Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey has said he is convinced Bombardier intends to keep a manufacturing base in Northern Ireland following a meeting with the company’s senior management in Canada.

Sir Reg visited the aerospace giant’s headquarters in Montreal as part of a four day visit to Canada to discuss the contribution of the firm’s Belfast operation to its business.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing workforce reductions across all of Bombardier’s sites, including in Northern Ireland, as a result of the impact of the recession on the commercial and business aircraft markets.

“It is a sign of the global economic downturn that Bombardier is having to reduce its workforce worldwide, but I note that in Belfast the reduction in permanent staff has, to date, been achieved by voluntary means. I am convinced of Bombardier’s senior management’s commitment to continuing manufacturing in Northern Ireland,” the Minister said.

Bombardier axed close to 1,000 full time and contract jobs in Belfast earlier this year and has confirmed that some production of its Q400 aircraft will move from Northern Ireland to China. However, it has also committed to making key components of its new C-Series jet in Belfast.

The Minister noted that Bombardier in Northern Ireland is still investing in training of its workforce and has indicated that it will be starting 40 apprentices this month under the Department for Employment and Learning’s Apprenticeships NI programme.

While in Canada he toured aircraft final assembly lines to which Belfast provides a range of parts and also met employees from Northern Ireland who have been selected to work abroad.