Announcement restores region’s confidence

ALMOST 29 months to the day since “Black Thursday” heralded 1,900 job losses at Dell’s Limerick facility, a spring returned to the city step yesterday with the jobs announcement from the US computer giant.

Although the entire manufacturing operation has moved to Poland, up to 1,000 R&D and other high-end customer services jobs were retained at the Raheen plant.

Yesterday’s announcement was welcomed as underpinning Limerick’s reputation as a key location in the company’s global strategy.

The Dell Solution Centre is the first of its kind to be launched and is part of a worldwide network of 22 centres that will reach out to customers to help them access Dell technology and solutions experts.

Limerick Chamber of Commerce chief executive Maria Kelly said the news emphasised that Dell continues to be a key employer in Limerick.

“The news will give a boost to confidence and will be the start of more announcements like this to come,” Ms Kelly said.

“It also shows what a key location Limerick continues to be in the entire worldwide operation.”

Minister for State at the Department of Industry and Trade, Jan O’Sullivan, said the announcement of the additional jobs will help restore confidence in the economy.

“We want Limerick to be an engine of growth in this country,” she said.

“This a very strong region, and has taken a dip in recent years, but I believe that there are very good strong signs with so many enterprising people in this region. The new Dell jobs are very good quality jobs and we must use our strengths to deliver good quality jobs, through the University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology, which both have an enterprise culture which is feeding into the general region.”

Auctioneer Gordon Kearney said the Dell jobs announcement will help give a lift to confidence, particularly in the housing market.

“Any jobs announcement brings back confidence. Confidence is the key,” he said. “Once confidence returns to a region, it gives hope and hopefully it will start getting the banks to lend more practically and more commercially and get things moving again in the Limerick region.”