Development firm defends role

SHANNON Development yesterday put a brave face on the loss of it’s main role as a job creation agency when posting figures showing the company helped bring 1,795 new jobs to local industry last year.

Of these 450 were created in the Shannon Free Zone and 1,345 in indigenous enterprises elsewhere in the mid-west. However, that figure was offset by a loss of 1,745 jobs giving a net gain of 50.

Speaking at the publication of the company’s annual report, Kevin Thompstone said several hundred additional jobs are already in the pipeline for 2006.