Man gets €75k for ‘finding’ 50 jobs

A Laois man has received a finder’s fee of €75,000 from a state body after creating 50 jobs in his hometown of Portarlington.

Kieran Leavy will get the reward payment from the IDA under a scheme known as ConnectIreland.

The agreement will see a US company, the Magni Group, create 50 jobs in the town in a multi-million euro investment over the next five years.

The Magni Group is a leading company specialising in corrosion resistant automotive coatings. Many cars assembled around the world use its coatings.

Mr Leavy helped persuade the company to bring their operations to Portarlington.

“They were initially considering the Czech Republic, but having spoken with ConnectIreland and visiting the area they were impressed by what they saw and heard. They love Ireland and it ticks all the boxes for what they need for their business,” he said.

He originally struck up a friendship with a Magni executive who he bumped into in a pub in Dublin.

After hearing the company planned to expand in Europe, he persuaded the executive to watch a GAA match in Portarlington. Mr Leavy was also introduced to ConnectIreland after attending a GAA meeting.

The company will now build a manufacturing facility which can be doubled in size within five years.

The jobs announcement was made yesterday as the Government launched its latest review of its action plan for jobs.

Under ConnectIreland, managed by the IDA, anybody can refer a company. If the proposal is successful, the person gets a financial reward based on the number of jobs created.