Procter & Gamble and Gillette employ more than 1,200 people in four operations throughout Ireland. If the planned 6,000 redundancies do not affect their Irish operations, the $57 billion (€43.7 billion) merger will bring together three manufacturing operations and a sales and distribution business.

Procter & Gamble is one of the biggest employers in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, where it manufactures skincare products and make-up. It has a staff of 450 people at the plant, which manufactures well-known brands such as Olay and Max Factor for the US-based giant's global operations.

It also has two sales and administration bases in Dublin and Lisburn, Co Antrim. The manufacturing and sales operations are part of the Procter & Gamble Ireland and UK business division, which employs 5,000 people.

A spokeswoman said it was not known if the Irish businesses would be affected by the 6,000 job losses that would result from the merger.

Gillette is the bigger employer of the two in the Republic, with a total staff of 795.

It owns the Oral B plant in Newbridge, Co Kildare, which employs 345 people in the manufacture of oral health products.

It is one of the more substantial employers in Carlow, where its subsidiary, Braun, has a plant that produces electric shavers. That operation employs 450 people.

It was not known yesterday if any of Gillette's Irish businesses would be affected by the redundancy plans.