20 jobs to go at Abbott's Lab in Cootehill

Abbott Laboratories is to lay off 78 workers at three if its plants, at Abbott Ireland Nutrition Division in Cootehill as well as in Longford and Sligo.

The company told staff in the nutritional and diagnostic divisions yesterday evening they were seeking the redundancies on a voluntary basis.

Some 20 people will be made redundant in the nutritional division based in Cootehill, with 29 jobs each to go at the groups diagnostics divisions in Longford and Sligo.

The company said the move is part of an ongoing process of assessment of its worldwide network.