Thomas Lyons 
US medtech company Dexcom is forging ahead with plans to hire up to 1,000 people at its new manufacturing facility in Galway, despite Ireland’s housing crisis, according to IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan. Speaking on the RTÉ current affairs show News at One, Lohan said Dexcom, which makes glucose monitoring devices for people with diabetes, was opening its European headquarters in Athenry, Co. Galway, through a €300m investment over five years. Dexcom said it expects to provide about 500 construction jobs while the facility is being built and up to 1,000 high-tech graduate- and technician-level positions once the site is running at full capacity by 2028.
Lohan said: “Dexcom are making the decision with full knowledge of the scenario in Ireland both for an infrastructure perspective and they’re very confident in terms of Ireland’s ability”. He added that the IDA has been highlighting issues around infrastructure and the national carrying capacity for “probably four to five years”. The facility is awaiting planning permission but has been backed by IDA, the state body responsible for securing foreign direct investment. Dexcom’s ambitions for Galway fits into an overall plan by IDA to create a “cluster” of medtech and manufacturing firms around the west of Ireland where other firms like Medtronic are based.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met with Dexcom representatives last year at the company’s headquarters in San Diego. “This will be one of the biggest single private sector investments ever in the West of Ireland,” said Mr Varadker. The development has the capacity to produce millions of Dexcom CGM sensors each year, which are used by people with diabetes.
