Celestica to axe 250 jobs in north Dublin

Electronics company Celestica has announced that it is to shed up to half of its 500-strong workforce in north Dublin.

The company blamed the jobs cut on a poor trading conditions and said a global restructuring plan was being prepared. However, the company's general manager in Ireland, Terry O'Shea, said that the company remained committed to maintaining a "strategic presence in Ireland".

Celestica took over the former Motorola plant in Swords Count Dublin and retained many of the jobs at the former telecommunications plant.

However, on the back of a failure in a recovery of the electronics sector, jobs fears at the plant grew as Celestica announced a worldwide cutback in its 40,000-strong workforce by 15% in July this year.

Tánaiste Mary Harney said that the news of the jobs losses would be a severe blow to the Celestica workers and their families.

The Minister for Trade Enterprise and Employment said that the IDA and Enterprise Ireland would continue to work to attract additional investment to the area.

Celestica is also to shed 500 jobs at it Kidsgrove facility in the UK as it continues to shift production resources to Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe in a bid to reduce costs.

The company hopes to make savings of between $300 million and $375 million as part of the global restructuring initiative.

(SP)