PayPal, the global online payments company, and Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD will create 1,000 jobs over the next four years at PayPal’s new European Operations Centre in Dundalk, Co Louth. The jobs are supported by Government through IDA Ireland.

The new Dundalk Operations Centre will open in July 2012. It will be eBay Inc.’s third site in Ireland, complementing PayPal and eBay locations in Dublin.

The PayPal centres in Dublin and Dundalk will be responsible for customer service, risk prevention, financial operations, merchant services and sales across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), when the european HQ remains in Luxembourg. PayPal is seeking to fill roles across a range of activities including customer support, operations, finance, sales and compliance. More information about these employment opportunities can be found at http://www.paypal.com/ie/jobsinireland or http://jobs.ebaycareers.com/

Louise Phelan, vice president of global operations for PayPal in EMEA, said “This is a great day for PayPal Ireland and is truly a testament to the proven track record of our existing operation in Ireland. I am very proud to support Irish job creation and look forward to working with our new teammates in Dundalk. IDA Ireland has been a close partner of PayPal’s since we established our first location in 2003, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with IDA in the coming years.

“Our new employees will be joining PayPal at an exciting time. Our vision is to help people pay for things anytime, anywhere and on any type of electronic device. We’re reimagining money to work better for consumers and businesses at a time when the line between the online world and the high street is breaking down. Our new teammates in Dundalk and Dublin will help us create the future of money.”

Making the announcement with PayPal, Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said “ Today’s announcement by PayPal of 1,000 new jobs is great news for Ireland and for the northeast. This is a great signal of confidence in Ireland and in our talented workforce. It is a clear recognition of the opportunities that Ireland offers global leaders like PayPal. Our Action Plan on Jobs published last week will help to ensure that this is just the first of many similar anouncements over the coming year.”

This is a great day for PayPal Ireland and is truly a testament to the proven track record of our existing operation in Ireland, Louise Phelan, vice president of global operations for PayPal in EMEA says. I am very proud to support Irish job creation and look forward to working with our new teammates in Dundalk. IDA Ireland has been a close partner of PayPal’s since we established our first location in 2003, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with IDA in the coming years.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “PayPal is not only a world-leading company but also an innovator which continually breaks new ground in how we do business online. Today’s announcement is fantastic news for the Irish economy and for hundreds of families around Dundalk. Through the Action Plan for Jobs, this government is determined to ensure that thousands more families around the country will get news like this over the coming years”.

Commenting on the announcement IDA Ireland CEO Barry O’Leary said “Employment intensive investments are a key part of IDA’s Horizon 2020 strategy. This announcement by PayPal capitalizes on the growth of services globally. The investment demonstrates that Ireland’s Gateway locations provide the key skills and business infrastructure required by global leaders such as PayPal. It is a clear endorsement of Ireland’s attractiveness to multinational investors and will have a significant impact in the wider North East region.”

PayPal’s European operation centre opened in Dublin in 2003. Since then the number of staff has increased from just 25 to more than 1,400 today. In 2009, PayPal invested €15 million in the establishment of a European Centre of Excellence in Blanchardstown, with the support of IDA Ireland. The Dublin centre manages all direct customer contact for PayPal’s businesses across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and its nearly 42 million active accounts in these regions.