Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has invited EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to visit Carlow and Kilkenny next month.
If she accepts, the visit will focus on the region’s thriving pharmaceutical and med-tech industries, which employ over 1,300 people in companies like MSD.
Ms Ní Mhurchú says it’s crucial for EU leaders to witness firsthand how these industries are embedded in local communities through partnerships with schools, colleges, and training centres.
The Carlow based MEP says she believes the visit would showcase the counties’ role in producing world-class vaccines, cancer therapies, and cardiac devices-sending a strong signal to global investors and local workers alike.