Global healthcare company Abbott is to cut 180 jobs from its Irish workforce, it has been confirmed.
The pharmaceutical, nutrition and medical devices firm is to make the redundancies at one of its facilities in Sligo.
Workers at the Ballytivnan factory will be laid off over the next 12 months after the company decided to end its involvement in the US nutritional device market.
Abbott said they planned to streamline global nutrition business to focus more on the core business of science-based nutrition.
More than 130 people will remain employed at the site as it continues to supply nutritional device sets for markets outside the US.
“The redundancies will take place over the next 12 months and it is hoped that these can be achieved through a voluntary redundancy programme."
"Abbott will be offering favourable redundancy terms and outplacement services will be put in place to support impacted employees. The immediate priority is to work with and support employees during the consultation process,” the company said.
“Abbott regrets the impact of today’s announcement on the affected employees and the local community.”
Abbott employs about 4,000 people across 13 sites in eight counties. It announced the recruitment of 175 workers at its Sligo pharmaceutical site at the start of the year.
PA