Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps taken since December 2008 to promote Ireland as the location of choice for high end international financial services as outlined in the Building Ireland's Smart Economy A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal report. [43133/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The international financial services industry in Ireland contains more than 1,000 entities employing approximately 25,000. These entities comprise Irish and foreign-owned, single and multi-establishment companies, small managed activities and captive finance and insurance operations. The financial services portfolio of IDA is a sub-set of this overall industry and comprises 150 companies, employing approximately 20,000 people.

Following on from the financial turmoil which occurred in the later months of 2008, IDA undertook extensive marketing programmes in 2009 to bolster Ireland's image abroad and to ensure the key financial services centres of London, New York and Frankfurt were aware that Ireland was still an excellent location to house and run financial services operation.

Overall, IDA business in 2009 is holding up with a good mix in of quality prospects spread across the three areas of Banking, Insurance and Investment Management.

IDA has placed experienced people in the key markets to funnel through investment prospects from Europe, the US and elsewhere.

IDA's innovation-focused overseas marketing campaign launched in the US in October, designed to position Ireland as the pre-eminent location for business to invest in future innovation, is working well and will form the key component of our marketing programmes worldwide in 2010.

IDA is confident that employment in overseas financial services companies will remain at 20,000 as we enter the New Year. The Agency has a strong pipeline of new business propositions which it is expected will start to come on stream in the first half of 2010 thus ensuring that Ireland remains among the key locations for this sector in Europe.