THE MEDICAL DEVICES and drugs company Abbott is to cut 200 jobs from a based in Co Tipperary.

The jobs will be cut through a round of voluntary redundancies from Abbott’s facility in Clonmel.

About 1,400 people are employed at the facility, which manufactures vascular products.

The company said it was entering a “30-day consultation period” with employees to discuss how the redundancies could be managed.

It said the adjustments were part of a global programme “to meet the evolving needs of the business and to remain competitive in a challenging global environment”.

In addition to the 200 staff, “a few dozen” contractor positions will be dropped at the end of March when current contracts expire.

Abbott said the Clonmel site remained important to its global manufacturing network.

“Going forward, the Clonmel site will focus primarily on the manufacture of newer, advanced medical devices that incorporate a drug and device combination,” it said, saying capital investment would be made later this year to affirm the plant’s futur.

“We regret the impact of this adjustment on our employees in Clonmel and the wider community, and our focus is on supporting our impacted employees. Favourable redundancy terms and outplacement services will be provided to affected employees,” it said.

Clonmel-based MEP Phil Prendergast said the announcement was “very distressing news for the workforce, their families, and the wider community”.

“The company must give all workers in that situation the full picture in terms of its intentions and their entitlements as soon as possible,” she said.

Local TD Tom Hayes, of Fine Gael, said job losses at any time were tough but redundancies at this particular time were particularly tough.

“Unfortunately, Clonmel appears to have taken the brunt of Abbott’s restructuring plan as it is the only one of the eleven Abbott locations in Ireland to be impacted by this decision,” he said.

“My thoughts are with the staff at this difficult time.”

Four months ago the company said it was cutting about 180 jobs from a plant in Ballytivnan, Co Sligo, with the jobs to be lost throughout this year.

Read: 180 jobs to go at Abbott in Sligo in unexpected cut