Tesco Ireland has announced it will open 10 new stores as part of a €40 million investment aimed at expanding its operations.

Both larger supermarkets and smaller express shops will open, taking the number of Tesco stores in Ireland to 193.

The new shops will open in a variety of locations including Cork, Dublin and Galway.

The supermarket said the move will create around 400 new jobs and bring Tesco’s permanent workforce in Ireland to over 13,500 employees, which the company says will make it one of the largest private employers in Ireland.

A variety of roles will be available including customer assistants, grocery home delivery drivers and line managers.

Tesco said its employees enjoy “market leading” rewards and benefits including a free virtual GP service, a free 24/7 employee assistance programme, free life assurance, a generous pension savings retirement plan and a bonus scheme.

"This €40 million investment underscores our commitment to maintaining our position as a leading employer and retailer in Ireland,” said Tesco Ireland chief executive Geoff Byrne. “Our colleagues are at the heart of our business, and we look forward to welcoming new team members this year and recognising them with market-leading reward and benefits.”

In January, Tesco revealed plans to cut hundreds of roles across both its UK stores and head office as it looks for "more efficient ways of working".

Britain’s largest supermarket said that the decision comes as the grocery market becomes "more competitive than ever".

Tesco plans to change its bakery model in some stores, update its management structure in Tesco Mobile phone shops, and make changes at head office, impacting around 400 jobs in total.

“These are difficult decisions affecting our colleagues, but we believe they are necessary to enable us to invest in what matters most to our customers,” said Matthew Barnes, chief executive of Tesco UK at the time.

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