Job losses at Roche Ireland's manufacturing plant outside Ennis, Co Clare, are not anticipated, a company spokesman said yesterday, despite indications from the parent group that a redundancy programme may be introduced worldwide.

Roche Holding AG, the Swiss based pharmaceutical corporation, declined to comment on a Financial Times report that it was considering cutting 5,000 to 8,000 jobs, or eight to 12 per cent of its global staff, to boost operating margins. But a company spokeswoman said job cuts were possible as a cost-cutting measure in its drugs division.

Roche Ireland is the largest employer in the Ennis area, employing about 250 people in Clarecastle. Mr TJ Waters, human resources manager, said he was awaiting the outcome of the parent group's review but added that the Ennis plant had a busy production schedule. "Against that background, we are not anticipating any job losses."

Mr Joe Moran, president of Ennis Chamber of Commerce, said more than 400 industrial jobs had been lost over the past four years, resulting from the closure of such companies as Pacleen and Kel Electronics. "We are sending a deputation to our local minister, Sile de Valera, and from there, on to Mary Harney. Maybe the development agencies have looked at the Information Age Town status and said `Ennis is all right'."

Roche's share price has underperformed over the past 18 months and growth in drugs sales has been sluggish due to a weak product pipeline.

Introducing job cuts in the drugs division, which accounts for nearly two thirds of the pharmaceuticals and diagnostics group's workforce of 65,000, would be one way to polish financial results at a time of weak drug sales, financial analysts said.

--Additional reporting by Reuters