The construction of a €530 biomedicine facility in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, will inject in a vote of confidence in a town that earlier this week lost 146 jobs with the announcement of the closure of food ingredients company ADM, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, said yesterday.

Speaking at a turning of the sod ceremony for Centocor Biologics in Ringaskiddy yesterday Mr Martin claimed he was doing everything in his power to secure the best severance package for workers at the ADM citric acid plant.

The plant will close over the next six to eight weeks due to intense competition in world citric markets in recent years.

Mr Martin said the closure of the ADM plant was a "devastating blow" to workers and their families. "The IDA will be working to see if it can bring an alternative investment to that site because it is a readymade site for manufacturing... We will see if we can bring a new industry or attract a new industry there. I have also instructed Fás to work with the staff of ADM to see what we can do to help them in pursuing alternative employment in the Cork region."