February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Harney was speaking at an Enterprise Ireland Forum, “Negotiating for Success — Building Competitive Irish Companies with Global Capability,” at the Guinness Storehouse. She cited the figures as evidence of successful business during a difficult economic period.
Commenting on a review of Enterprise Ireland activities in the international services sector, Harney said: “The Irish-owned internationally-traded services sector is a substantial contributor to export based revenue generation in the economy and is a significant vehicle for high level research and
development. The sector is still the fastest growing sector in the economy and companies are continuing to compete aggressively in international markets.”
Last year, Irish software and international services companies recorded euro 1.5 billion in exports an increase of over 28 percent. Employment in the sector is 21,000.
“It is people and intellectual capital that form the bedrock of Ireland’s global success and with a firm focus on international markets Irish companies will be well positioned to benefit as tough market conditions ease,” she said.