Concern over Tullamore job losses

Some 14 jobs are to be lost at a pharmaceutical company in Tullamore, it's understood.

A creditors meeting is set to take place to seek to appoint liquidators to Sublimity Therapeutics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company located in the IDA Business and Technology Park.

It's understood over 30 jobs will also be lost at its sister plant in Dublin.

Fianna Fáil TD, Barry Cowen, has expressed his extreme disappointment at the announcement.

“Firstly, my thoughts go out to the workers, their families and all those affected by this devastating news. There’s little doubt that these workers are facing into an uncertain future after receiving this notice. The impact of these job losses cannot be underestimated.

"I understand workers have been informed that they will not receive any redundancy or pay for work already completed.

“I intend to raise this issue with the Department of Enterprise as a matter of urgency and I am calling on the Minister and the IDA to engage with the workers who have lost their job with a view to providing them with the necessary support at this very difficult time.

“Every effort must be made to ensure they are given the best possible terms of redundancy and alternative employment is secured where possible, he concluded.

Out of a job

Independent TD Carol Nolan said she has engaged with Sublimity Therapeutics in Tullamore and said "full respect" must be accorded to employees who now find themselves out of a job.

“I think we all recognise the role that Sublimity Therapeutics has played in Tullamore and the valuable employment opportunities the company has provided in recent years. But there has to be full respect accorded to employees who may find themselves out of a job, and this includes full access to statutory redundancy payments.

"The company must honour all legal requirements in this regard as a bare minimum. I am aware that Sublimity had reported serious losses of about €55 million in 2018 and that it needed to raise significant additional financing to fund its research and development activities.

"But such a situation does not mean that a company in this position can effectively throw its employees to the wolves and ignore the statutory protections that all workers have.

"The sooner this situation is clarified by Sublimity Therapeutics the better. Either way it is a matter I will be pursuing on behalf of all affected workers at the Tullamore plant,” concluded Deputy Nolan.

This paper has contacted Sublimity Therapeutics for a statement regarding the job losses and is awaiting a response.