Domino's Pizza plans to expand its outlets in the Republic from five to at least 30 with a jobs target of up to 1,000, the company said yesterday. Its plans were outlined in Naas, Co Kildare, yesterday where the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, opened a £15 million (€19 million) headquarters and production facility at Tougher's Industrial Estate.

This is the first central office in Ireland for one of the world's leading pizza delivery firms. The plant will supply a portion of the pizza ingredients to its Irish outlets, all of which previously have been imported from its British operation. Domino's has five stores in Dublin and one each in Waterford and Limerick.

The chairman of Domino's Pizza UK and Ireland, Mr Colin Halpern, said the stores already opened were successful and the investment in Naas indicated the company's commitment to growth in Ireland. "If what happened to Domino's Pizza in the UK is anything to go by, our goal of 30 Irish stores may well be exceeded. In 1985, when Domino's first launched in the UK, the market was predicted to reach 100 stores. Today, it is projected that the UK could support up to 900 Domino's Pizza stores, creating jobs for at least 20,000 people," he said.

Domino's Pizza Group is a subsidiary of Domino's Pizza UK & Irl plc, which is quoted on the Alternative Investment Market in London.