Broadcaster Sky is to hire 130 new staff to support its customer service operations in Cork.

It has awarded a contract to the business process management company Abtran.

Sky says these roles will join the team already in place, and are being recruited immediately.

The announcement was made in Cork by Minister Simon Coveney along with executives from Sky Ireland and Michael Fitzgerald, the CEO of Abtran.

Sky already employs 900 people in its offices in Dublin.

Minister Coveney said: "I'm delighted to welcome these new jobs in Cork where Sky has chosen Abtran as its business process partner for customer service operations".

"I particularly welcome the continuing growth of Abtran which is a deeply innovative and impressive Irish business and I wish both companies ongoing success in the future".

JD Buckley, managing director of Sky Ireland, added: "As a growing business, our customer contact centres play an integral role in meeting customer requirements".

"We're really pleased to continue our growth and development through this partnership with Abtran which further adds to our strong commitment to provide the highest standards of service for all of our customers throughout Ireland".

In July last year, Abtran also announced 100 new jobs in an expansion of its consulting and technology services division at the IFSC in Dublin.

The company employs over 2,000 people in Cork and Dublin.