450 jobs in tech, pharma, and financial services between Galway, Roscommon, and Belfast

The creation of up to 450 jobs on the island of Ireland was announced yesterday, between Galway, Roscommon, and Belfast.

The jobs could take more than three years to be delivered but their announcement are a welcome boost to areas outside Dublin city.

Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor was on hand to announce the creation of 100 jobs at an Australian tech firm, SiteMinder, between now and 2019.

SiteMinder provides an online and cloud computing service for the hotel industry worldwide.

The company will begin recruiting immediately, it was announced yesterday.

Galway has a vibrant and growing technology hub and this was one of the main reasons given for SiteMinder in setting up an office in the west of Ireland.

Speaking at the event, Ms Mitchell O’Connor said she was delighted to welcome such a dynamic company as SiteMinder to Galway.

“Such high-growth companies are an exact fit for our talented and ambitious graduates who wish to embark on an exciting career path,” she said.

“Galway is fast becoming a tech hub and SiteMinder is an exciting addition with the creation of at least 100 jobs, which will benefit the entire region and have a positive knock-on effect.”

It will complement the company’s multinational base in London, providing online sales and support in the hospitality industry.

SiteMinder’s largest customer base is in Europe, where online technology looks set to become the most popular method of booking travel products by 2017.

Ms Mitchell O’Connor was also on hand yesterday to announce the creation of up to 50 jobs at Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Monksland, Co Roscommon, near Athlone.

The company opened a new €50m facility which was supported by IDA Ireland.

Elsewhere, London-based financial services company Tullett Prebon is to create 300 jobs in Belfast over the next three years.

The development was confirmed this morning at a news conference attended by the First and Deputy First Ministers, Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness.

It is the first major jobs announcement in Northern Ireland since the Brexit referendum result in June.

Tullett Prebon is a leading inter-dealer broker and has a total workforce of 2,700 people in 24 countries.

It will establish a technology centre in Belfast to support its international growth strategy.