Local representatives in Bray, Co Wicklow yesterday labelled news of the loss of some 100 jobs at a multinational hard drive manufacturer as "another employment body blow" for the area.
A spokesman for local TD and Minister for the Environment Dick Roche also said he "deeply regretted" the loss of the jobs at Maxtor in Bray.
He said Mr Roche will be in touch with the IDA and his colleague, Minister for Enterprise Micheál Martin, to discuss the matter. "Jobs and investment in Bray is a priority for the Government and has been a priority," he added.
Local Fine Gael councillor John Ryan, who highlighted the issue yesterday, said Maxtor, which was recently taken over by Seagate, plans to cut 100 jobs by February.
"[ It] has commenced a redundancy programme which will see job numbers falling from 139 to a mere 33. The redundancy programme at the company is due to be completed by February 2007," he said. "It has been a black year for Bray from an employment perspective and this latest news - which has been confirmed in the last 24 hours by Wicklow County Council through conversations with the IDA - is the last thing this town needs."
A Maxtor representative would not make any comment when contacted by The Irish Times yesterday evening.
Labour Party deputy leader and local TD Liz McManus described the news as a "shocking blow" for the workers who are to be made redundant.
"Bray has suffered significantly in recent years through the loss of hundreds of jobs in companies such as Dell and AO Smith. Now 100 more jobs are going at Maxtor," she said.
The Minister for Enterprise should request the industrial development agencies to make Bray a priority area for new investment, Ms McManus said.