PC maker Dell announced today that, beginning in July of this year, it will lay off 250 workers in Ireland as part of its global cost-cutting plan, a decision economists said reflected the rising expense of doing business there. Dell employs roughly 4500 people at two locations in Ireland: its biggest European computer-assembly plant in the western city of Limerick and ts European sales and support base in the Dublin suburb of Clondalkin.
Most of the job cuts are expected to affect the Clondalkin facility, which includes sales and marketing staff, technical support and other administrative workers. Dell already has shifted most of its Irish-based telephone support staff to locations ranging from Scotland to India.