The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said today she "regretted" the partlial closure of the UNIFI textile plant in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
It is believed meetings are taking place today and tomorrow between staff and management at the yarn manufacturing firm. The company, which announced 250 job losses last April, is to close its spinning operation and seek voluntary redundancies.
"UNIFI has operated this spinning facility in Letterkenny for over 20 years. Its closure will come as a shock to both the workers employed in this operation and the wider community," Ms Harney said.
"Finding replacement employment for those who have lost their jobs as a result of this announcements will not be easy, but I will do everything possible to ensure that these workers receive all the assistance and retraining that may be necessary to allow them avail of future opportunities", she added.