Some 65 people are to lose their jobs with Coca-Cola in Drogheda.

The staff are to be let go at the company's integrated-services operation, which employs about 200 people.

Coca-Cola says it is changing the way it works to increase speed and agility.

A spokesperson for the company says: "Coca-Cola is evolving as a total beverage company, and that includes changing the way we work to increase our speed and agility.

"The company's integrated services organisation provides a broad range of support services globally, including for finance, procurement, human resources and a number of other areas.

"As we move to the next generation of services, we're looking for opportunities to think innovatively.

"This includes the use of third-party providers to provide managed services."

It adds that this project is ongoing and includes a reduction in staff.

Local Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd says many long-term staff will be devastated.

"Coca-Cola originally came to Drogheda in the 1970s and there was hundreds of people employed - and then they closed their factory and then they went to Ballina and then they went to Wexford.

"But they set up their financial services international service centre in Drogheda around that time - so these people would have worked for Coca-Cola for a long time".

"Drogheda needs more jobs - we're a 2040 town - we're one of the regional growth centres, we'll soon be a city.

"I've been speaking as it happened yesterday to Heather Humphreys - the Minister for Business, Trade and Employment - and also to the head of the IDA.

"I've invited them to come to Drogheda shortly, which I believe they will be coming, to discuss our future as an investment centre and get more investment into our area".

Reporting by Eoghan Murphy