Tánaiste Mary Harney, announced today (Thursday 27th May 1999) that Reckitt & Colman, a major producer of household cleaning and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products, has decided to locate its new European Shared Services Centre in Dublin, supported by IDA Ireland, leading to the creation of 70 new jobs.

The Shared Service Centre will support Reckitt & Colman's European business, which is present in thirteen countries, in the areas of finance and information systems. It will enable the company to take full advantage of a recently implemented pan-European IS system, to improve the clarity and consistency of financial information and instruction across the region.

The Shared Service Centre will be located in Dublin at a site still to be determined. Up to 70 jobs will be created, providing opportunities for professional accountants, information systems managers, technicians and clerical roles in administration and finance.

Welcoming the decision by Reckitt & Coleman, the Tánaiste said that "the company's choice of Ireland provides further evidence that investment by the Government in creating an attractive environment for international operations is now paying dividends".

Reckitt & Coleman manufactures a wide range of household and OTC pharmaceutical products in over 30 countries and has sales in more than 170 countries. The group employs 15,900 people world-wide and has a turnover of over Stg. £2bn. Its portfolio of brands includes Dettol, Dettox, Disprin, Haze, Harpic, Gaviscon, Lemsip, Mr Sheen, Immac, Steradent and Woolite. Reckitt & Coleman has had a presence in Ireland since 1909 and currently has two centres of operation. One is a manufacturing site in Castlebellingham, Co. Louth which manufactures all Reckitt & Colman's firelighter products, including the Zip brand in Ireland. The other is a sales and marketing office in Clondalkin, Dublin that services the Irish grocery and pharmaceutical trade. The Irish business currently employs 109 people. With the establishment of the European Shared Service Centre - planned to start operation later this year - the number of people employed by Reckitt & Colman in Ireland will rise by as many as 70 when fully operational.