Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North Frank O’Rourke says the Acting Minister for Jobs and Enterprise Richard Bruton needs to engage with Intel management to determine the extent of any possible job losses in Ireland.
Deputy O’Rourke made the comments after Intel announced that the company would cut 12,000 jobs across its 100,000 strong global workforce by mid-2017.
“Intel currently employs around 5,500 people in Ireland across its operations in Kildare, Cork and Clare. The vast majority of these jobs, approximately 4,500, are based in its manufacturing plant in Leixlip. The company is a significant contributor to the local economy in Kildare and indirectly supports thousands of additional jobs," said Deputy O'Rourke.
“The news that Intel is set to cut its global workforce has cast a question as to whether there will be job losses in Ireland. It’s been indicated that it could take an additional two months for further details on these job losses to emerge. This is difficult on the staff, their families and communities that rely on Intel to support employment as they await further details on the job losses. I’m calling on Acting Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton to engage with Intel management to determine the future of operations in Leixlip alongside Cork and Clare.
“Intel completed a significant investment programme in Leixlip in recent years so I am confident that the plant will continue to play a significant role in the company’s global operations. Nonetheless clarity is needed on the specific details of these job losses. If there are any losses in Ireland then the Government needs to ensure support is made available to help retrain people,” said Deputy O’Rourke.
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