A total of almost 500 job losses in two companies in counties Offaly and Cork has been announced today.
US medical devices company Boston Scientific is to close its plant in Tullamore, Co Offaly, with the loss of 240 jobs.
The news was broken to workers at the factory this afternoon.
In a statement, Boston Scientific said the closure follows the acquisition of Boston Scientific’s fluid management business in February by Avista Capital Partners, who have chosen to transfer manufacturing of these products to their existing manufacturing facility in the US.
Boston Scientific’s remaining products, currently manufactured in Tullamore, will be transferred and manufactured in the future at its existing facility in Cork.
Boston Scientific employs more than 5,000 people in Ireland, 240 of which are based in Tullamore.
The announcement has been greeted with shock in Tullamore.
The chairman of Tullamore town council, Councillor Sean O'Brien, said the news was devastating for the area.
He added that although the company was offering alternative employment at a plant in Cork, it would simply not be practical for Offaly workers to transfer their jobs to the south.
Elsewhere, one of the country’s leading civil engineering firms has been wound up by the High Court with the loss of all 250 jobs.
Howley Civil Engineering had already been involved in a programme of redundancies, which had seen its workforce reduced from 280 in recent weeks.
Today’s High Court hearing resulted in the offices being closed as business officially ended this afternoon.
The company was headquartered at Rossmore, Carrigtwohill in Co Cork.
Lawyers for an examiner appointed to the company told the High Court that there were no prospects for a third party investor or a survival plan.
The High Court heard previously that the company was insolvent and unable to pay its debts due to a number of factors including the slowdown in the construction sector and additional costs on motorway and retail projects.
The company’s directors had hoped to secure investors but this morning the examiner Brian McEnery asked the court to wind up the company.
Howley once employed 470 people and had a turnover of €40m.
It is understood that one of its largest creditors is owed over €5m.
