The north west of the country has been handed a major jobs boost with 350 positions announced in County Sligo.

The positions are being created at multinational Abtran.

The firm provides international outsourcing for businesses across a number of different sectors.

The company already employs over 2,000 people in Cork, Dublin, Kildare and Southern India.

"Tremendous day"

Announcing the new jobs this morning, Business Minister Heather Humphreys said it is a “tremendous day for Abtran, for Sligo and for the North West.”

“The fact that they have chosen to invest in the North West to serve their business markets both at home and abroad is a testament to the confidence they have in the region and its talented workforce,” she said.

“Ireland will continue to be an acknowledged leader in this sector driven by initiatives like this by Abtran.”

Recruitment

The announcement is part of a regional jobs expansion strategy by the company in Ireland – with Sligo selected for the location of its major new operations hub.

The facility will be based at Finisklin Business Park in the county and will be up and running in a couple of months.

Recruitment for the new positions is already underway and a major Jobs Fair will be announced by the company next week.

Abtran chief executive Pat Ryan told Ocean FM why they decided to locate in the North West:

“We had been visiting various counties and sites around the country and we made the decision a number of months ago based on the availability of talent within the region,” he said.

He said company management is “delighted with the news today.”