Good afternoon everybody.
It is always a pleasure to speak with the workers of one of the leading global providers of healthcare products in the world.
The work you do here in Athlone producing airway products, and from all other sites around Ireland, makes a real difference to the lives of millions of people all over the world.
You should take great pride in your role as pioneers in your field.
The huge sums invested in research and development to build better medical devices is changing the way we think about healthcare and life.
The products you dreamt up with your imagination and made with your hands make the difference between life and death in so many cases.
It is great that the Covidien family in Ireland has grown to 1,500 people based all over the country and continues to be the largest employer in the midlands.
With a presence in 65 countries all over the world it is fantastic that Covidien has chosen Ireland as a major European base of operations.
These jobs across Ireland provide a real source of income for local employees, help fund local economies, and keep local communities alive.
Not to mention the positive impact the exports of a company like Covidien have on Ireland’s export led recovery.
Many multinational companies continue to grow their presence in Ireland as a base of their European and African operations.
As a small open country we have shown great form in attracting some of the biggest names in global business.
Based here we already have 8 of the world's top 10 technology firms. This record is topped again by the presence of nine of the top ten global pharmaceutical companies.
These multinationals now employ at least 250,000 people in Ireland.
Supporting jobs in towns and villages right across the country.
They are a major part of Ireland’s export led recovery story. IDA-supported companies contribute €115 billion in exports - over 70%.
The Government’s budgetary plans for 2013 and beyond rely on continued and accelerated economic growth.
This in turn is dependent on the continued rebuilding of investor confidence in Ireland.
Multinational companies, such as Covidien, are attracted to Ireland for the stable business environment, the easy access to the eurozone, and for the high quality talent offered by Irish employees.
They take advantage of the positives Ireland has to offer to sell goods and services into Europe.
We have to continually work to protect, promote and develop the competitive advantages Ireland has to offer to highly mobile international businesses in order to attract more investment and jobs.
We have made great progress during the past year on this front.
Recent job and investment announcements from companies such as Apple, Paypal, Cicso, Mylan, Eli Lilly, HP, Amgen, and many more highlight the value of investor confidence in getting the economy back on track and getting Ireland back to work.
These companies and many more will continue to be attracted to Ireland if we continue to provide a suitable and stable business environment that allows business to plan for the future with confidence.
Throughout my recent visits to the United States, China and elsewhere, the consistent message from both political and business leaders is that they see certainty about Ireland’s place as a member of the Eurozone as a crucial element of Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for investment.
In recent months alone, numerous multinational companies have shown their confidence in Ireland by committing to new investments here that will create thousands of new jobs.
We have had Paypal with 1,000 jobs in Dundalk, Apple with 500 jobs in Cork, Mylan with another 500 jobs in North Dublin, Eli Lilly with 500 jobs in Cork South West, HP with 280 jobs in Galway and Kildare, SAP with 250 jobs in City West, Abbott Pharmaceutical with 175 jobs in Sligo, Microsoft with a $130 million investment in Dublin, Cicso with 115 jobs in Galway and Total Defence announcing 100 new jobs in Dublin.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the staff at Covidien for their ongoing commitment to Ireland.
Time and again, CEO’s of multinationals with Irish operations, cite Ireland’s ability to provide a highly-skilled, innovative and passionate workforce, as one of their main reasons for locating operations here.
The hard-work and dedication of the staff here adds to the degree of confidence and stability in Ireland that encourages continued investment and adds to the reputation of Ireland as an excellent place to do business.
As we continue to get Ireland back to work I wish Covidien every success with their operations and offer the continued support of the Irish Government.
Thank you.
ENDS