11 November 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
The Taoiseach, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and IDA Ireland, the foreign direct investment agency of the Irish Government, welcome today’s significant announcement that Apple will be expanding its campus in Hollyhill, Co.Cork and adding a new building that will provide new office space and room for 1,000 additional employees by mid-2017.
Apple’s presence continues to have an enormous impact on job creation in Ireland – it is estimated that it supports nearly 18,000 jobs across the country, including over 5,000 direct Apple employees – an increase of 25% in the past year alone.
Apple has also announced that it is partnering with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to support research in offshore energy technology and is establishing a €1M Ocean Energy Industry Fund. This will support innovative new ways of capturing wave energy and converting it to renewable electricity in support of their global commitment to powering all facilities with renewable energy.
Apple has had a presence in Ireland since 1980, when the company opened its first facility in Cork.
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: “The Government’s priority is to keep the recovery going by creating a positive environment for investment and jobs. Apple’s plans for new facilities at their Cork campus that can house a further 1,000 jobs is a very welcome boost of confidence in Cork and the South West region. It is also a welcome sign of broadening regional recovery. These new jobs come on top of 1,000 additional jobs already created at Apple in the past 12 months, which brought the workforce in Ireland to over 5,000 in 2015. This continued expansion by the company is testament to the quality of the talent pool, the infrastructure and the business environment that this country has to offer and further cements Apple as one of the leading employers in Ireland.”
Tánaiste Joan Burton TD said: This is a profound statement of confidence in Ireland’s economic recovery, and a profound statement of belief in the talent and creativity of the Irish workforce. Apple has a huge role to play in Cork’s future and Ireland’s future, and its welcome decision to expand the facilities at its Cork campus with a view to creating 1,000 additional jobs by 2017 will, in turn, be another important step in reaching our target of full employment by 2018. I’ve said many times that Ireland’s recovery must be a social as well as an economic one, and good jobs are central to that vision.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Richard Bruton TD, who has met senior Apple executives on multiple occasions since taking office to discuss and support expansion plans for Ireland, said: “Apple is an iconic global brand and one of the largest private sector employers in Ireland. Through our Action Plan for Jobs we have been determined to support more employment in companies like Apple, through measures like extra IDA staff in overseas markets and increased numbers of trade missions, and we have seen major employment growth over recent years. Today’s announcement is a huge boost for Cork and for all of Ireland, and I look forward to working with all the team at Apple as they roll out their expansion plans.”
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland said: “For any company to be located at the same campus for over 30 years is a remarkable thing – that Apple continues to expand at this rate in 2015 is truly exceptional. Ever since Apple was first involved in manufacturing in Cork in 1980, the Irish site has continued to evolve and provide an excellent base to support the company’s growth and development. The scale of the operation in Hollyhill is vast, with manufacturing, supply chain, AppleCare and shared services operations taking place within one campus. Today’s news follows an announcement by Apple in February of this year where they revealed plans to put an €850 million data centre in Athenry.”
