More than 400 jobs will be created by the Rehab Group as it expands its operations over the next three years.

The independent, not-for-profit organisation will fill another 350 posts at facilities across the UK, Poland and in the Netherlands.

Rehab provides training, employment, health and social care and commercial services for 56,000 people each year, including the disabled and marginalised. The new posts will be in training, education, social care, IT, sales, management and administration.

Chief executive Angela Kerins said Rehab aims to support 75,000 people by 2015.

Most people are familiar with Rehab Group as a provider of services to people with disabilities and others who are marginalised in their communities, but may not be aware that in addition to our health and education services in Ireland and the UK, we run a number of businesses in each of the four countries in which we work.

“For example, Rehab is Ireland’s largest processor of glass for recycling, exporting nearly 100,000 tonnes of glass per year.

“We also operate a resource recovery business in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands and an international logistics business in Poland and the Netherlands, as well as a retail business and significant gaming and lottery interests.”

Ms Keirns said Rehab’s services were recognised internationally with proven results, adding that 90 per cent of people who complete training courses in Ireland goon to further education, training or employment.

“Our overriding objective is to improve the lives of the people we support and to provide sustainable employment for our staff, both with and without disabilities,” she said.

The Rehab Group already employs 2,500 staff based in Ireland and another 1,000 in England, Scotland, Wales, Poland and the Netherlands. Another 115 jobs have been created on Rehab Group construction projects in Limerick, Portlaoise and Sligo.

Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton said a central part of the Government’s plan for jobs and growth is creating a powerful engine of indigenous enterprise.

“Yes, we must continue to attract world-class multinational companies, but we must also ensure that we have more Irish companies growing to scale, competing and succeeding in world markets, and creating more jobs,” he said.

“Rehab is an Irish organisation which had success in its original field, branched out into new sectors, competed and succeeded in export markets and created large-scale employment.”

PA