Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total number of jobs through foreign direct investment created in each of the past six years to date; the extent to which emerging trends have indicated opportunities for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3674/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Details of the total number of new jobs created in IDA Ireland’s client companies for the past six years are set out in the tabular statement which follows.

In accordance with its Horizon 2020 Strategy, which covers the period 2010 to 2014, IDA Ireland has identified current and future industry trends which are enhancing the agency’s ability to secure foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, thereby creating sustainable employment opportunities in Ireland. These include employment-intensive services, new forms of foreign direct investment (FDI), investment from new high-growth markets and winning business from emerging companies.

2012 saw a strong performance in the level of FDI won by Ireland with 12,722 new jobs being created in IDA client companies. This also represents a significant achievement in terms of reaching the target of 12,500 new jobs set in the Government’s 2012 Action Plan for Jobs. IDA Ireland has indicated that the gains made spanned a range of sectors, with particularly strong performances from social/digital media, IT, financial services and life sciences.

IDA Ireland’s concentration on attracting employment-intensive services to Ireland is leading to the speedy creation of jobs. A significant proportion of investments in 2012 were in the area of services operations, particularly serving the Europe, Middle East and Asia Market. A notable feature of 2012 was the wide range of green field investments coming to Ireland. In total, there were 145 individual investments, with 66 (over 40%) from companies coming to Ireland for the first time

In recent years IDA Ireland has established a footprint in high-growth markets, such as China and India, and remains committed to the goal of securing 20% of all green field investments from high growth markets by 2014. The agency has also broadened and deepened its portfolio, embracing not just large multinational corporations (MNCs) but also working closely with “fast growth” companies, which aspire to be the MNCs of the future. This strategy was successfully implemented in 2012 with a range of fast-growing companies announcing that they had decided to invest in Ireland.

IDA Ireland has indicated that, while the outlook for key global markets in 2013 is less favourable, particularly in Europe, which is a key focus for IDA’s existing and potential clients, there are opportunities for growth in the IT/technology sector, in specific areas of financial services, in life sciences, in social/digital media and in sectors where consolidation is taking place on a pan-European basis. The agency has assured me that its global team will continue to pursue these opportunities vigorously in 2013 and to ensure the organisation achieves its goals and targets as outlined in Horizon 2020.

New Jobs Created in IDA Ireland's Client Companies 2007-2012