Apple plans to construct a three-storey office block next to its existing plant in the city.

This will cater for the expansion of its business in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.

Apple has been in Cork for 30 years. It currently employs 2,800 people in the city and its business is booming.

In the three months October to December last year, revenues in markets serviced by Apple’s Cork plant grew 55% year-on-year.

This growth is that Apple has out-grown its European headquarters at Hollyhill in Cork and more than 400 staff now work out of 30,000 square feet of leased office space in the Owen O’Callaghan re-developed Half Moon Street in the city centre.

Now Apple is expanding in Cork again. Apple’s senior director for Corporate Communications, Alan Hely, has confirmed to RTE News that the company plans to increase its workforce in the city by 500 to 3,300 over the next 18 months. He said the company was “thrilled” to make the announcement.

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton and senior officials in IDA Ireland have been involved in meetings on the project here and with Apple management in the US over several months.

“This development continues the strong trend of investment over the past years in Ireland, in particular from global ICT companies and demonstrates Ireland’s continuing success in attracting FDI additional investment,” commented IDA Ireland’s chief executive Barry O’Leary.

A parcel delivery firm has expanded its operations and today announced plans to create 50 new jobs.

DPD Ireland revealed it has had to grow its distribution facility in Athlone, Co Westmeath, to meet demand in online business and internet shopping.

The express parcel carrier delivers an average of 40,000 packages per night.

Brendan O’Neill, chief executive, said DPD’s business is almost like a bellwether of the Irish economy.

“It directly reflects Ireland’s changing economic environment,” he said.

“DPD’s customer base has become increasingly cost conscious – right across every sector. We’ve had to adapt quickly to that change.”

“Through strong investment in research and development and technical innovation, we’ve improved efficiencies for DPD and for our customers.”

Founded in 1986 with 10 depots, DPD now boasts a network of 38 depots throughout Ireland, employing more than 600 people.

It has 350 vehicles on the road, carrying more than eight million parcels a year, and contributes more than 40 million euro to the Irish economy.

It expects to create more than 50 new positions over the next 18 months.

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said the new 50 jobs were a great boost for the region.

“This is a company expanding through increased use of technology, R&D and innovation, and through the Action Plan for Jobs we will be seeking to encourage more businesses to follow this path. I congratulate all involved and wish them all the best for the future,” he added.

Sysnet Global Solutions has confirmed it is to create 30 new high-value jobs in Dublin and a further 8 positions overseas by 2014 as part of a new €1.34 million R&D investment programme.

Sysnet intends to expand its software development operation in Dublin and invest in the development of the existing compliance management system to meet the changing needs of existing and future clients.

Established in 1989, Sysnet is a provider of information security and assurance services worldwide.

“The Sysnet brand is recognised globally as a leading provider of information security assurance and payment card industry compliance services. Our clear ambition is to extend our global reach and we are confident that our services can compete and win in this growing world wide market,” said the firm’s chief executive Gabriel Moynagh.

The Irish Times reports that IDA-backed multinationals created 1,350 net new jobs in Ireland in 2010. The IDA’s interim statement for 2010 shows that multinationals supported by the government agency created 10,897 new jobs last year. Chief Executive Barry O’Leary said that about 9,545 jobs were lost in multinationals last year. He said some of the job losses were the result of closures announced in 2009, including that of PC maker Dell. The IDA said it hopes to bring in projects that will lead to the creation of 10,000 new jobs in 2011. It also hopes to bring in investments that will create 62,000 new jobs by 2014.

The Irish Times reports that UCC is on target to spin out four companies this year, the latest being ThinkSmart Technologies. ThinkSmart, which has licensed technology developed at the Cork Constraint Computing Centre (4C) in UCC, has the potential to create 30 new jobs over the next four years, according to Chief Executive Brendan O’Brien. ThinkSmart has already signed up a Fortune 500 company as a customer for its optimisation technology, which allows large companies to make the best use of limited resources.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith T.D. today (3rd November 2010) announced that global insurance and reinsurance provider, Global Indemnity plc, is to establish an IT development operation in Cavan through its subsidiary, Global Indemnity Services Ltd., creating 30 high value jobs over the next 5 years.  Global Indemnity Services will employ a wide range of technical staff to provide IT development for the Company’s policy administration and finance functions.  The investment is supported by IDA Ireland.

