Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton has set off on a trade mission to the US.

The Minister will spend five days in five cities targeting technology and life sciences companies for foreign direct investment.

IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O’Leary will join the Minister on the mission, which will take them to Boston, Raleigh, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Chicago.

“During this busy week I will be meeting 19 companies from a wide range of sectors who are considering creating new jobs in Ireland,” Mr Bruton said before leaving.

“When I meet senior executives from multinationals like these, they are increasingly impressed by what Ireland has to offer as a gateway to a stable European market.”

He said he hopes his meetings with the organisations will eventually lead to jobs announcements in Ireland further down the line, as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs.

The companies that Mr Bruton will target will range from start-ups to multi-billion global firms, including nine technology companies, four from the life sciences sector and the remainder in food, aviation and financial services.

Mr Bruton pointed out that multinational companies are responsible for 250,000 jobs and over €19 billion

of direct spend in the economy.

This trip follows a number of jobs announcements over recent weeks, including 500 positions created by Apple in Cork and 500 from pharmaceutical firm Mylan in Dublin and Galway.