Fears of jobs cuts at Irish operations of Boston Scientific 

Boston Scientific employs 7,000 people across its sites in Galway, Cork, and Clonmel in Tipperary

Boston Scientific's facility in Galway. The company employs 7,000 workers at its Irish operations across Galway, Cork, and Clonmel.

There are fears of job losses at Boston Scientific, which employs 7,000 people across its sites in Galway, Cork, and Clonmel in Tipperary.

The company informed the Dept of Enterprise of plans for collective redundancy, after providing the statutory notice which must be provided when more than 30 workers will be affected. "The Department received a notification of proposed collective redundancies from Boston Scientific on 22 July 2026," a statement from the Dept of Enterprise said.

Boston Scientific has had a presence in Ireland for over three decades, first establishing operations in Ireland in 1994. Its Irish operations produce over 30m devices each year for patients worldwide. The Cork site, located on Model Farm Road, has operated since 1997.

In April this year, the company said it was investing €75m at its site in Galway to expand its research and development capabilities for new technologies in its cardiovascular section.

On Wednesday, Boston Scientific cut its annual profit forecast, citing slower growth for its Watchman heart device and tougher competition in its US electrophysiology business. "We now expect the second half to be more pressured than we originally anticipated," CEO Michael Mahoney told analysts, calling the updated outlook a "realistic view" of the back half of the year.

Mr Mahoney said the forecast cut reflected weakness in Watchman and greater-than-expected competitive pressure in the U.S. electrophysiology market, which has led to market share losses. He said both trends were expected to persist into 2027. "We're clearly not pleased with this change. It's not the outcome that we planned for," he said.

On Monday, Boston Scientific's board approved a new company-wide restructuring plan to cut costs and support future growth.

Labour’s enterprise spokesperson George Lawlor said the spectre of job losses at Boston Scientific was a very worrying sign as Trump’s tariffs continue to spread uncertainty across businesses globally. “Boston Scientific has been a strong and important employer for many people in communities across the country and news of potential job losses will be deeply worrying the employees impacted, their families and their communities," said Mr Lawlor

“Management must engage in good faith and protect jobs where possible. This is a highly skilled and highly qualified workforce who look set to be casualties in the deep uncertainty that Trump’s tariffs are spreading internationally. There is no silver bullet to solve this challenge, but we do need to see a plan coming from Government to protect jobs in the face of this threat."

Additional reporting by Reuters