Boston fills 400 of 600 plant vacancies

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC has filled 400 of the 600 manufacturing jobs it is creating in Galway, the company said yesterday.

The company said it is still recruiting and expects the remaining 200 positions to be filled by the end of the year.

It also says it is in talks to acquire a 5.5-acre site, near one of its existing facilities in Tullamore, for further expansion. The expansion by Boston Scientific in

Galway will be a boost for the area, which was hit earlier in the year with the closure of the Square D facility in Ballinasloe with the loss of nearly 400 jobs.

However, it was not all good news emanating from the medical device manufacturer.

It said 23 jobs will be eliminated from its Letterkenny facility as a result of lower volumes on certain products. The company said yesterday that it is putting in place an extensive outplacement programme for employees affected by the reduction.

The workers losing their jobs will also be given first consideration for employment opportunities in Boston Scientific’s Galway, Tullamore and Cork facilities.

Boston Scientific says there are no plans at present to discontinue its manufacturing operations in Letterkenny and it will maintain existing staffing levels at its Cork plant.

The company’s chief executive, Jim Tobin, said he was committed to Ireland in the long-term.

“Our Irish operations will continue to play a lead role in the production of our drug-eluting stent system, and we are pleased to announce today that the majority of the new manufacturing jobs will be in Ireland.

"In Letterkenny, we plan to do everything we can to assist those affected, including offering outplacement services and providing opportunities to pursue employment in our other Irish facilities,” Mr Tobin said in a statement.

Boston Scientific announced the creation of 1,200 jobs earlier this year as part of the development of its taxus product.

The drug-coated stents are expected to revolutionise the prevention of clogged arteries.

The mesh devices are used to prop arteries open to improve blood flow.

Boston Scientific is one of the country’s largest multinational employees with more than 2,000 people on the payroll. Confirmation that recruitment plans are at an advanced stage will be a further boost to the economy following the decision by eBay to create 800 jobs in Dublin a week ago.