ABB Wessel Dublin facility to close

ABB Wessel is to close its Dublin facility with the loss of 120 jobs, to be phased in over the next 12 months.

The company which also has a location in Longford is part of the Swiss-Swedish engineering group ABB.

In a statement, the company said the decision had been made due to trading conditions, but that it intended to consolidate its operations at its Longford facility. The company said it would work to ensure a fair redundancy package.

The Tánaiste Mary Harney expressed her dismay at the announcement of the job losses : " this is a huge blow for the workers who have lost their jobs".

"Finding alternative employment for the workers is now a priority", she added.

The ABB Wessel plant at Finglas, Dublin is exclusively an energy cable production facility. In Longford, the company produces copper twisted pair cables for telecom and network data applications. ABB Wessel employs 200 people between the two locations and has a turnover of €50m.