Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Public Accounts Committee

Annual Report and Accounts 2012: Discussion with IDA Ireland

11:00 am

Mr. Barry O'Leary:

On the top of any company's list of criteria is talent. It is a huge driver of location decision. Ireland has been very good in general at producing the talent base and we have been pretty good at bringing in talent where we need to do so. Part of any modern economy today is a mixture of staff from within the country and also people who have been brought in. It is an important part of the model. Of course there are needs, and the more thousands of engineers we have the more thousands of jobs we will be able to create. It is one area where investment needs to continue. The talent is the most important issue.