Údarás na Gaeltachta reports increase of 96 jobs

Údarás na Gaeltachta has reported an increase of 96 jobs last year in companies it supports.
The details are contained the the boards annual review for 2013.
At year end, total employment in Údarás client companies stood at 7,650, of which 6,970 are full-time
jobs and 680 are part-time jobs.
When job losses are taken into consideration, there was a net increase of 96 jobs overall.
Last year, Údarás na Gaeltachta approved projects which are expected to create a further 560 new jobs and lead to an overall projected investment of €44 million in Gaeltacht companies.
Over half of these jobs will be created in new start-up enterprises, with the remainder generated by existing client-companies as they further expand their businesses.
These jobs are expected to come on stream throughout 2014 and in subsequent years.
The board says that one of the main impediments to further enterprise stimulation and job creation in the Gaeltacht is the lack of adequate business infrastructure.
It says that the absence of high speed broadband at a competitive cost places many Gaeltacht companies at a competitive disadvantage and efforts are continuing to address this deficiency.