Bruton praises role of service-based groups

SERVICE BASED employment is becoming a major feature of IDA Ireland's drive to create jobs, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton has said.

Around 12,000 people worked in international service companies backed by IDA Ireland, compared with just 7,000 five years ago, he said. More than one quarter of all IDA backed jobs are being created in such companies, he said.

Mr Bruton, who was speaking at the announcement of a further 1,054 new jobs in service companies yesterday, said Ireland was benefiting greatly from changing trends in international business.

Mr Bruton said international service companies offer very good quality employment. "There are substantial numbers of world class opportunities for graduates from many disciplines and at every level, but there are also excellent career paths being provided for the young people who enter the workforce after their Leaving Certificate" he added.

The new jobs are being created in 15 projects. Of these nine are expansions by overseas companies which have been operating in Ireland for some time, while six are new projects. Software companies are prominent.

Mr Bruton said "Most significantly, every project is built on the application of computers or the development and provision of software services."

Mr Bruton claimed it marked a unique position where Ireland is truly recognised internationally as the centre in Europe for the best applications of computer technology."

The biggest project is Quintiles, a US based company which processes the data associated with clinical trials. Its Irish operation currently employs around 100 people and it will be creating a further 180 jobs.

Electronic Data Systems (EDS), the world's largest information services company, will create 130 new jobs at its Irish facility in Dublin. The company, which is part of the General Motors group, will increase its workforce to 350 over the next three years.

The Dublin facility will be the group's leading international site for computer software and systems programming. The company's customers include the US Federal Aviation Authority and Xerox.

IDOC Europe, a US based private company providing translation and localisation services to the information technology industry, will create more than 100 jobs. This will bring its workforce in Ireland to more than 140.

Kindle Banking Systems, which was recently bought over by the British computer solutions group Misys, is to set up a software help desk service which will create 100 jobs. It will bring employment in Kindle to over 400.