Irish jobs in the firing line as list of CEOs ditching Trump grows

US firms now employ more people in Ireland in services than manufacturing, even as Donald Trump lashed out at big American corporations that employ thousands here.

Intel and Merck - both in the US president's line of fire this week after they walked out on his business advisory group - are major employers in Ireland and each is among the biggest US companies manufacturing here, according to IDA figures.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump named Ireland as a country that he wants to see manufacturing jobs "brought back" from.

That criticism is seen as a dig at business leaders who shunned the US leader's advisory council over his lack of response to last weekend's white supremacist rally in Virginia, rather than a new policy shift.

The comments fit with a core thrust of Mr Trump's election campaign - a promise to return jobs to America's rust belt. However, the latest intervention is being seen as a jibe at the heads of Intel and Merck (MSD) - two major Irish employers, not a fresh policy initiative.

Mr Trump last night disbanded two of his business advisory councils after four more business leaders quit yesterday.

But his comments are still likely to be a worry for policy makers here, with Ireland the only country named by Mr Trump. Intel is the biggest single US manufacturer operating here, with up to 6,000 staff in Ireland, according to the IDA.

The chief executives of Intel, Merck and sportswear brand Under Armour resigned from Mr Trump's now defunct American Manufacturing Council on Monday in the wake of his delay in condemning violent racists who held demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend that resulted in three deaths - including the killing of a protester.

Yesterday, the CEO of 3M, Inge Thulin, a technology company with operations in Ireland, also resigned from the council.

"I resigned from the council to call attention to the serious harm our divided political climate is causing to critical issues...," Intel's Brian Krzanich said in a blog post.

Kenneth Fraizer, CEO of drug-maker Merck, left the advisory council because of the need to "take a stand against intolerance and extremism".

As well as the CEO of Post-It maker 3M, the heads of Campbell Soup, Johnson & Johnson, and United Technologies also announced resignations yesterday, prompting Mr Trump to abolish the advisory groups.