160 new jobs from industry projects in Dublin, Offaly

NEW projects in tele-marketing and pharmaceuticals will create 160 jobs in companies in Dublin and Offaly.

The biggest single project, by Sherwood Medical Industries, will create 102 additional jobs at the US-based company's plant at Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The company has decided to manufacture chest drainage products at Tullamore, in addition to the company's existing product range.

Sherwood will invest £1.3 million in capital equipment. An IDA Ireland spokeswoman said the company had previously carried out this part of its manufacturing in the US.

Sherwood currently manufactures disposable plastic medical devices in Tullamore. It set up a plant here in 1982 and currently employs 550 people.

The Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, said yesterday that Sherwood's decision to transfer the manufacturing to Ireland was a tribute to the ability of the Irish workforce "to deliver quality products on time and at a competitive cost".

Sherwood, which has received £5 million in IDA grant aid since it located here, is part of the American Home Products (AHP) group.

Other Irish subsidiaries are Wyeth in Askeaton, Co Limerick, Wyeth Medical in Newbridge, Co Kildare and Fort Dodge Laboratories in Sligo. Between them the three companies employ more than 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, Hertz is to establish a telephone-based call centre at Swords, Co Dublin. It will create jobs for 60 people immediately.

The new operation will be based in part of the Motorola facility at Swords.

Operating from next month, it will handle calls from Hertz customers in Britain as well as out-of-hours calls, public holiday calls and volume overflow from other European centres.

Hertz is the largest car rental company in the world and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford. It has operations in 150 countries and has more than 20,000 staff, based at 5,400 locations worldwide.

Mr Bruton said yesterday that the development of industry in the State had been greatly assisted by transfers from the EU structural funds. "In particular, the EU contributes part of the grant aid for employment and training awarded by IDA Ireland," he said in a statement.