Still no clarity for Dundalk PayPal workers

PayPal workers in Dundalk and Dublin are “still none the wiser” as to whether the company’s announcement of 2,000 job cuts will hit them or not, according to Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú.

The Dundalk TD said he had written to the company last week seeking an update, because it will be one month today, February 28, since the American multinational announced a seven percent reduction in its global workforce.

He also raised the matter of PayPal in Dundalk with An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during Taoiseach’s Questions last week in Leinster House, telling the Fine Gael leader he was worried about the jobs, on the day that Google announced 240 positions would be cut from their Irish operations.

And in a written response to the Sinn Féin deputy last week, Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney said:

“On 31 January 2023, PayPal’s CEO announced that the company would seek a 7% reduction of its global workforce, or 2,000 people globally.

“As with any global announcement, it can take some time for the impact at local level to be determined and we currently await detail of the impact on employment in Ireland.

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“The IDA Ireland engages regularly with PayPal as part of the Agency’s ongoing support for the company.

“The IDA has good relationships with Irish and corporate management at PayPal which is a key employer in the state and the Border Region.

“Recently, IDA Ireland has actively engaged with PayPal in both Dundalk and Dublin regarding transformation, upskilling and the potential for RD&I activity to be carried out in Ireland.

“Throughout IDA’s engagement with PayPal, the company has reaffirmed that Ireland is a location is of strategic importance to PayPal.”

Deputy Ó Murchú said:

“The PayPal quarter four results for 2022, released earlier this month, show an increase in revenue of 7% to $7.4 billion, despite a ‘rough’ 2022.

“However, despite the announcement on January 31 of 2,000 job cuts worldwide, the workforce in Dundalk and at their other site in Ballycoolin, have not had any indication as to whether they will be affected by redundancies.

“Having contacted the company last week, on foot of contact with employees at the site in Dundalk who were asking for an update, PayPal has advised me that they don’t have any information in relation to Ireland at present.

“While I understand that the company has to advise the stock market of the planned reduction, many people were thinking that after the February 9 results announcement, the locations of the cuts would be made clear.

“This hasn’t happened and it is difficult for anyone to work in a job when the Sword of Damocles is hanging over them.”