500 Jobs To Be Axed At HP Inc In Co Kildare

Approximately 500 jobs are to be axed at the HP Inc facility in Leixlip, Co Kildare.

The firm has announced that its manufacturing facility in the town is to close.

Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson for Jobs, Maurice Quinlivan, said the area 'needs prioritisation' from the IDA and that education and training courses should be made available for the workforce to help them to find alternative employment.

He said: "HP has been a major employer in Leixlip since 1995. The loss of this site and these jobs will be a major blow to the area.

"The scale of the jobs losses in today's announcement by HP Inc. is shocking. Whilst HP Inc. had announced in October last year that it would be cutting 3,000 to 4,000 jobs globally over the next three years, nobody expected 500 people to lose their jobs in Leixlip. Questions must be asked about what has happened in the intervening period.

"As the company have indicated that jobs will be transferred abroad, we must ensure, if possible, that the EU globalisation fund should be accessed early and that particular opportunity of funding not wasted as has been the case in previous large scale jobs losses.

"Those people who have lost their jobs must be given access to proper education and training courses to help them to find alternative employment. It is a very stressful time for them and their families as many will struggle to pay mortgages and pay their daily bills."

Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North, James Lawless, said: "My first thoughts are with the staff at HP in Leixlip and their families. Today's news is a devastating blow for them. HP has been a major employer in Kildare since it first opened its site in Leixlip in 1995. The company quickly grew in size and became a major employer in the region with thousands of people working in its manufacturing plant.

"The staff must be must be given every support possible as decisions are made about voluntary redundancies. HP has been a major employer in Kildare for over two decades and many of the staff will have worked there for years. Everything must be done to ensure that they are offered redundancy terms that reflect their years of service and loyalty to the company.

"These job losses will undoubtedly have a wider knock on effect on the local economy. The Government needs to ensure that workers are given the support they need to find alternative employment. Many of the workers are highly skilled so I'm hopeful that they will be able to look for employment opportunities in businesses which are currently expanding in Kildare."

(CD/JP)