175 Medtronic staff asked to relocate abroad - but will get redundancy if they want to stay

Management at Ireland's largest company say they are not eliminating jobs at their Dublin base - simply relocating them.

Medical devices firm Medtronic has warned 175 call centre staff in Cherrywood business park that their roles are being transferred to other European locations by next summer.

Employees have been invited to apply for the overseas posts, but many workers are unwilling to move.

Customer care representatives will meet with their union tonight to discuss the situation and the options for staff.

American firm Medtronic paid almost €50bn to buy Dublin-based surgical supplies group Covidien last year, making them this country's biggest firm.

HR director Robert O'Brien said they would discuss fair redundancy deals with workers who did not wish to emigrate.

"It's too early to talk about packages. Our focus is on other solutions," he said.

"In the event that people cannot relocate...Medtronic will have a very competitive and fair, market-based package, should that arise."