Ireland's Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Richard Bruton, TD
Minister Richard Bruton is on day two of a five-day trade mission to the US, where he is meeting with 19 companies – mainly in the tech and life-sciences areas – to talk about the potential of setting up Irish bases, or expanding their existing operations.
IDA Ireland chief Barry O’Leary is accompanying the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the trip. The aim of the mission is to tell companies about what Ireland has to offer, including its 12.5pc corporation tax rate.
The focus of this trade mission will be on companies in the technology and health/life-sciences sectors.
Yesterday, Bruton arrived in Boston. The IDA mission will also take in Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Minneapolis and Chicago.
From start-ups to multinationals
Bruton will meet 19 companies, ranging from start-ups to multi-billion-dollar, world-leading companies.
Together with IDA officials, he will be meeting with nine tech companies, with four of these operating in the software area. Bruton will also be meeting with four health-sciences companies.
He will also talk to companies that are operating in the food, business services, aviation and financial-services sectors.
The Department of Jobs confirmed Bruton will be talking to companies with combined annual revenues of more than US$300bn and combined workforces of more than 800,000 worldwide.
As well as this, he will be conversing with firms that already have Irish operations. Speaking before his departure yesterday, Bruton relayed the aim of the US trip.
Aim of US trade mission
“I will be meeting 19 companies from a wide range of sectors who are considering creating new jobs in Ireland. 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.
Bruton said he would tell them Ireland is open for business and investment and his hope is that the trip will lead to more jobs announcements in the near future.
