Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Creating high-quality, well-paid and secure jobs, whether in indigenous or overseas firms, has been a top priority of mine ever since becoming Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

The multinational sector in Ireland continues to thrive, with new jobs being created in sectors including information and communications technologies, life sciences and financial and business services. Many of these positions involve sophisticated and knowledge-intensive activities, such as manufacturing, shared services activities and research and development.

The average salary of jobs created by the clients of IDA Ireland is €66,000 per annum. This is significantly higher than the national average wage of €46,000 per annum and reflects the high value nature of the roles in the firms concerned.

The strong salaries generally offered by multinational firms are only one of the benefits foreign direct investment, FDI, has for the Irish economy. Client companies of IDA Ireland also have a hugely positive effect on the local economy, with over eight jobs being created for every ten directly FDI-driven roles. Overseas firms also invest heavily in research and development and generate significant revenue for the Exchequer. It is also the case that many of the multinational firms in Ireland have been operating here for many decades. The jobs they provide, and the wider commercial activity they sustain across the economy, have therefore been vital in supporting families and communities for many years across our island.

The salaries offered by IDA Ireland client firms also reflect the capacity of our talented workforce. That has been internationally recognised again recently, with the International Institute for Management Development ranking Irish workers highly in terms of flexibility, adaptability and motivation. I know as well, from regularly meeting overseas firms that operate here, there is nothing they value higher than the quality of our people.

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