MORE THAN 400 new retail jobs are to be created at the Dundrum shopping centre in south Dublin.
The new positions were announced as part of the continuing development of the centre, which opened in 2005.
Two additional retail and leisure areas are to open, Dundrum South and the Pembroke District, bringing the number of shops at the centre to 130, with 33 restaurants, a cinema and a theatre.
Dundrum South, at Sandyford Road, will house tenants such as skiing outlet Snow Rock, book shop Hughes Hughes and sporting goods retailer Elverys Sports.
The Pembroke District will house the first new standalone premises for London's Hamleys Toy Store and for US clothing company Gant.
Of the 14 new shops at the centre, nine companies will have no other standalone businesses in Ireland, including electrical retailer Bose, the Counter, a US gourmet burger bar, and Portuguese chicken restaurant Nando's.
A jobs fair will be held in Dundrum at the end of the week to fill many of the 444 posts.
Don Nugent, centre director, said they believe the economy is good enough to sustain the new jobs announced yesterday.
"We've had a very successful run over 3½ years and the tenants that are coming in to join us over the next couple of months . . . also believe it is good enough," he said.
He said Hamleys would be opening in October and they were confident the toy market was buoyant in Ireland.
He also said that despite the reported downturn in the economy, footfall, or shoppers entering the centre, was up 5.5 per cent on the same time last year and it was expected to continue growing.
Plans for phase two of the development, which includes a new streetscape in Dundrum village and the redevelopment of the old Dundrum shopping centre, are also under way.
Mr Nugent said plans were "very much on track".
"We are well down the road with an anchor tenant, which we hope to announce in the next couple of months, and we expect to start on site shortly after that," he said.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council cathaoirleach Cllr Tom Joyce made the jobs announcement for the company with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan.
Ms Coughlan welcomed the new positions and said they reflected confidence in the continued growth of the retail sector.
She also urged consumers to shop at home this year instead of taking their business outside the country.
"When we spend our money at home, we are supporting the Irish economy," she said.
