Google boss plans to boost staff here

GOOGLE chief executive Eric Schmidt yesterday said the internet search engine company would be increasing its number of employees in Ireland.

Google has been here since 2005 and employs more than 1,500 people at it European headquarters in Dublin. Mr Schmidt, who flew from California to Kerry Airport for his company’s European employee conference in Killarney, spoke of Google’s positive experiences here.

“We’ve benefited from young people coming out of universities in Ireland and this is still a very good place to hire, We have a well educated work force in Dublin, an excellent management team and our infrastructure is here already,” he said.

He did would not say how many extra people his company might employ here, but said it was most likely any future investment would be in Dublin rather than spread around the country. Mr Schmidt described Google, in addition to being a widely- used internet search engine, as an information and products company very much involved in advertising. He also said there were signs of a recovery in online advertising which was a further indication that the world may be coming out of economic recession.

John Herlihy, vice president, Global Ad Operations and head of Google Ireland, said the company had tremendous success here and would be building on that.

More than 2,000 “Googlers” from Europe and the US are attending the two-day event in the Brehon Hotel, Killarney, the largest such gathering across Europe.

As well as bringing valuable off-season business to Killarney, the conference is seen by tourism bosses as an international showcase for Ireland.

Fáilte Ireland chief executive Shaun Quinn said it was an endorsement of Ireland as a location for international conferences.