GE says Nice defeat may hit Irish operation

The head of General Electric's European operations said today a second defeat by Ireland of the Nice Treaty would affect its …

The head of General Electric's European operations said today a second defeat by Ireland of the Nice Treaty would affect its future investment here.

The company, the world's largest manufacturing group, employs around 2,200 people on in Ireland.

Asked whether a second No vote would affect GE's Irish-based businesses, GE Europe's Chief Executive Mr Ferdinando Beccalli said such a result would impact both plans by his company and foreign investment in Ireland generally.

"It wouldn't affect the presence we have today in Ireland but as far as future investment, yes, it would affect it. GE along with everyone else," he told the Reuters news agency.

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"But we hope it will go in the best possible way, which is that Yes comes through. Like everybody else in Europe we're watching it carefully."

GE, like many other US-based multinationals, has invested heavily in Ireland in recent years.