Fears have been expressed that it’s the end of the road for the Roche site in Clarecastle, following confirmation that no buyers have expressed interest in acquiring the plant.
The Swiss pharma company announced it’s decision to pull out of Clare in 2015 and it had been hoped that another employer would move in, in it’s place.
But as time runs out, hope is fading, as Clare FM’s Gavin Grace reports:
There was widespread concern in Clarecastle and beyond when Roche announced four years ago that it would be winding down it’s operations in the village, and further disappointment in 2016 when a deal to secure a new buyer fell through at the last minute.
Efforts have since been underway by the IDA to secure a buyer, but now the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys has now confirmed that there have been no new expressions of interest.
Clare’s Independent TD Michael Harty fears the nature of the premises itself is holding prospective investors back, and this spells bad news for the county.
As time runs out ahead of the 2020 deadline, Clarecastle Fine Gael Councillor Paul Murphy says hope for a silver bullet is fading.
But he believes efforts are ongoing to find a buyer nonetheless.
