Tuesday 1 August 2017

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has opened a new €85m extension at Bausch + Lomb's Waterford facility which promises the creation of 125 new jobs. The company curently employs over 1300 people at the facility and the announcement comes only three years after Valeant, Bausch + Lomb's parent company, said there would need to be 200 job losses and pay cuts for remaining staff. The subsequent investment was supported by the Department of Enterprise through IDA Ireland. The Waterford facility includes is the principal contact lens plant for Bausch + Lomb worldwide. At the opening of the facility, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said, "This major investment by Bausch + Lomb, adding an extra 125 jobs, is a big vote of confidence in this Government's ambitions for Waterford and for the future. Bausch + Lomb and its parent company Valeant are to be commended for their commitment to the southeast region. "This government is determined to show over the next few months and years that we can not only continue to stimulate growth, but that we are able to spread the benefit across the entire country."