Global healthcare company in Roscommon confirms €1.55m purchase of council lands will allow for expansion

Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk has confirmed to the Roscommon Herald that the €1.55m purchase of eleven acres of council lands will allow for future expansion plans at its site in Monksland.

At Monday's meeting of Roscommon County Council, the sale of the lands to the multinational was confirmed by the local authority's executive. Last December, the Danish firm purchased Alkermes’ Monksland facility for $92.5m.

Responding to queries, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which employs about 400 people, confirmed that the transaction would allow for expansion plans. "The land purchased would support services at our newly acquired Athlone plant. The facility in Monksland, Athlone has given Novo Nordisk access to a fully-equipped facility with additional development and manufacturing capacity for current and future oral products."

At Monday’s council meeting, members welcomed the sale of the lands to the pharmaceutical company, and its ambition to expand to allow for further job creation.

Pointing out that the land sale was a wise move for the local authority, council chief executive Shane Tiernan said Novo Nordisk was a major player in Monksland in terms of creating development and jobs.

Mr Tiernan assured members the €1.55m would be “prudently used” for the development of a district centre in Monksland.

While there was a broad welcome for the news, several councillors highlighted the pressing need for a new link road onto the motorway given any expansion would lead to increased traffic in the Monksland area.

Councillors John Naughten (FG) and John Keogh (FF) emphasised the importance of developing such an access point, and for the council to liaise with the relevant agencies to ensure a link road was delivered.

Independent councillor Laurence Fallon said a new link road had taken on a new significance.  “Whatever the best options are, it needs to happen quickly,” he said. 

Independent councillor Tony Ward also called for the upgrade of a local roundabout to help alleviate traffic while Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Moylan re-emphasised the need to upgrade the N61 to ensure other parts of the county could benefit from such developments.

Assistant director of services Greg O’Donnell said that a planning application should be expected from the company in due course, and would allow for the consideration of all related issues. 

Mr O'Donnell said that everyone welcomed the development while also highlighting the need to ensure that any traffic concerns would be addressed.