45 jobs to go at Elan's Athlone manufacturing plant

Pharmaceutical company Elan is to lay off 45 employees at its manufacturing plant in Athlone.

The redundancies are being made as part of an on-going review into the company's operation.

The review follows the resignation of the former chairman and chief executive, Mr Donal Geaney, last week and a 90 per cent plunge in the company's share price since the beginning of the year.

All of the staff being let go were on temporary contracts, which the company is not renewing.

Elan employs 740 permanent staff at the plant in Monksland outside Athlone