150 jobs are to be created in Blanchardstown in Dublin following the decision by PayPal to expand its Irish operations while a further 50 positions are to be established in Athlone by American Medical Systems Holdings.
The positions to be created by PayPal will be in the field of customer service and merchant services, and will require candidates to be fluent in English and a second European lanaguage.
The online payments company already employs more than 1,200 people at its European headquarters in Blanchardstown.The centre provides operational and customer support to PayPal's businesses across Europe.
This is the fourth time PayPal has announced an expansion in Dublin in the last two years, according to Louise Phelan, senior director for global customer services & EU merchant services at PayPal's European operations.
"We have gone from strength to strength since the Taoiseach officially opened our European Centre of Excellence in March 2009. I look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to our Centre of Excellence here at Blanchardstown. I would also like to thank the IDA for the support we have received from it over the years.”
The company, which allows customers to send money without sharing financial information, opened in Dublin in 2003. Over the last eight years, staff numbers have increased from 25 to more than 1,200.
In 2009 the company secured a €15 million investment from the IDA to open its European centre of excellence in Blanchardstown.
Paypal, which is owned by eBay, has more than 94 million active accounts in 190 markets across the world.
ICT Ireland, the IBEC group that represents the high-tech sector, welcomed the announcement, highlighting in particular the fact that the positions require fluency in two European languages.
“Today’s announcement underpins Ireland’s strength in attracting significant foreign investment in the technology sector" Paul Sweetman, ICT Ireland Director said. "The technology sector is continuing to create jobs, with over 750 new positions already announced in 2011. The next Government must work to restore competitiveness to ensure further growth.”
Elsewhere, medical devices firm American Medical Systems Holdings (AMS) said today it is to create 50 new jobs as part of a €4.6 million expansion in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
The firm, which supplies devices to treat urological and pelvic health conditions, is to establish a new manufacturing facility for products used in the treatment of female continence products and pelvic floor repair. It will also manufacture some male continence products.
“This is the first manufacturing operation AMS has established outside of the United States, and it is of significant strategic importance as the company grows its international presence,” said Thomas Rasmussen, vice president of global operations and supply chain,.
“The decision to locate in Athlone was strongly based on the cluster of leading life sciences companies located here and the opportunity to partner with such companies in the processes carried out by AMS," he added.