More Than 15,000 Jobs Created In 2014

Over 15,000 new jobs were created by IDA Ireland client companies last year.

When job losses were taken into account, the net increase in employment was 7,131, one of the highest net levels of job creation in a decade.

Total employment at IDA client companies now stands at 174,488 people, the highest level in the history of IDA Ireland.

IDA has now exceeded the jobs and investment targets set under its Horizon 2020 strategy and is currently finalising a new five-year strategy to take the organisation into a new phase of development.

"A dynamic talent pool in Ireland, improved macroeconomic conditions and a concentration on several core sectors were among the contributors to the strong 2014 performance," IDA said.

There were 197 investments in 2014, equating to a 20% increase on 2013. There was a notable rise in new name investment, with 88 new name investors in 2014, equating to a 13% increase on 2013.

Commenting the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, said: "Foreign direct investment is a central part of our Action Plan for Jobs. Multinational companies account for almost 10% of the Irish workforce and are of crucial strategic importance for the economy due to the quality of the jobs involved, their export focus and the massive knock-on impact they have on the wider economy.

"That is why we have put in place a range of new measures to support extra jobs in this area over the past 4 years, such as extra IDA staff in foreign markets, increased skilled graduates and an improved tax offering.

"Today's results show that a record 7,131 extra jobs were added by multinational companies supported by IDA in 2014. This means that 25,000 extra people are at work in these companies compared to 2011 – with massive knock-on impact for the economy. Martin and his team at IDA deserve massive credit for this result – as do others right across Government.

"As I say each year, the challenge now is to build on this performance and ensure that we create more jobs and more economic impact, as part of the drive to rebuild the economy and ensure that it is felt in people's pockets - and I am confident that we can deliver on this in 2015 and beyond."

(CD/JP)