Online giants to create 800 Irish jobs

Tánaiste Mary Harney welcomed the news that leading internet marketplace, eBay and its secure online payments subsidiary, PayPal is to create 800 new jobs over the next three years.

PayPal will establish its European headquarters in Blanchardstown, Dublin, where 400 of the new jobs will be created in hosting PayPal's European customer services and financial services functions for the European market. Recruitment is already underway.

In addition, in 2004, eBay will establish its second customer support centre in Europe to provide services for its UK, Ireland and other European customers and this will employ up to an additional 400 people by end 2005.

Commenting on the news, the Tánaiste said: "This is excellent news and a timely boost for Blanchardstown and for the economy generally. To attract an established and world leading Internet company such as eBay and its subsidiary PayPal to Ireland reflects the growing profile of the country as a top location for global Internet services.

"Added to the recent announcements by Google and Overture, Ireland is now home to three of the world's highest profile Internet companies."

eBay was founded in California in 1995 and has grown to become the leading Internet auction site and one of the top five Internet destinations.

PayPal, a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay, is the market leader in secure on-line transactions. The company operates an on-line Internet marketplace where buyers and sellers buy and trade goods and services, the payments of which are managed and secured by PayPal.

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