IDA IRELAND and Enterprise Ireland will get funding to recruit additional staff to enable them achieve their job creation targets for the year, Minister for Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe has pledged.

Mr O’Keeffe said the Government fully recognised the importance of both job-creation agencies having sufficient staff to enable them to meet their targets.

“Staffing levels for the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are an extremely important issue,” Mr O’Keeffe said. “It is my job as Minister to ensure that they have sufficient staff to meet the targets that they set themselves.

“Both units have set themselves very high targets. I got a letter from Liam O’Mahony [IDA chairman] in June outlining the fact that there were significant cuts last year and any further cuts were going to impact massively on their ability to meet those targets.

“Now, obviously, I am in a position to send out the numbers that will be available to each of the agencies today. I indicated on Sunday that I would do it this week – we have finalised those numbers just yesterday afternoon,” he added.

Mr O’Keeffe was reluctant to be drawn on the numbers involved in both agencies but did indicate the total was less than 50. “In fairness, I am going to have to tell the agencies officially first what the numbers are but there is an increase in numbers. They are quite happy and they will indicate that they are satisfied that the increased numbers will enable them to meet the targets they’ve set.”

Mr O’Keeffe added that he was set to go on “an American mission” with IDA Ireland and he was confident that jobs would follow.