TECHNOLOGY COMPANY APPLE has announced the creation of 500 jobs as it plans to expand its Cork base.

The company has been in Cork for over 30 years and has around 2,800 employees. The announcement has been welcomed as “great news for Cork and the wider Southern area” by the IDA.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton said that the government and IDA have been involved in the project for several months and met with Apple representatives in Ireland and in the US.

Bruton described Apple’s announcement as a “huge boost for the country” and a “great testament to the company’s workforce, a great vote of confidence in the future of our economy”.

“This development continues the strong trend of investment over the past years in Ireland, in particular from global ICT companies and demonstrates Ireland’s continuing success in attracting FDI additional investment,” IDA Ireland CEO Barry O’Leary said in a statement.

Apple confirmed to RTÉ that it would build a three-story office block beside its current operation in Cork and the new jobs will be added over the coming 18 months as the company expands operations for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.

A number of Apple jobs are currently being advertised online at Adverts.ie.