Johnson & Johnson will no longer directly supply the Irish market with orthopaedic products from its manufacturing plant in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, as a condition of its acquisition of DePuy.

The European Commission has granted antitrust clearance for the purchase of the US company for $3.5 billion (£2.3 billion) subject to fulfilment of the condition.

A spokesman for the company said that the divestiture of the local supply business was a small part of its overall operations. "There is no anticipated impact on jobs in any of our facilities in Ireland," he said.