Intel to cut up to 195 jobs at Leixlip plant

Up to 195 people could lose their jobs at the Intel plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare, according to sources briefed on the situation.

The company is believed to have informed the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment about the move. A consultation process is expected to begin shortly.

The US chipmaker is undergoing a major restructuring at the moment but it is understood that the Leixlip plant, where almost 5,000 people are employed, will remain central to the company’s operations.

However, it will not be immune to job losses, and there are expectations that some 195 positions – under five per cent of the workforce at the plant – will be cut.

Intel appointed a new chief executive, Lip-Bu Tan, earlier this year in an attempt to revive the struggling chipmaker after years of difficulties.

Tan so far has flattened the semiconductor giant's leadership team and taken direct oversight of its important data centre and AI chip group, plus its personal-computer chip group. He has brought in new engineering leaders.

He has also aimed to cut what he viewed as Intel's bloated, slow-moving middle-management layer.

Tan's moves follow years of manufacturing challenges at Intel and lost opportunity for mobile phone and AI chips. His predecessor, Pat Gelsinger, attempted an ambitious turnaround though he compounded some of Intel's problems.

Intel reported an annual net loss attributable to the company - its first since 1986 - of $18.8 billion (€16 billion) in 2024. – Additional reporting: Reuters