AS both a region and a city, the economy of Limerick is possibly the part of Ireland most dependent on a single company, Dell.

Dell Ireland employs over 3,000 people full-time and as many as 1,500 others on contracts at different times of the year at its computer component plant in Limerick.

The company established an operation here in 1990 and is now Ireland's largest single exporter and second-largest company overall.

It is estimated that another 16,000 jobs in the midwest region are directly linked to Dell and the prospect of a pull-out would send severe shockwaves through the towns of Tralee, Ennis, Nenagh and beyond.

The chief of the local chamber of commerce, Maria Kelly, described it as "unthinkable. . .

It is a very significant employer in the Limerick region and we are highly dependent on it. It would be a huge loss to the region if it ever pulled out. I'd be severely distressed if the unthinkable happened.

You would immediately see a lot of eminent people around the town getting together and planning for the future. There are quite a lot of companies in Limerick that were set up directly as a result of Dell, " she told the Sunday Tribune.

However it is not a scenario that she expects will happen in the near future.

"There are no certainties in economics but thankfully there is no indication whatsoever that it will happen any time soon."

But workers at the plant are still concerned about their long-term future.

"'Many of us in here are preparing a plan B just in case, " said one junior-level employee. "There is a great deal of concern alright. The future within certain sections of Dell does seem vulnerable.

It could be a very different place in 10 years."

Likelihood of leaving: There is still some concern among the workforce about the long term but the Limerick plant is among the most high-yielding of Dell's global operations.

The company has extensive operations in southeast Asia, and Limerick could be vulnerable in the long term if wages and energy costs continue to rise.

CARLOW Biggest multinational employer:

Braun Ireland BRAUN Ireland continues to be among the chief employers in Carlow town, where it manufactures hair care products, despite the fact that the workforce is only about a third of what it once was.

At its height, over 1,700 people worked there but that has been gradually dwindling over the past decade, with assembly lines moving to eastern Europe, due mostly to high energy costs in Ireland.

However the 450 employees still there make it the second-biggest overall employer after the local third-level college, Carlow Institute of Technology.

The recent closure of the sugar factory was another blow to a town that is already experiencing something of a brain drain, with 6000 people, mostly graduates, leaving every day to work in surrounding areas.

"The pull-out of Braun would send shockwaves throughout the town and county, " according to local Chamber of Commerce chair Jacqui McNabb. "Braun and Läpple are the only two FDI companies operating out of Carlow. They are hugely important to the town and they are jobs that need to be protected. We are very fortunate to have them and they are one of our gemstones. It would be quite a blow but maybe not as much as it once would have been. There is a lot of confidence around both Ireland and Carlow now that once wasn't there" she said.

However a 70-acre IDA site with built office facilities still remains idle in the towns business and technology park despite being bought for millions.

"The region of Carlow has been very much undersold, " said McNabb. "I have gone on record criticising the IDA but we have to put ourselves out there more when it comes to attracting industry. Why wait for them?"

Likelihood of leaving: The Carlow operation has stabilised somewhat in recent times and is safe in the short term, but it is never likely to reach the numbers it used to have. The long-term future remains unclear, but Carlow does have a good degree of investment potential in other areas.

CORK CITY Major multinational employer:

P"zer ALONGwith technology and computer companies EMC and Apple, Pfizer is a major player in the employment stakes in Cork city and its surrounding areas. Between its three plants at Ringaskiddy, Loughbeg and Little Island, close to 2,000 people ply their trade, a significant proportion of the city's workforce with what is the world's largest drug company.

Pfizer plans to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide and has announced a review of its Irish operations, the results of which are due in the coming months. Expiry dates on some of its most valued payments are coming up and it stopped development of the drug, torcetrapib, which it believed would become its biggest earner.

"It's the nature of sectors of the economy be very cyclical, " said Conor Healy, chairman of Cork Chamber of commerce. "A company like Pfizer pulling out would obviously be a blow but you have to be prepared for these things to happen and we are creating many opportunities in other sectors and companies.

"We have had a few blips and difficulties in the past, such as Motorola. But in other areas, especially biopharm and chemical, we are performing excellently. We have a number of direct and indirect players across the economy. We'll have to remain competitive and keep our productivity high, " he added.

Likelihood of leaving: Cork would have to be very lucky not to suffer to some degree in the company's overall workforce but a large-scale withdrawal from Ireland is highly unlikely. The Irish Examiner reported large reductions in its Irish operations from a company source, something which Pfizer vehemently disputed. However, jobs are being created in the biopharm, biotech, chemical and financial services sectors in the Cork region, reducing the dependency on one single company for employment.

LEIXLIP, CO KILDARE Biggest multinational employer:

Intel Ireland TOGETHERwith Dell, Intel is one of the biggest multinational employers in the state. Its highly sophisticated microprocessor manufacturing plant employs over 5,000 people on contract and, along with Hewlett-Packard, provides close to 10,000 contract and permanent positions in the town.

"It is incredibly crucial to the town and most other businesses, including my own, would rely on it heavily, " said local town council member and Green party election candidate Shane Fitzgerald.

There are over 4,000 households in Leixlip, which has an overall population of 16,000. Since 1989 Intel has invested over Euro7bn at its Leixlip site, a former stud farm, where it also has its innovation centre. It is the company's fourth-largest manufacturing site globally.

"If it ever did leave it would be a major, major blow. People would be devastated. Many couples work there and they commute from as far as 30 and 40 miles away to get here every day. It has an excellent workforce. In terms of the highest earners in the region, both Intel and HewlettPackard are the major players, " said Fitzgerald.

The prospect of a potential withdrawal from the town was "very worrying", he added.

"They are keeping with the latest technology and it is a very high-quality operation so I don't see it happening soon. We should be supporting our smaller businesses more. It's an area I feel the government hasn't done enough on."

Likelihood of leaving: Intel's new major research centre is not yet three years old and Leixlip is the headquarters of its European operations.

While it is looking at developing in other locations such as Israel, its Irish operation is still performing very strongly. Energy costs would be its biggest worry.

FERMOY, CO CORK Biggest multinational employers:

Bupa and FCI THE story of this north Cork town has gone from good to bad to good again in a short space of time.

Bupa and FCI together employed over 500 people in a town of just 5,000. FCI last week announced its plans to pull its 11-year old electronic engineering plant from the town, shortly after health insurer Bupa announced it was leaving Ireland.

A demonstration of the worry in the town could be seen last Tuesday when there was standing-room only at the local business association's AGM.

"When the Quinn Direct announcement came there was a great deal of relief and a sense of stability came back, " said Michael Hanley, chairman of the local enterprise board.

"It would affect the overall region possibly more than the town but a lot of Fermoy businesses would have fed off those companies, " he said.

However, Hanley, also an independent councillor, feels the loss can be turned into something positive.

"You know, it was probably no harm to wake people up to the realities of the modern economy. We can no longer be solely depending these companies for longterm employment because they can be quite ruthless in their outlook. Nothing is forever, " he said.

Fermoy has been aggressive in marketing itself to potential investors.

"Irish towns are in competition with each other and industry can't be pulled out of the sky. It's the potential investor that makes the final decision. You have to get out and make yourselves known and you cannot rely on the state to do it, " Hanley added.

Likelihood of leaving: With Seán Quinn's announcement of a buyout of Bupa, most of the town's jobs are safe for the moment. Fermoy's proximity to Cork city and a new bypass will help it to secure new industry at the old FCI site.