IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will get funding to recruit additional staff to enable them achieve their job creation targets for the year, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O'Keeffe pledged today.
Mr O'Keeffe said the Government fully recognised the importance of both job creation agencies having sufficient staff to enable them to meet their targets and that he had obtained approval to allow both recruit the necessary staff.
"Obviously, you know, staffing levels for the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are an extremely important issue. It is my job as Minister to ensure that they have sufficient staff to meet the targets that they set themselves.
"Both units have set themselves very high targets - I got a letter from Liam O'Mahony (IDA chairman) in June outlining the fact that there were significant cuts last year and any further cuts were going to impact massively on their ability to meet those targets," the Minister said.
"Now, obviously, I am in a position to send out the numbers that will be available to each of the agencies today. I indicated on Sunday that I would do it this week - we have finalised those numbers just yesterday afternoon," he said.
Mr O'Keeffe was reluctant to be drawn on the numbers involved in both agencies but did indicate the total was less than 50 and said he was confident that both agencies would confirm they are now equipped to meet their targets.
"In fairness, I am going to have to tell the agencies officially first what the numbers are but there is an increase in numbers - they are quite happy and they will indicate that they are satisfied that the increased numbers will enable them to meet the targets they've set.
"The IDA will get more staff and Enterprise Ireland will get additional staff," said Mr O'Keeffe, adding that enabling both to meet their job targets was critical to ensuring export-led growth in employment
"I have indicated to them that I will continue to monitor their demands over the next number of years to ensure that they always have adequate staff to meet the targets which they have set themselves," he said
"I would make the point that the IDA, even with that letter in June, is meeting its targets. They are making two (job) announcements every week for the first six months of this year meaning a target of 4,000 jobs will be met by the IDA this year."
Mr O'Keeffe said that he is scheduled to go on "an American mission" with IDA Ireland to Boston and Philadelphia and that he was confident the pipeline of projects was very strong and that jobs would follow.