Swedish telecoms equipment company Ericsson has confirmed plans to cut 71 jobs at its facility in Clonskeagh, Dublin.

The company, which employs about 1,500 people in Ireland informed staff of the news on Wednesday morning.

It said it hoped all job losses would be achieved through a voluntary redundancy programme

A spokesperson for the group, which is the fifth-largest software company in the world, said the cuts form part of a company-wide restructuring plan.

Ericsson recently revealed plans to slash around 2,200 jobs in Sweden.

The group announced the creation of 120 new jobs at its Athlone facility last May with support from IDA Ireland.

"Today's announcement is part of Ericsson's ongoing transformation as an ICT company. We remain committed to Ireland as a strategic location for research and development and professional services. We employ over 1,500 people in Ireland. We expect to make further investments in these areas over the coming years in both Athlone and Dublin. Our priority today is our employees affected by the announcement," said Traoloch Collins, managing director, Ericsson Ireland.