Public expenditure incurred in an indefinitely postponed American industrial project for east Cork will be repaid by the company involved, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin told the Dáil.
Mr Martin said IDA Ireland had paid €4 million in grants to the Amgen company to date.
"While IDA Ireland has not sought repayment of grants to date, the company is obliged to repay the grant in its entirety under a legally binding agreement in the event of the project not proceeding."
Mr Martin said he had no function relating to local authority expenditure, but he understood that Amgen had confirmed that it would reimburse Cork County Council for the costs incurred on work relating to the site involved. The company had indicated that it expected to retain the site.
Mr Martin said he had been disappointed to learn the project had been postponed indefinitely.
Labour spokesman Willie Penrose said Amgen's position to postpone the project was the equivalent of what had happened in Intel.
