Roche is already in the process of phasing out, and the drug maker expects the process to be completed by March 2020, the newspaper said. The company has allocated 24 million euros for employees who are still working at the facility, the newspaper reported, citing Roche Ireland documents. This means each worker could be in line for a £ 180,000 payout.

In 2015, Roche introduced a major shift in production priorities, envisioning the possibility of reducing its small molecule production capacity and strengthening its biological presence. Before that, the drug manufacturer announced that it would spend 800 million euros to expand biologics at facilities in Germany, Switzerland and the United States.

As part of the moves, Roche said it would cut 1,200 jobs and exit four small molecule sites around the world. Roche eventually found buyers for its plants in the US, Italy and Spain, but could not sell the site to Ireland and it is now closing the store.

The drug maker sold its site in Spain to Recipharm, which won a long-term deal to supply Roche with solid doses of drugs and agreed to keep 200 workers at the facility. Roche has used similar contract language to sell its other plants.