Good afternoon everyone.
Thank you, Linda and Dan, for the kind invitation to be here today to mark another great milestone in Voxpro’s journey as you announce the creation of another 400 jobs.
This is fantastic news for Cork and a boost to the reputation of the South West region as a growing hub for innovative companies.
Over the past 20 years Voxpro has been a fantastic success story for Ireland.
From 6 people over a pub in Cork, to employing 1000 people – soon to be 1400 - from all over the world providing top-quality services to some of the biggest names on the internet – including iconic brands such as Google, Airbnb, Etsy and Travelzoo.
It is companies like Voxpro that are leading the charge in Ireland’s recovery. Creating jobs at home, expanding internationally, and creating an excitement about the innovation coming out of Ireland.
On this I would also like to congratulate Voxpro on its recently announced plans to open a new centre of excellence in Sacramento. This is significant in allowing this Irish headquartered business to expand in an ambitious way.
Voxpro is supporting a thriving technology community in Ireland, especially in its Headquarters here in Cork.
We are already home to over 900 software companies, including both multinational and indigenous firms, employing 24,000 people and generating some €16 billion worth of exports annually.
The available skills, the supportive business environment, our transport connectivity, our place in Europe, and our pro-enterprise attitude makes Ireland the ideal location for new European, Middle East and African headquarters for growing companies.
For our part, the Irish Government needs to keep Ireland attractive to new investment and new jobs.
That is why we prioritised many pro-growth and pro-job policies in our recently introduced Budget which was another step in our plan to keep the recovery going.
To make work pay we are tackling the marginal tax rates on middle income earners in Ireland, and are reducing the marginal rate of tax to below 50% for all earners under €70,000.
Reducing marginal tax rates on low and middle income workers is something that we will continue in the years ahead.
In addition to supporting Irish business to develop and expand, we have also continued the strategy of attracting more foreign investment and jobs.
To encourage new research and innovation in Ireland we are launching a new best in class ‘Knowledge Development Box’ next year that will reduce the rate of corporation tax on qualifying innovative products and services developed in Ireland.
This coupled with our competitive Corporation Tax Rate and regime, our R&D Tax Credit regime, our supports for International property management together with our investments in research and talent, should ensure that Ireland is among the leading innovation hubs for the future.
Our intention is to get the unemployment rate down to 6% by 2020.
There are currently 1,000 new jobs a week being added to the economy. It is our intention to keep the recovery going and we expect 50,000 new jobs to be created next year as a result.
Government’s Capital Plan
In recent weeks we have also launched our medium term investment plan for Ireland.
Cork was prioritised for much needed investment in new infrastructure to strengthen the local economy, to encourage new investment and to create more jobs in the region.
We have committed funding for the Mallow Relief Road, the Dunkettle interchange, and the N28 from Cork to Ringaskiddy.
The city of Cork itself will see the most ambitious flood relief system ever built by the State.
This is in addition to important sectoral investments such as the Cork Event centre, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and the ongoing investment in the Irish Marine and Energy Resource Cluster.
As we work to secure the recovery we will also see new investment in vital local services like new healthcare facilities, new Garda stations and new Garda cars for the county.
We in Government are continuing to work to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to do business, so that we can create new jobs like the ones here today and to secure recovery.
And on that note I would like to conclude by wishing Voxpro well in their expansion plans and I look forward to the next chapter of Voxpro’s story.
Thank you.
ENDS