The release follows Global Indemnity’s recent announcement that it had completed its redomestication to Ireland and anticipated opening an operational office in addition to its administrative headquarters in Ireland by the end of the year, with the initial focus being IT development. 

Minister Smith, welcoming the announcement, said “Today’s announcement is excellent news for the North East region and Cavan in particular.  Global Indemnity is an established global insurer and reinsurer and is a welcome addition to the area.  The Company’s decision to locate in Cavan is an endorsement of the attractiveness of the area to global investors.  The availability of local talent, its position within the North East region and its proximity to Dublin with the recent opening of the new M3 motorway are all major factors contributing to the attractiveness of the area.  I would like to thank Global Indemnity for offering such excellent employment opportunities to the people of Cavan, and can assure the Company that it has my full support into the future as it develops its operation here.”

Larry Frakes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Indemnity plc said: “Ireland is an excellent locale for our headquarters with a supportive environment and infrastructure from which to conduct an international business.  Our decision to locate IT development operations in Cavan is based on the availability of a highly skilled local workforce, excellent IT infrastructure, and the access Ireland provides us to EU markets. Global Indemnity Services will play a major role in strengthening our European presence.  We look forward to developing the operation with the support of IDA Ireland.”

Barry O’Leary CEO, IDA Ireland added: “Ireland has a strong reputation as a leading location for global insurance companies, with over 15,000 people employed in the industry here.  Global Indemnity is an excellent addition to this cluster.  IDA Ireland looks forward to working closely with the company as it establishes its operation here.”
 

About Global Indemnity plc  and Its Subsidiaries
Global Indemnity plc (NASDAQ: GBLI), through its several direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiary insurance and reinsurance companies, provides both admitted and nonadmitted specialty property and casualty insurance coverages in the United States, as well as reinsurance throughout the world.  Global Indemnity plc’s five principal divisions include:
United States Based Insurance Operations:

Penn-America, which includes property and general liability products for small commercial businesses distributed through a select network of wholesale general agents with specific binding authority;

United National, which includes property, general liability, and professional lines products distributed through program administrators with specific binding authority;

Diamond State, which includes property, general liability, and professional lines products distributed through wholesale brokers and program administrators with specific binding authority;

CompGlobal, which provides workers’ compensation insurance.

International Reinsurance Operations:

Wind River Reinsurance Company, Ltd., a Bermuda based treaty and facultative reinsurer of excess and surplus lines and specialty property and casualty insurance.

For more information, visit the Global Indemnity plc website at http://www.globalindemnity.ie  
Forward-Looking Information
Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made under “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The types of risks and uncertainties which may affect the Company are set forth in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Irish Examiner says that a Cork-based firm specialising in business process services has said that it cannot fill job vacancies because not enough people are applying to work there. SouthWestern chief executive Stephen Hegarty said the company had a range of positions to fill but that they were not receiving enough CVs from interested jobseekers. “We currently have 40 vacancies… and we are looking for people from entry level right up to network administrators. We are one of the biggest employers in West Cork but we are not getting enough CVs sent into us to fill the positions,” he said.

The Irish Examiner reports that professional job opportunities rose 38 percent in June compared with last year. Demand for workers in the IT sector saw a particular increase, according to the Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor. Month-on-month, however, job vacancies fell by 7 percent. There was a 31 percent increase in newly available professional jobs across Ireland this year compared with the second half of 2009. Chief executive of Premier Group Ireland Brian Murphy said the growth levels indicate that some confidence has returned to the jobs market and that businesses are taking a more positive approach to hiring. Murphy said that demand in the IT sector for software developers is a trend he expects to continue into the third quarter this year.

The Wall Street Journal says that handset maker Nokia has launched a search for a new chief executive, according to sources. The move comes as current CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo struggles to find a strong position for the company in the high-end smartphone market. Laurie Armstrong, a spokeswoman for Nokia, said the company would not comment on speculation.

150 voluntary redundancies are sought by National Irish Bank as part of a restructuring plan announced today.
The restructuring will result in closing almost half of the bank branches (25 of 58) in Ireland during 2010 and 2011.
NIB Chief Executive Andrew Healy reaffirmed the ‘continued commitment’ of the bank’s parent, Danske Bank Group, to the Irish market.
Mr Healy said: ‘The banking sector in Ireland is on life support. Banks have to react by reducing costs and amending their business models. We are taking these actions to ensure we have a long-term future, a healthy future.’
The bank employs almost 700 people today.

