570 jobs are set to be lost at a pharmaceutical company in north Dublin.

MSD has informed its employees in Swords that it plans to cease operations at the site by the end of 2017. However the firm says that under the plan, no employees will leave before mid 2014 "at the earliest".

Merck says this is due to an ongoing review of its worldwide manufacturing capabilities and is part of a global initiative.

"Swords has been an important manufacturing site since 1990 and has a long history of operational excellence" said site director, Tony Pusic.

"The proposal to cease operations is not a reflection of the site's performance or the highly skilled people working here" he added.

Kieran Dunne is HR manager at MSD. He explains the timeline in the run up to the closure.

MSD employs more than 2,000 people at sites in Carlow, Cork, Leopardstown, Tipperary and Wicklow.

Buyer sought for the site

The company say these sites are not affected by today's announcement.

MSD previously announced the closure of the site in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow back in March 2013.

In a statement, IDA Ireland says it will work closely with company to find buyer for site, adding that (the) closure date of 2017 allows IDA Ireland time to look for potential buyer".

While the Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said "The company and IDA will work aggressively to market this site, which has a number of factors which make it attractive for potential purchasers as a going concern"

He added that "All the supports of the State will be made available to workers affected, and I note that the company has also pledged to support its employees".