PayPal has confirmed it is to cut a total of 307 jobs from its Irish operations in Dundalk and Dublin.
A company spokesperson said: "We are proposing to remove a selection of roles in Dundalk and Dubin subject to consultation with employees and we notified employees in the affected teams of the consultation earlier today."
Responding this afternoon, Tánaiste and Minister for Employment Leo Varadkar said the news "will come as a real shock to the staff working at Paypal’s Dundalk and Blanchardstown offices, their families and communities."
"I have spoken with the Paypal leadership team and expressed my disappointment at the decision and the impact it will have on their employees. The company has assured me that Paypal remains committed to Ireland and the remaining 2,000 staff the company will continue to employ here," he said.
Mr Varadkar added that the Government will make all necessary State assistance available to impacted workers, "to help them find new employment, education and training opportunities as soon as possible."
Next wave of growth
The PayPal spokesperson said the company was examining “changes that may be necessary to shape the business for the future for our next wave of growth, so making sure we have got the scale, we can scale to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
It is understood 172 roles in Dundalk and 135 in Dublin will be impacted by the changes, with some work being relocated, possibly to Asia, while other positions are being axed.
The spokesperson said PayPal “remains committed to Dundalk and Dublin and Ireland as a whole".
"We are committed to ensuring that anyone who leaves under the proposed changes is treated fairly and generously.”
Sinn Féin TD for Louth Ruairí Ó Murchú said: “Now is not the time that anybody would like to be losing a job. We have seen the cost of everything whether fuel, shopping, rental situation and the cost of housing.”
Independent Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick said the job cuts are "very disappointing for Dundalk and staff who have shown great commitment and loyalty to PayPal."
"I am awaiting more information and I will do my best to reverse this decision and make sure that workers are treated fairly," he added.
