BUPA, the international health care organisation, which has already announced its intention to enter the Irish market, is to locate its main operational centre in Fermoy, Co Cork, the company said yesterday.

The BUPA headquarters will be based at Fitzwilliam Square in Dublin, and in Fermoy, where 30 people will be employed initially. Local recruitment will begin immediately. The Fermoy operation will be run from the building formerly occupied by Met Life, and will be used to process claims, register members and new subscriptions, as well as dealing with customer queries.

Announcing the decision BUPA's manager in Ireland, Mr Martin O'Rourke, said the company was delighted to be locating in Fermoy where a pool of experienced employees was available. BUPA had already begun advertising for staff, and training would be provided in the new facility. The first company to offer a choice in health insurance to Irish consumers, BUPA would be operational by the end of the year, he added.