Bookmaker Paddy Power has announced it will create up to 250 new jobs at its headquarters in Tallaght in west Dublin over the next three-and-a-half years.

Paddy Power, which already employs 640 people in Dublin, is recruiting as part of its strategy of international expansion into the online sports betting market.

The company is to recruit 50 people with skills in technology and risk management by next summer, with the remainder generated over three subsequent years.

Paddy Power has said it is lending its bet pricing and risk expertise to the French state controlled horse racing betting system, called PMU, for a five-year period from next year.

PMU is Europe’s largest betting organisation with €9.3 billion of sales in 2008 generated through 10,000 retail outlets. This morning PMU has announced it plans to become an online player for sports betting.

In that regard, this is an enormous opportunity for Paddy Power, making the company a significant exporter of services from its Tallaght base.

Paddy Power is already the largest online bookmaker in the UK and it has also grown strongly in Australia over the last year.

Chief executive Patrick Kennedy said Paddy Power was looking for more overseas opportunities.

Global online betting has an estimated current turnover of €50 billion, but that is set to double in the coming years.

All of the 250 jobs to come on stream in Tallaght will be for people with graduate skills in areas like IT and e-commerce.

Sajan, a Wisconsin-based software company has established a new subsidiary which will be headquartered in Dublin.

The firm, which develops on-demand translation technology, said the new entity, which is called Sajan Software Limited, will house and support cloud-based translation technologies.

About 35 jobs are to be created mainly in R&D and sales, the firm said.

It added that after reviewing a number of possible locations it selected Dublin as its new headquarters because of Ireland’s reputation as “a business-friendly country” and it closeness to European customers.

“The launch of Sajan Software represents Sajan’s longstanding commitment to the future of cloud-based translation technology,” said Vern Hanzlik, president of the newly established subsidiary.

Today’s announcement has been welcomed by IDA Ireland.

“The establishment by Sajan of a headquarter operation of this nature demonstrates the strength of Ireland’s reputation as a location for software investments, linguistics and translation,” said IDA chief executive Barry O’Leary.”

“Sajan Software Ltd is to play a strategic role in Sajan’s overall operation and Ireland will be a vital element in this strategic role,” he added.

Sajan’s expansion into Europe builds on its recent move into India. In December 2008, the company opened an office dedicated to software research, development, quality assurance and operations in New Delhi.

The company, which was established in 1997, currently employs about 90 people at its global headquarters in River Falls, Wisconsin.

ACC Bank is to cut 200 jobs due to the global financial crisis.

The bank says the sharp deterioration in the Irish economy and the collapse of the Irish property market are to blame.

ACC Bank Chief Executive Rob Hartog says the economic downturn has severely impacted its financial performance in 2008.

ACC Bank is part of the Rabobank Group.

It employs around 660 people in its head office in Dublin and at 25 branches around the country.

The 200 job losses will be at both the bank’s head office and across the branch network with the 16 branches closing on a progressive basis between October 2009 and April 2010.

Mr Hartog said: ‘The decision to implement these changes at ACC Bank has been a very difficult one to make, and we will be working with trade unions and employee representatives to determine how best to implement them over the next few weeks.’

Dublin-based software firm Openet, which specialises in transactional software for the telecoms sector, plans to hire 50 new staff during 2008, bringing the total employed at the firm to over 300.

“We are focusing on three principle areas,” Niall Norton, chief executive of Openet told ENN. “We want more staff working in core product development so that will require software engineers and programmers. We will also be hiring more professional service engineers and we want to increase the size of our marketing and sales team.”

Most of the Openet positions will be based in Dublin at the firm’s headquarters in Park West. The new positions are being created to meet an increased demand for Openet’s services and to help the firm expand its offerings “We’ve seen very strong growth over the past two years and we have a strong pipeline coming through. We currently have five core products and we are looking to increase that to nine,” said Norton.

Openet has a number of exciting career opportunities located worldwide. To learn more about joining our team, email jobs@openet.com.

Poor Broadband in Ireland could be a thing of the past as a lobby group has been formed with some of Ireland’s leading Business figures. The “informal” lobby group includes Vivas chief executive Oliver Tattan, John McEligott of eBay Ireland and the heads of Paddy Power, 3V, Ebookers and Daft.ie. This group is seekking a meeting with the Minister of Communications – Eamon Ryan.