Amazon reiterates commitment to Ireland after celebrating 20 years in the country 

Company remains 'deeply committed to supporting our local communities, and empowering Ireland’s thriving digital economy', Amazon Web Services country lead Neil Morris says

Amazon first set up operations in Ireland in 2004 and since then it has opened six sites, including a fulfillment centre and several data centres. 

Tech and online shopping giant Amazon has reiterated its commitment to Ireland as it celebrates 20 years of operations in the country.

The company said since its launch in Ireland in 2004, it had invested more than €22bn here — €3bn of which was in 2023.

It said this direct investment “helped raise the country’s economic activity, causing a ripple effect across the country”.

During Amazon's time in Ireland, it has opened six sites, including a fulfilment centre and a delivery station in Dublin, a number of data centres as well as two corporate offices.

The company employs 6,500 in Ireland across its Amazon platform and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Next year, the company is set to launch its own dedicated online store in Ireland — Amazon.ie.

AWS country lead Neil Morris said the company remained “deeply committed to supporting our local communities, and empowering Ireland’s thriving digital economy”.

“We’re so proud that our cutting-edge cloud infrastructure and highly-skilled workforce here in Ireland is supporting everyone from the fastest growing start-ups, to small and medium-sized enterprises, public-sector organisations, and educational institutions,” he said.

“These individuals and companies are turning to AWS to innovate faster, reduce costs, and compete on a global stage.” 

Revenue at the Irish arm of AWS’ data centre business grew by €1.22bn, or 25%, to €6.08bn last year, according to the latest account filings.

Operating profit at Amazon Data Services Ireland (ADSI) Ltd increased by 21% to €40.07m. ADSI recorded a post-tax loss of €10.85m after incurring a corporation tax charge of €26m. The company last year paid a dividend of €600m to its parent company.

The company said in 2023, Irish small and medium sized companies, who were selling on Amazon, recorded over €170m in export sales, with over half of those — more than €100m — in export sales outside the EU.

Amazon’s commitment to Ireland comes following years of volatility in the tech sector, with numerous multinationals — many of which have significant presences in Ireland — announcing numerous job losses.

Last year, Amazon announced it would cut 27,000 jobs from its global workforce of about 1.5 million people.