The chief executive of Eircom, Paul Donovan, has responded to reports that it is planning to reduce its workforce by up to 2,000. The company announced last year that it intended to cut 1,200 jobs by March next year.
Mr Donovan told Morning Ireland Eircom would have to be more efficient and have lower costs, but whether this would be through fewer jobs or more efficient work practices was still being discussed by unions.
750 jobs at three firms confirmed
Meanwhile, more than 750 jobs have been confirmed by three separate companies.
Ground handling company Sky Handling Partner has created 50 jobs at its base in Dublin Airport over the past three months. The new positions are a result of increases to the flight schedules of the company's customer airlines. They bring the total number employed by SHP at Dublin and Shannon airports to more than 300 people.
As reported last month, 425 jobs will be provided in Dublin by Stream Global Services, a US company that operates call centres. Enterprise, Trade & Innovation Minister Batt O'Keeffe said the investment showed that Ireland could continue to attract top global companies in difficult times. IDA Ireland is supporting the investment.
Stream said last month it had won a contract with Microsoft to support customers of its Xbox 360 games console to the European market, with the Dublin office responsible for European customers.
Retailer Applegreen has also confirmed it is generating 300 full and part-time jobs at three motorway service stations in Counties Dublin, Louth and Meath.
Two will be located on the M1 - at Castlebellingham, Co Louth and at Lusk Co Dublin - and one on the M4 at Enfield Co Kildare.
