Minister attempts to reassure Irish Intel workers amid fears of massive job cuts

Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has stated he does not see “speculation” about massive job losses at Intel changing the company’s Irish plans.

It comes as he has been urged to engage with the company to provide clarity on whether Irish jobs are at risk as part of a global headcount reduction.

According to reports from Bloomberg on Wednesday, Intel is poised to announce plans to cut over 21,000 jobs, roughly 20% of its workforce.

The impending layoffs, which could be announced as early as this week, are part of a strategy by the company to streamline management and to refocus on an engineering-driven culture, the report said.

Intel had around 108,900 employees at the end of last year, with the company currently employing 4,900 people in Ireland.

While it's still unclear how the job cuts will be distributed across the company, if the losses are shared across the business, it could impact the company's manufacturing facility in Leixlip, Co Kildare.

Insiders have indicated that most jobs lost will be in administration, sales, human resources and other non-core business areas.

The uncertainty around Intel’s decision has led to calls for Minister Burke to seek “urgent clarity” on potential job losses in Ireland.

In a statement to the Irish Mirror, the Fine Gael minister said that Ireland plays an “important role in Intel’s plans”.

Mr Burke said: “I continue to engage with Intel, supported by colleagues in IDA Ireland, ahead of the company’s Q1 financial results being announced [on Thursday] night.

“We have a very strong relationship with management in Intel, both in Ireland and the US, with the company investing significantly here over the last 35 years, most recently opening Fab 34 in 2023 with an investment of €17 billion.

“Ireland continues to play an important role in Intel's plans as the European hub for manufacturing semiconductors and we don’t see speculation around headcount reduction changing this.

“We continue to partner with Intel in areas of research and innovation and our upcoming National Semiconductor Strategy launch will further enhance this important sector.

“I appreciate speculation is very difficult for staff in Leixlip, and we will continue our engagement with management over the coming weeks and months.”

Social Democrats TD for Kildare North, Aidan Farrelly, said the reports “are hugely concerning for its thousands of staff in Leixlip”.

He said: “The Minister should also make clear that State supports for workers, should they be required, will be available and in place immediately.

“Intel has invested significantly in Leixlip, where it employs almost 5,000 people - those workers and their families deserve to know its plans for the future.

“Despite the grim headlines, there is reason for optimism in Leixlip given the huge investment Intel has made in its plant and the high-tech manufacturing that takes place there.

“The company must now clarify its plans at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Higher Education Minister James Lawless, also a TD for Kildare North, said: "Leixlip is well placed as it is already focused on engineering, chip design [and] advanced manufacturing”.

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