Zurich to create 240 Irish jobs

Some 240 new jobs are being created in Ireland by Zurich Insurance.

Enterprise Minister Batt O'Keeffe made the announcement this morning, and the new investment will bring the company's total workforce in Ireland to 1,100.

The new jobs are part of a two-year recruitment drive.

Already 120 of the positions have been filled at a new business centre in Wexford.

The remainder are going to two of the company's European Centres in Dublin - the IFSC and Blackrock.

Minister O'Keeffe says Zurich's decision is a strong endorsement of our highly educated and flexible workforce in the financial services sector.

Zurich paidtribute to the type of staff they can recruit here, while a spokesperson said our long-standing EU membership and well-developed insurance market were also factors in choosing Ireland from a number of options open to them.