Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the creation of new tech jobs in Dublin shows “Ireland is open to investment, trade, talent and creativity”.
He made the remarks as he announced the creation of 50 new jobs over the next 18 months at Viatel Technology Group, based in Blanchardstown. The group has offices in Dublin, Limerick and Dundalk and is expected to have earned over €70m in revenue in 2022. The company was involved in creating the online passport renewal system.
Speaking at the job announcement, Mr Varadkar said that it shows that Ireland is open for business. The Taoiseach said: “50 local jobs in the tech sector over the next 18 months is a fantastic news story and a significant expansion for the company.
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“It’s good to see that jobs are being created in the tech sector and that companies are still recruiting, notwithstanding the fact that so many companies are downsizing.
“It demonstrates that Ireland is open to investment, to trade, to talent and to creativity, and that we are a country of opportunity, where indigenous enterprise can flourish alongside international companies.
“I am grateful to Viatel for their work in helping the Government and its agencies to improve services for citizens, including the excellent online passport renewal system and the digitisation of the marking of the Junior and Leaving Certs.
“Both Government and companies like Viatel have a crucial role to play in ensuring that Irish businesses and Irish citizens are not left behind in the digital transition.”
The announcement by the Taoiseach comes following a spate of job losses in the tech sector.
It was reported on Thursday that Salesforce was cutting 200 jobs in Ireland. Paypal, which has operations in Dublin and Dundalk, also confirmed this week it was cutting 2,000 jobs globally. HubSpot is also set to cut 500 jobs globally.
TikTok has confirmed a "small number" of its 5,000 Ireland-based staff will be impacted by layoffs. Facebook, Twitter, Google and Stripe also confirmed that some of its Irish workforces would be made redundant following cuts.
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