ONLINE payments company Paypal is expected to announce a massive expansion of its workforce in Ireland by taking on another 1,000 staff in a customer care centre in Dundalk.

The eBay subsidiary, which already employs more than 1,500 people at its European headquarters in Blanchardstown in west Dublin, is to confirm the investment at lunchtime.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is to join senior company executives and IDA Ireland officials to make the jobs announcement in central Dublin.

It is understood the new positions will be in a PayPal customer care centre in Dundalk.

PayPal is the global leader in online payment solutions. It was founded in 1998 and has 123 million customers in 103 markets worldwide.

FOLLOWING the announcement of 1,000 jobs for Dundalk by PayPal, the head of the town’s Chamber of Commerce, Paddy Malone, stated that this investment will have a “wide reaching effect” on the local area and put the region on the map.

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat only moments after being informed by RTE of the jobs boost this morning, Mr Malone stated that this is the “biggest thing to happen to Dundalk since the visit of Bill Clinton over ten years ago.”

Mr Malone believes it was the Town’s excellent infrastructure and communications that led to PayPal’s decision to choose Dundalk ahead of Limerick.

The possibility for further future investment by other companies is another major benefit from PayPals investment according to Mr Malone. “Other companies will look at this move by PayPal and think ‘why has such a major company gone to Dundalk?’ It will create a huge interest in Dundalk has a place for future investment and jobs.”

He also stated that the Chamber of Commerce will do everything within its power to facilitate PayPal in its future role within Dundalk.