UP TO 100 JOBS may be lost as Merck Life Science today informed workers that it is to close its facility in Arklow, Co Wicklow, in 2028.

The company informed the Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke of the proposed closure this morning, a spokesperson for the Department said.

“He [Burke] is engaged with the company and the IDA in relation to this, and all supports will be made available to the workers impacted,” the spokesperson said, adding that a collective redundancy notification has not been received.

Merck Life Science is one of three sectors under the Merck brand. It also has sectors focusing on healthcare and technology.

The Life Science sector is described as helping to “deliver novel therapies to treat chronic disease and provide other solutions for a safer, more sustainable world”.

The company, which has its headquarters in Germany, has approximately 62,000 employees across 65 countries. It recently opened a €150m manufacturing plant in Blarney in Co Cork. It is a separate entity to Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), a US pharmaceutical company that also has operations in Ireland.

Merck has been active in Ireland since 1977 and the Arklow facility has been in operation since the 1980s.

Of the approximately 100 staff at the facility, around half are members of trade union Siptu. The union said its representatives have committed to “exploring all options available” to save jobs threatened by today’s announcement.

Siptu sector organiser Andrea Cleere said workers were called to a town hall meeting today where management announced that following a review of the company’s operations, a decision was made to cease production at the plant by 2028.

Cleere said the announcement has shocked workers, many of whom have worked at the facility for decades.

“If the closure is carried out, it will have a devastating impact on these workers, their families, the wider community, and the local economy,” she said.

Siptu organsier Martin Mannion said the union would be seeking clarification on the reasoning behind the decision and exploring ways to save as many jobs as possible.

He added: “The impact of this closure would have a very adverse effect on Arklow and is an issue which necessitates a coordinated response aimed at protecting these workers’ livelihoods.”

Merck Life Science’s official statement reads: “Following a strategic portfolio review of products at our Arklow, Ireland site, the decision has been made to discontinue the API portfolio.

“As a result of this decision, it is proposed to discontinue operations at the Arklow facility by the end of 2028, consultation on this proposal will commence immediately.”

Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne said the workers at the facility have his full support. He described the news as a “serious setback” and said he is “deeply concerned”.

“I understand that a redeployment programme is to be put in place and that negotiations will now begin with unions and employee representatives,” Byrne said. “I have been engaging with the company and will also raise this matter with Government.”