285 insurance jobs go as 900 created

There was mixed news on the jobs front yesterday with confirmation that while 285 insurance jobs are to be lost, more than 900 mainly seasonal retail jobs are being created.

Liberty Insurance announced that due to a “sharp” decline in its British business, it was letting 285 staff go from its Cavan, Dublin, and Enniskillen bases.

It said over the last 12 months it had operated that business on behalf of the administrators of Quinn Insurance with about 700 of its 1,450 staff.

Liberty said it hoped most of the 285 redundancies will be on a voluntary basis.

Staff and management are to enter a “consultation period” over the next 30 days.

In a statement last night, the Quinn family said the jobs losses were “a terrible indictment on the deal agreed by Anglo Irish Bank and the joint administrators of Quinn Insurance in Apr 2011”.

Meanwhile, Danish retailer Only is to create 200 jobs as it opens more than 20 stores across the country over the next three years. A store on Dublin’s Grafton St and one in Kilkenny will open on Dec 6.

Two of the country’s biggest retailers are bolstering staff numbers to deal with the Christmas rush.

Boots is to create 400 full- and part-time positions in its Irish stores for six weeks over Christmas while Hea-tons will create 250 temporary roles at its 52 stores.

DocMorris is to open its first pharmacy in Ballyfermot, Dublin, with the creation of 10 jobs.