Limerick is being strongly considered for an 800 job call centre. An IDA spokesman yesterday confirmed that negotiations are taking place and the project promoters are looking at locations in the city for a call centre-type investment similar to the one Waterford lost to Swansea earlier in the week.

It is understood the promoters would prefer to move into an available building for quicker start-up. The IDA spokesman would not comment on details but revealed that a decision is expected in the coming weeks.

This is regarded as part of the effort to replace the jobs lost at Krups, though the taskforce set up to get a replacement industry failed to attract any project to the plant.