Every effort will be made to re-employ up to 350 people whose jobs are at risk at the Motorola plant outside Cork city, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin said today.
Mr Martin said Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and FÁS will be helping staff in coming weeks.
The electronics and mobile phone firm said it has begun talks with employees that could potentially result in the loss of 350 jobs at its engineering facility at its Mahon plant.
Mr Martin said: "We did not know this was coming down the tracks, and it is a shock because what is proposed is the full closure of the engineering section. Of course it was very clear that the company was in difficulty.
"Internationally, the company has not been performing well and missed its targets in the last quarter of 2006 and as a direct consequence 3,500 jobs are being shed worldwide. That is a global decision and Cork is part of that."
Mr Martin said efforts will be made to match up redundant workers with some of the 2,800 jobs announced in the past 12 months by the IDA in the Cork region.
Motorola has refused to confirm the total shutdown of the plant but said a proposal to cease all engineering functions was being considered.