has had to alter their course in Ireland. In 2004, it scrapped plans to create 1,300 jobs in Longford, citing a change in strategy.
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