Apple’s expansion plans get thumbs-up from everyone

The news that Apple is to expand its plant Cork in a move that could lead to the creation of an additional 1,000 jobs, has been warmly welcomed.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the announcement would provide a significant boost for the south west region and was also a welcome sign of broadening regional recovery.

“These new jobs come on top of 1,000 additional jobs already created at Apple in the past 12 months, which brought the workforce in Ireland to over 5,000 in 2015. This continued expansion by the company is testament to the quality of the talent pool, the infrastructure and the business environment that this country has to offer and further cements Apple as one of the leading employers in Ireland,” he said.

Speaking at a separate jobs announcement by the recruitment website Indeed in Dublin, IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan said the news that both Indeed and Apple were expanding their presence in Ireland was

“The news is absolutely fantastic and shows the competitiveness for technology jobs in Ireland,” he said.

“In the case of Apple in particular it is a huge endorsement of what Ireland has to offer. Coming on the back of the company’s €850 million investment in a data centre in Athenry it demonstrates Apple’s commitment to the country,” added Mr Shanahan.

The American Chamber of Commerce said Apple was the largest single jobs announcement by a US company in Ireland in more than three years.

"The announcement by Apple is a tremendous vote of confidence in Ireland as a location for investment and further establishes the country's reputation as the global location of choice for US companies," said American Chamber chief executive Mark Redmond.

“Apple has been present in Cork since 1980, and their Irish presence has been an integral part of the company’s phenomenal success in recent years,” he added.

ICT Ireland, an Ibec-affiliated group that represents the tech sector also welcomed the news with its director Paul Sweetman saying it reaffirmed Ireland's position as a technology hub.

Cork Chamber president Barrie O'Connell said the commitment of Apple to the region since 1980 coupled with the vision of the local Apple management team to broaden its range of value-add activities over time "sent a powerful signal internationally that Cork is a prime location for the growth and expansion of global business."

On what has been an extremely positive day for the tech-sector, Dublin-based mobile and social marketing company Swrve also announced plans to create 45 new roles after closinga $30 million funding and acquisition round.