Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael think-ins both court same Waterford company

The Waterford company that grew out of the ashes of Talk Talk has become the darling of political parties.

Eishtech, which was set up in 2010 by three former employees of the contact centre, provides the same kind of offering: an outsourced call and customer contact centre for multinational companies.

In the past three years its workforce has grown from a few dozen to 500 and it has plans to increase the number of employees to 700.

Its success has not not gone unnoticed by the Government or by opposition parties.

The Coalition’s big summer announcement on the jobs policy front – JobsPlus – was announced at the company’s headquarters in Waterford in July.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton were present and all sang its praises.

Mr Bruton appointed one of its directors, Heather Reynolds, to the board of the National Competitiveness Council this year.

The company also found itself in the unusual position yesterday of being in demand at two of the political party think-ins.

Ms Reynolds was a guest at the Fine Gael think-in in Portlaoise while her colleague Brian Barry briefed the Fianna Fáil strategy meeting in Waterford about the company's history and its successes to date.