TÁNAISTE OFFICIALLY OPENS RHONE-POULENC RORER'S NEW HEADQUARTERS IN DUBLIN

Mary Harney, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment today (Tuesday, 29th September, 1998) officially opened the new headquarters of Rhone-Poulence Rorer in City West Business Park, Dublin.

Speaking at the official opening the Tánaiste said "We are very fortunate to see Rhone-Poulenc Rorer add to their operations in Ireland by locating its new medical, regulatory and marketing headquarters in Dublin. It is an indication of the attractiveness of Ireland as a location for the international pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. I am delighted that such a prestigious operation is establishing in my own constituency. One of the key factors in attracting these companies is Ireland's education system. It is turning out high calibre professional scientists and technical people and in recent times, it has been developing more and better industrial campuses and parks to accommodate developments as impressive as this one".

Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (Ireland) Limited was established in 1982 and has two manufacturing operations in Tipperary and Waterford and employs 360 people. It is part of the international Rhone-Poulenc Group a major player in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical sectors. The Group ranks as No 15 in the world's top pharmaceutical companies with a turnover of approximately £3.8 billion and employing 28,000 people world-wide.

It is dedicated to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of an extensive range of pharmaceutical products specialising in the areas of cardiology, oncology, respiratory diseases and allergy treatment.

The Pharmaceutical/Chemical Sector in Ireland is a major growth sector comprising approximately 220 companies employing 15,000 people. "In a addition to having a good quality workforce and a high proportion of graduates, other factors which make Ireland an ideal location for overseas pharmaceutical industry include an attractive corporation tax rate, access to the EU market and the fact that Ireland is an English speaking country," the Tánaiste said.