More than two-thirds of Irish companies operating in the UK plan to increase their workforce over the next 12 months, according to a survey by Enterprise Ireland.
The agency said the finding revealed that its client companies are no longer just trading partners “but are deeply embedded, permanent contributors to the UK economy”.
Enterprise Ireland companies which include Version 1, Fexco, Sisk Group and CWSI employ about 150,000 people in the UK while the market accounted for €10.5 billion in exports in 2024.
In February, the agency conducted a sentiment survey of client companies exporting to the UK.
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It found that 64 per cent of surveyed companies maintain a physical UK footprint, with 35 per cent “expanded to multiple locations”.
It also found that 60 per cent of companies are increasing their UK investment, with 22 per cent planning “significant increases”, while 67 per cent said they were planning to grow their UK workforce in the coming 12 months.
The agency noted that London remained the primary entry point for Irish companies and the main commercial hub for fintech, software and professional services, accounting for 23 per cent of the Irish business footprint surveyed.
“But Irish firms are far from London-centric: the north-midlands corridor represents 36 per cent of the Irish business footprint, making it the critical industrial heartland for Irish engineering, construction and manufacturing firms,” it said.
The survey said a new wave of Irish companies is also entering the UK market with 36 per cent of those without a current UK presence planning to hire their first UK-based employees this year.
As much as 95 per cent of the companies surveyed described the UK as a “critical or very important” market.
Average confidence in capitalising on UK market opportunities was 7.8 out of 10, with 68 per cent scoring eight or above, “reflecting a broad, robust conviction shared across all sectors and regions”.
“Irish firms are not just trading with the UK, they are embedded in it, co-operating to build energy infrastructure, developing digital systems and delivering large-scale construction and water projects, contributing to the UK economy and communities in every region,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said.
“This is a relationship that benefits both our economies and our peoples, and one we are committed to strengthening further.”
Enterprise Ireland chief executive Jenny Melia said the evolution of Irish business in Britain has moved from a traditional export-oriented model into a “deeply embedded, operationally committed presence at the heart of the UK economy”.
“The footprint of Enterprise Ireland’s client companies, their level of investment intent and plans to increase employment in the UK signals that Irish companies are permanent, productive contributors to the UK’s economic resilience and the scale of their ambition for the years ahead has never been clearer,” she said.
