First Data has announced it is to establish a Research and Development (R&D) centre in Co Tipperary.

The facility will employ up to 300 highly-skilled employees and centralise work on a number of the firm's technology platforms. It will be located in Nenagh, Co Tipperary and is being supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland.

The project also marks First Data's first Irish location outside of Dublin. Currently, the company employs around 300 workers in two separate facilities in the Irish capital.

Tom Higgins, First Data's Chief Administrative Officer, said: "We have always enjoyed outstanding collaboration with authorities in Ireland to grow our business there and have benefitted from the country's extraordinarily talented and diverse workforce.

"We are looking forward to expanding our presence in Ireland with this new facility in Nenagh, County Tipperary that will house some of our most advanced research work in payments technology."

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It is anticipated that work at the new centre will include application/software development, application analysis, business analysis, technical project management, systems consulting, and enterprise architecture.

Pending the signing of a lease for the property, plus the completion and renovation of an existing 32,000 sq ft facility at Stereame Business Park, hiring will commence for the opening of the facility later this year, with occupancy expected in 2017.

Welcoming the announcement, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: "Having met with the CEO of First Data in May, I am delighted to warmly welcome this announcement of 300 new jobs, which is great news for Nenagh, County Tipperary and the Mid-West Region.

"The latest phase of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs has been a set of regional action plans to ensure that every area can achieve its economic potential and the benefits of the recovery are felt in every region, county and community in the country.

"First Data's investment is a vote of confidence in the Mid-West and in the Irish workforce. The Government is determined to support strong job creation all over the country as the best way to keep the recovery going."

"I'm absolutely thrilled that First Data are establishing a research and development centre in Nenagh," added Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD. "This is a huge endorsement of the local area and local economy by a major multi-national... I am delighted, having worked with both the IDA and indeed Tipperary County Council, that they have decided to establish a new facility and bring 300 jobs to Nenagh.

"As the local Minister, I have worked night and day over the last twelve months to ensure that First Data chose both Nenagh and Tipperary as the place to establish their research centre."

(JP/LM)