Computer maker Hewlett Packard has confirmed that it will add about 100 new jobs at the company's new research and development centre in Galway.

The company made the announcement during the visit of Taoiseach Enda Kenny to its global head office in Palo Alto, California on his three-day investment mission to San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

The high-tech jobs will be created at a new cloud products and services research facility at Ballybrit which is being built and will be finished next year.

"Today's announcement that HP is creating 100 additional jobs in Galway is a boost for Ireland and for the ICT [information and communication technologies] sector in particular," said Mr Kenny during his visit.

“HP has consistently invested in and believed in Ireland over the past 40 years. Today, the company is one of Ireland’s most valued investors and one of our foremost creators of highly skilled R&D jobs.”

Martin Murphy, chief executive of HP Ireland, publicly flagged at the start of this year that the company would be adding up to 150 research engineer jobs to the 650 already employed when the Galway facility is completed.

"HP has been one of the largest and most significant investors in Ireland Inc for the past 40 years," said Barry O'Leary, chief executive of IDA Ireland. "Today's announcement is another vote of confidence in Ireland's ability to both provide and attract a strong technical workforce."

HP Ireland employs about 4,500 people with facilities in Leixlip, Dublin, Galway and Belfast.

The company has recently invested in its software engineering facility in Belfast and a research and development facility in Leixlip, Co Kildare.