IDA Ireland has spent over €2 million in almost seven years on a Tralee site it completed for a company which has provided no jobs.
In December 2018, UK-based company Central Pharma announced it would create 100 jobs in Tralee, at a new purpose-built advanced technology building.
Central Pharma offers warehousing, full distribution services, primary and secondary packing, as well as project management, among other services, to its prospective clients.
The company currently does not have any employees at its Tralee base, with Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin calling for the Minister for Enterprise to intervene.
The IDA completed the purpose-built facility in the Kerry Technology Park in Dromtacker, Tralee, in 2017.
In 2018, Central Pharma took a 20-year lease on the facility, which is the first of its kind in this county.
The company announced then it would create 100 jobs for the town by 2023, (with an expansion of its contract packaging and supply chain services in Tralee).
Minister for Trade, Enterprise, and Employment, Simon Coveney previously told the Dáil that the company commenced business in Tralee in 2022, (providing warehousing for its first customers).
Following a parliamentary question from Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin, Minister Coveney told the Dáil the company had no employees and two vacancies at its Tralee base, as of October last year.
Records released to Radio Kerry under FOI show IDA Ireland has spent over €2 million on this site since 1st March 2017.
These costs come under the headings, “land acquisition”, “building works”, “site development”, and “maintenance works”, but the amount spent under each heading was redacted due to commercial sensitivity.
In November, Deputy Griffin told the Dáil that the first advanced technology building for Tralee has not worked, (and called on Minister Simon Coveney to intervene and engage with the IDA and Central Pharma).
Central Pharma did not respond to queries from Radio Kerry.
