Up to 300 jobs will be created at a new Bank of Ireland call centre in Newry, Co Down. The £8 million sterling project, which is being supported by the Industrial Development Board, will begin next year.
The customer contact facility, which is expected to be completed by December 2004, will focus on the full range of banking services by telephone and on-line.
The announcement was made yesterday by the North's Enterprise Minister, Sir Reg Empey. "This investment, another substantial boost for the financial services sector here, is being made by the bank to meet increasing demand from customers throughout Ireland for telephony and Internet-based products and services," he said.
The announcement was welcomed by the North's Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon. "I am pleased that, after long and careful consideration of the other options available, Bank of Ireland chose to expand in Newry."
Falcon Holidays, the Irish based division of First Choice Holidays, has also opened a call centre at Newforge Lane in south Belfast, which will create up to 20 jobs by October 2002. The centre will act as Falcon's direct sales base for Ireland.
Meanwhile, British Telecom has announced it is seeking a partner for its telemarketing centre in Belfast, which employs 600 people. BT said there would be no effect on jobs at the centre in Apollo Road. BTsaid it "no longer sees telemarketing call centres as part of the company's core business".
