More than 500 jobs are to be lost in companies in Dublin and Arklow, and another 600 are at risk at Tara Mines in Co Meath. The closures announced yesterday, at Applied Magnetics and Sydney Cooper Distribution in Dublin and Arklow Pottery in Co Wicklow, follow the closure in December of the Seagate plant at Clonmel, Co Tipperary, with the loss of 1,400 jobs. The Opposition has attacked the Government over the job losses, with Fine Gael planning to raise the issue in the Dail.
"We were told the Government had an early-warning system in place after Seagate closed, but it seems they were not prepared for these closures either," said Fine Gael's employment spokeswoman, Mrs Nora Owen.
The leader of Democratic Left, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said yesterday's unemployment figures, which show a seasonally adjusted decrease of 1,900, would appear a lot worse when the impact of Seagate and yesterday's closures were taken into account.
A Government spokesman said the job losses were devastating for those involved, but the task now was to secure new jobs.
"The point is we would regard the Budget as the most imaginative pro-jobs budget in recent times. It is aimed at ensuring the record level of jobs growth will continue," he said.
The job losses in Applied Magnetics, which makes disk heads, were expected after 125 employees were laid off before Christmas.
The company blames the downturn in the international diskdrive market for the losses. This was the same reason cited by Seagate for its closure last month.
Meanwhile, the Japanese owner of the tableware manufacturing company, Arklow Pottery, announced that production would end in April with the loss of 140 jobs, because of low-cost competition from south-east Asia and a lack of demand on international markets.
The Japanese owner, Noritake, said there had been losses of £7.5 million over its 20 years of ownership, and there had been losses in the past two years despite a £750,000 investment programme.
Tara Mines in Co Meath faces a risk of closure and the loss of 600 jobs after nearly 300 SIPTU members rejected proposals to radically change work practices to restore the operation to profitability.
Both management and unions were taken by surprise by the outcome of the ballot. More than 100 craft workers in the AEEU and TEEU voted to accept the changes last November, as did 80 whitecollar workers in MSF.
Last night the SIPTU regional secretary, Mr Jack O'Connor, described the situation as "very serious".
"We have asked the company to allow us time to reflect on the outcome of the ballot, to see if anything can be done to retrieve the situation, but they haven't responded to our request so far," he said. The company is expected to brief employees on Monday.
The latest Central Statistics Office figures show the total unadjusted live register figures have increased from 240,000 in November to 247,700 for December.
This is mainly caused by temporary layoffs in the education sector over the Christmas holiday.