State bodies to create 30,000 jobs - Minister

STATE AGENCIES such as IDA Ireland will create almost 30,000 new jobs next year, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe said yesterday.

Mr O’Keeffe said IDA Ireland,charged with attracting overseas investment to the Republic, aims to create 9,800 direct and 6,800 indirect jobs in 2011.

At the same time, Enterprise Ireland, which is focused on supporting Irish businesses and aiding them to develop in such areas as building export markets, has a target of 6,300 direct jobs and 4,400 spin-off jobs for next year.

The Minister said the Government plans to invest €570 million in science, technology, innovation and enterprise over the coming 12 months.

Science Foundation Ireland will use the funds to support 29 research centres and to continue working with about 400 different companies.

Enterprise Ireland has also been briefed to aid 1,200 firms with research and development activities. Additionally, it has a programme under which it backs 85 “high-potential” start-up companies, a number due to increase to 100 by 2015.

Mr O’Keeffe came under fire earlier this month when the Opposition claimed that 45,000 jobs had been lost in companies backed by State agencies over the last four years.

Fine Gael’s enterprise spokesman Richard Bruton said that as many jobs had been lost in IDA-supported companies as had been created.

Mr O’Keeffe said yesterday that the jobs created next year by State agencies would be “sustainable and high-quality” and would underpin the Republic’s return to growth.

He added that his department would continue to implement the Innovation Task Force’s recommendations to make the Republic an attractive destination for turning research and development into jobs.

Just before Christmas, there was speculation that microblogging site Twitter was considering setting up a European base in Dublin.

Social networking sites Facebook and Linkedin already have operations in the Republic’s capital.

US banking group Citi and industrial plastics manufacturer Zeus Industrial Products both announced expansions of their existing Irish operations earlier this month that will ultimately lead to the creation of 275 jobs.