1. Ireland is now the fastest growing economy in Europe and major US corporations are choosing Ireland as the location of choice for their global operations. Ireland is now a strong exporting nation, with particularly strong performances in sectors like ICT, med tech and pharma.
2. Ireland is very much the number one choice of companies that want to internationalise. We are currently at a record of over 166,000 people working at overseas firms located in Ireland.
3. Just in recent days IBM’s key Global Locations Report described Ireland as the "top performer in the world’’ in terms of the quality of the investments that are attracted here.
4. Ireland is a location US corporates know and trust. They have been coming to Ireland for decades, for our talent pool, competitive tax offering, technology infrastructure and track record. As you may know Forbes magazine named Ireland as the best country in the world to do business last December.
5. As you will have seen in recent weeks, Ireland is now projecting very strong economic growth for this year at 4.5% GDP, the highest in Europe in fact. There is little doubt that attracting leading companies to Ireland is a crucial factor in this performance, many of them coming from the United States and Europe.
6. Ireland is competing very well in the international marketplace for investment. For example IDA projects approved during the first half of 2014 will lead to the creation of 8,000 jobs this year and over future years as the companies roll out their investment plans.
7. It is not just the volume of investment though - it’s the quality of the investments Ireland is attracting that is also noteworthy.
8. For example major projects announced in the last 12 months have been the likes of Intel, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Deutsche Bank, Airbnb and LinkedIn.
9. The Irish economic brand itself is very strong at present; with the Budgetary position improving rapidly and Ireland’s bond yields tumbling on the international bond markets over recent months, which give companies security about their investments in the long term.
10. In terms of stability, this Government is committed completely to our 12.5% tax rate, which remains a pillar of Ireland’s offering to inward investors.
