Taoiseach announces new jobs on Kilkenny visit
The first new jobs arising from Terry Clune’s Connect Ireland initiative were announced yesterday, as Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited the company’s headquarters at the Danville Business Park in Kilkenny.
American company, Intergeo Services, is to establish its European headquarters in Carlow, creating 30 jobs in the region. The company was originally going to set up in Scotland, but Connect Ireland intervened and managed to convince them of Ireland’s merits as a location.
Eddie Horkan, who lives in Carlow, is the man whose contacts led Connect Ireland to engage with the company. He heard about the Succeed in Ireland initiative, and contacted his friend who works in Intergeo. Mr Horkan will now receive a €15,000 finder’s fee up front, with an additional €1,000 per job created - giving him a grand total of €45,000.
Connect Ireland is currently in talks with over 100 companies who are considering establishing a European base. Business man Terry Clune, who is pioneering the initiative, said yesterday’s announcement was a sign of the scheme coming to fruition.
“This positive jobs announcement is hopefully the first of many, and is testament to what can be done,” he said.
“It is a great example of the public and private sectors working together.”
Staff from the company were given some time to come outside to enjoy the weather, and chat briefly with Taoiseach Enda Kenny who was in Kilkenny to open a new third-level research and innovation centre in St Kieran’s College.
The Taoiseach said that a lot of countries have never heard of Ireland, but were considering investing in Europe. He said that Mr Clune’s initiative was clearly making an impact already.
“There is a pipeline of 108 companies backed up who are now interested in investing here in Ireland, in various locations around the country,” he said.
“As Terry Clune pointed out, we have 70 million of an Irish diaspora around the world. Companies thinking of investing in Europe need to be informed of the opportunities that exist in Ireland.”
Intergeo Services, an American bio-engineering company, provides specific design and build services. It will look to employ a variety of civil engineers, environmental engineers, quantity surveyors, as well as other support staff in the coming weeks.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
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Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
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