Comfort Keepers, a private company that provides home-help care both for the HSE and individuals, is to create 545 jobs nationwide.

The company is to open two new offices and training centres leading to the immediate creation of six full-time jobs and 200 part-time carer jobs.

An additional 19 full-time and 320 part-timecarer jobs are to be created over the next nine months at existing offices around the country.

“We are delighted that our focus on the provision of quality home care has led to the continued expansion of Comfort Keepers,” said managing director Bob Power.

“It is also huge boost of confidence for us as an Irish owned family run business to be able to create this level of employment nationwide over the next 12 months,” he added.

Comfort Keepers began operations in Ireland in 2006. In addition to franchises here, it also operates in the US Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.