Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation if he has information regarding the 200 jobs announced in February 2010 by a company (details supplied); if he will clarify the grant aid or Industrial Development Authority that was provided for these jobs; if his attention has been drawn to the news announcement on 21 April 2010 that there would be job cuts of over 300 in July 2010 in the same company; if he will clarify the information that is available to the workers who fear that they will be let go in July 2010 and who have not been given any clear information regarding the job cuts; the action he or the IDA will take to ensure that this grant aided company gives clearer information to these workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24789/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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On 24th March 2010, IBM announced the establishment of IBM's first Smarter Cities Technology Centre. The Centre will be located in Dublin where IBM will build a highly skilled and cross-disciplinary team to help cities around the world better understand, interconnect and manage their core operational systems such as transport, communication, water and energy.

The new Smarter Cities Technology Centre will create as many as 200 new roles in an IDA-supported investment of up to EUR 66 million over the next three years. The team of subject matter experts will work with city authorities, universities, small and large businesses as well as experts from IBM Research and the company's Software Development Lab in Ireland to research, develop and commercialise new ways of making city systems more connected, sustainable and intelligent.

On 21st April 2010, IBM announced that as part of its ongoing transformation of its Technology Campus in Dublin, they will be moving the manufacturing of some server products from Dublin to Singapore during 2010. The company has been in negotiations with its employees and has set out the position in relation to the number of jobs affected. Despite the ongoing transformation, IBM Ireland employs 3,400 people directly and 1,250 contractors.

IDA Ireland has supported the company in new project investments over the past year and I understand that the company continues to recruit for positions created as a result of these investments. Details of the grant aid provided to the company cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivities.

IDA Ireland continues to work with local and corporate IBM Management on a number of new investment opportunities which have the potential to create additional new jobs in areas of research, development and services.