IDA defends track record on job creation in Galway
The IDA has defended its track record for job creation in Galway – with employment in client companies here up 30% since 2009, despite the economic collapse.
The agency issued a statement following concerns expressed last week by Galway West Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív on the decrease in the number of site visits by potential overseas investors over the past three years.
According to the IDA, there are a total of 60 companies in Galway which it supports, and employ 13,615 people.
And while employment has been growing steadily against the backdrop of a global economic downturn, the IDA has pointed out that some projects are never publicly announced.
The IDA statement reads: “Total employment at IDA-client companies in Galway and the wider West region has been growing strongly, by 5.4% last year and by almost 30% since 2009, despite a global downturn during that period.
“It is important to consider that many projects for regional locations are never publicly announced, which is not reflected in half-year site visit statistics.
“In addition, there has been strong growth within our existing client companies, marking progress which tends to go unnoticed as it isn’t always publicly announced.
“The final decision on where to locate an investment does, and always will, ultimately reside with the client company and IDA’s overriding consideration must be winning the project for Ireland in the first instance.
“That said, IDA is intent on building on the momentum begun in the past three years which has seen top companies in Pharma, ICT and Medical Technologies such as Mylan, Fidelity, Merit Medical, Cisco, HP and SAP and the computer games company EA Games creating some 1,500 jobs in Galway.
“This year to date, there have been announcements from SmartBear, Hewlett Packard, SAP and Seko Med Tech Solutions.
“A strong pipeline exists for the remainder of the year. The future pipeline for regional locations generally is strong at present and significant investments are in the process of being won for several locations outside of the three largest cities,” the statement reads.
Deputy Ó Cuív had expressed concerns over the slump in the level of site visits to Galway by potential international companies – there were 35 in 2011, 18 in 2012 and just 15 last year.