The Boston Scientific Corporation has announced that recruitment will begin immediately leading to the creation of 525 new jobs at its Cork plant as well as a further 275 jobs in Galway.

The announcement was made yesterday following the company's decision to streamline its operations in Europe and close a number of its manufacturing operations in the United States. The corporation says the rationalisation plan is aimed at achieving annual savings of $250 million.

In 1997, Boston Scientific announced that it would create up to 1,000 jobs at its Cork facility. In the past three years the workforce there has grown to 200 people and over the next 18 months, an additional 525 employees will be recruited. Over the same period, the number of jobs at the Galway facility will increase from 1,500 to 1,775.

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices used in a broad range of medical specialities, particularly in the treatment of vascular and cardiac conditions. According to the company, a number of state-of-the-art manufacturing processes will now move to Cork and Galway. The company says it will be recruiting across a broad spectrum in both locations and will be seeking to employ product builders, engineers and managers.

Mr Tom McCabe, manager of the Cork facility, said : "Currently we manufacture products which are unique in interventional neuro-radiology treatments. The addition of more technologies - including manufacturing products for vascular and cardiology treatments - enhances our role within the corporation."