Ireland ‘well placed’ for Australasian investment

Ireland is well placed to attract major new flows of foreign direct investment from multinationals in Australia and New Zealand, the Government has said.

Speaking on the back of last week’s successful Enterprise Ireland/IDA-backed trade mission to Australia — which yielded contracts worth a combined €10m for Irish firms and created 26 jobs — Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton said he witnessed a growing awareness of Ireland’s innovation and capabilities on the trip.

“People in government, multinational companies, business and the media are more aware of Ireland, more aware of the strengths we bring to the table and are very willing to do business with us,” he said. “At the heart of our Action Plan for Jobs is building a new, sustainable economy based on exports and innovation.

“As the immediate results from this mission show, the openings for innovative Irish companies to increase their sales to Australia and New Zealand are real and tangible. There are also major opportunities for us to attract multinational investment to Ireland from this part of the world.”

The 26 jobs are being created by two Australian companies in Ireland — veterinary dental firm iM3, which has a base in Meath; and aviation services firm ACS Consolidated, which is establishing a European hub in Dublin.

Irish firms, among them Sláinte Healthcare; data analytics firm Idiro; data firm Fenergo; healthcare firms HealthComms and Lincor Solutions, and Cork business Leading Edge Group, picked up valuable new business contracts in Australia and New Zealand via the mission.

“Irish companies are at the heart of the recovery we’re starting to see across our economy. The 32 companies who participated in this mission... will drive our employment recovery,” Mr Bruton added.