Employment in west Donegal was dealt a blow yesterday with the news that Biomedical Research is to shed 76 jobs at its Derrybeg facility.
The company also said six employees at its research and development operation in Galway would also be made redundant. The group said the losses were part of a plan to enhance its competitiveness and ensure its survival.
The company makes muscle-toning devices at the Derrybeg plant under the trade names of Neurotech and Slendertone.
It will outsource its manufacturing and other non-core activities to partners in the Far East where costs are considerably lower.
BMR's customer configuration centre, call centre and support services will be retained in Donegal.
News of the job losses is the latest in a string of setbacks for the west Donegal region. The local Udarás na Gaeltachta industrial estate has seen hundreds of jobs lost in recent years.
Yesterday's announcement came just weeks after the company announced 35 redundancies at its Derrybeg operation.
Twelve months ago the company said it was intending to expand in Ireland. At that time it planned 170 new jobs after its subsidiary, Slendertone, won approval for its products from the US Food & Drug Administration.
It said half of those jobs would be created at its Irish operations. It estimated that the Slendertone market would be worth $50 million in the first year and it had planned to list on the stock exchange next year.
