Flexibility, co-operation and staff support won the day for Limerick and Ireland in Dell's decision to locate its expansion here, a senior official at the company's existing Limerick plant said yesterday.

Mr Dick Kennedy, site director at the Raheen plant, said that before the company's chairman and chief executive, Mr Michael Dell, came to Ireland, he studied the fortunes of a dozen chief executives of international companies operating in Europe.

"What he found in that objective assessment signalled in Ireland's favour. There has not been a single challenge set to Dell in the seven-and-a-half years in Limerick that has not been met or has taken from that assessment," he added.

He said that, in return for staff support and flexibility, Dell had to be very much up-front in its dealings with employees.

Mr Kennedy, a Limerick man, was speaking at a press conference at Dell's Raheen plant its European manufacturing facility to coincide with the official announcement of the expansion.

The PC business, he said, was a case of "one eye on today and another eye on tomorrow". Some companies had learned that, but others had not.

He said that, of the 2,600 employees to be taken on immediately in Limerick and over the next three years, 40 to 45 per cent would be third-level engineering graduates.

Long-term unemployed people in their late 20s would be considered for employment and the company might also recruit people in their mid-30s and early 40s. As part of the expansion, Dell will acquire the plant used by AST, where 430 jobs are under threat.