Auction house eBay to create 880 jobs

THE 800 jobs to be created in Dublin by eBay and its secure online payments subsidiary PayPal will take a number of years to materialise it emerged yesterday.

And employment black- spot Carlow is gearing up for a 550-plus jobs boom as the country’s first health park gets the green light.

Carlow County Council has just given permission for the US-style development.

It will feature a 40-bed hospital as well as a 104-bed nursing home, diagnostic centre, sports injury clinic and convalescent homes.

It is a huge boost to Carlow, the only county in the country that does not have a general hospital.

Enterprise and Trade Minister Tánaiste Mary Harney yesterday welcomed the announcement by what she described as the world’s leading internet marketplace eBay to set up operations in Dublin.

Up to 800 jobs will be created by 2005 and recruitment already underway for the PayPal operations.

PayPal is to establish its European headquarters in Blanchardstown, Dublin, where 400 of the jobs will be created in hosting PayPal’s European customer services and financial services functions for the European market.

Next year eBay says that it will establish its second customer support centre in Europe to provide services for its British, Irish and other European customers.

However, it is anticipated that this operation will employ up to an additional 400 people by end 2005.

The Tánaiste said: “This is excellent news and a timely boost for Blanchardstown and for the economy generally. To attract an established and world leading internet company such as eBay and its subsidiary PayPal to Ireland reflects the growing profile of the country as a top location for global internet services.

Added to the recent announcements by Google and Overture, Ireland is now home to three of the world’s highest profile internet companies.

“The creation of 800 jobs in the digital business sector is an indication of the wealth of skills and knowledge available in Ireland.

“It also reflects the significantly improved levels of access, business services and infrastructure, particularly in telecommunications, in Dublin,” she said.

Work on the €100 million Carlow project is expected to begin within weeks.

As many as 300 jobs will be created in its construction. And several hundred more will be generated when the park is up and running within the next 18 months, one of its developers local dentist Dr Jim Madden said.

The public/private venture will be partially funded by the departments of health and finance, and the EU. It is being spearheaded by Redhill Properties, headed by building expert Stephen Murphy and Dr Madden.

Delta Homes (Ireland) Ltd, Ireland’s first indigenous offsite manufacturer of quality pods and house extensions, yesterday announced the creation of 100 jobs at their new 40,000sq ft manufacturing facility at Cobh Dockyard, Co Cork.

It is the first company in Ireland to manufacture bathroom pods and modular house extensions in a factory environment and to deliver them fully finished to site.