eBay will close its Dundalk operation next year
Former stablemate PayPal says it needs the space to expand its business.
EBAY IS TO close its Dundalk facility next year after its one-time stablemate PayPal served it notice to leave the building.
Last July, PayPal separated from eBay Inc with the payments firm taking over as landlords of the county Louth building, where the auction site employed around 150 staff.
In a statement today, eBay confirmed it had been given notice to leave the building. It added:
“We will begin a formal consultation process with our colleagues in Dundalk and will share any further information with them as a matter of priority.”
PayPal controls the tenancy of the building and it said the move came because it wanted to further expand its Irish operations in the coming year.
It said in a separate statement:
“Following eBay’s announcement today, we wish to reaffirm PayPal’s commitment to Ireland and our growing operations centres in Dundalk and Dublin. Our teams in Dundalk and Dublin play an integral part in our European and global operations.”
“Our operations will expand and move into the office space vacated by eBay,” it said.
It is anticipated that eBay is to close its operations in the Dundalk facility in the second quarter of 2017. EBay’s Irish staff were notified of the decision at a meeting today.
Disappointing
Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Declan Breathnach, said he remains hopeful that staff operating in Dundalk can be facilitated in transferring to a new role within the company, or to another firm in the locality.
“It’s disappointing that the government failed to convince eBay to continue with their operations in Dundalk,” he said.
“Serious questions also have to be asked as to why eBay decided to close its operations just over three years after moving its European HQ to Dundalk.”
Written by Aoife Barry and posted on TheJournal.ie
