Two multinational companies are to create 390 jobs in counties Carlow and Cork, it was announced today.
Pharmaceutical giant Merck Sharpe and Dohme is to hire 170 people for a new €200 million vaccine facility in county Carlow. This will bring its Irish workforce to over 700.
Recruitment is to begin in early 2009 and the company said it will be seeking employees across a wide range of disciplines including engineering, pharmacy, microbiology, technology, IT, management, quality control, production, administration, maintenance, safety and environment.
Speaking this morning, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the investment would immediately benefit the region.
"This is an excellent day for Carlow and the South-East region. The benefits of this investment and the boost for the region’s economy will begin to flow immediately, initially through the 300 hundred jobs in the construction phase and long-term through the high quality employment of 170 people in the facility’s operation.
"In addition, the impact of the facility’s need for numerous specialist services and purchases of support activities, combined with the overall ripple effect, will be substantial. This investment represents a very significant consolidation of Ireland’s leadership position as a successful location for substantial biotechnology global investments,” said Mr Cowen.
Elsewhere, Marriott International, one of the world's largest hotel operators, has announced it is to create 220 with the establishment of a second operation in Cork.
Marriott operates more than 3,000 hotels and already employs 160 people in Cork.
The new Cork centre will be responsible for handling reservation and customer inquiry calls for Marriott International's more than 3,100 hotels originating from Ireland, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.
The new centre, which is located in a 10,400 square feet facility in Blackpool, is expected to handle approximately 1,500,000 calls by the end of 2009.