PayPal confirms 1,000 Dundalk jobs

Online payments company PayPal today announced the creation of 1,000 jobs in Dundalk over the next four years with the development of a new European Operations Centre.

The new Dundalk operation, set to open in July of this year, will be the third Irish site for PayPal and its parent eBay. The company already has a 1,350-strong workforce at its European headquarters in Blanchardstown, west Dublin,.

The PayPal centre in Dundalk will be responsible for customer service, risk prevention, financial operations, merchant services and sales across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

"This is a great day for PayPal Ireland and is truly a testament to the proven track record of our existing operation in Ireland," said company spokesperson Louise Phelan.

"I am very proud to support Irish job creation and look forward to working with our new teammates in Dundalk.

Making the announcement with PayPal, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the announcement was great news for Ireland and for the northeast.

"This is a great signal of confidence in Ireland and in our talented workforce," Mr Kenny said.

"It is a clear recognition of the opportunities that Ireland offers global leaders like PayPal."

Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton said PayPal was "an innovator which continually breaks new ground in how we do business online".

"Today’s announcement is fantastic news for the Irish economy and for hundreds of families around Dundalk," the Minister said.

Meanwhile IDA Chief Executive Barry O’Leary said the announcement capitalizes on the growth of services globally, and is "a clear endorsement" of Ireland’s attractiveness to multinational investors.

PayPal’s European operation centre opened in Dublin in 2003. Since then the number of staff has increased from just 25 to more than 1,400 today.

In 2009, PayPal invested €15m in the establishment of a European Centre of Excellence in Blanchardstown, with the support of IDA Ireland.

The Dublin centre manages all direct customer contact for PayPal’s businesses across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and its nearly 42 million active accounts in these regions.

PayPal's operations in Ireland will deal with customers using 14 languages.

Gerald Nash, Labour TD for Louth and East Meath, said the region had won a battle with other EU countries for the PayPal investment.

“This is the largest job announcement in Ireland in over five years. PayPal chose Louth because it is the best place to do business in Ireland. We’ve got a skilled workforce and an excellent infrastructure,” he said.

“I’ve no doubt that we will continue to attract additional investment to the area. PayPal and its parent, eBay, are flagship companies. The decision to locate here is a huge vote of confidence and will inevitably draw the eyes of the business world to Louth.”

Gerry Adams, local Sinn Féin TD, said: “The PayPal investment is a much-needed boost for the local economy which has suffered from a series of job losses in recent times and has seen a consistent increase in the number of citizens on the live register.”

Seamus Kirk, local Fianna Fáil TD, said the expansion will bring direct benefit to the local economy.

“It proves that Ireland remains a very attractive place to do business,” he said.

Recruitment for the new positions in Dundalk will begin in July and about 300 workers are expected to have been hired by the end of the year.

The company said it is seeking to fill roles across a range of activities including customer support, operations, finance, sales and compliance. More information about these employment opportunities can be found on its website.