THE announcement of a 600-job expansion by Microsoft last Friday has been described as a “big win” for Leopardstown.
No fewer than 500 of the 600 new jobs will be at the new inside sales centre that will be located in Leopardstown with the remaining jobs based across Microsoft’s other locations.
Fine Gael Senator Neale Richmond said the expansion was big win for Leopardstown and a big win for Microsoft.
“Microsoft have been working out of this area for many years now,” he said.
“They are a long-term employer committed to the area with great plans for their new offices currently under construction.
“Leopardstown is part of the wider Sandyford Business District, a thriving commercial destination that is achieving an international reputation as a top place to do business.”
Senator Richmond added: “I was delighted to welcome the Taoiseach and Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor to Leopardstown for this exciting launch and I’m looking forward to more wins for this region on the jobs front.”
The Dublin Chamber of Commerce also applauded the move, stating that the Microsoft announcement capped a bumper jobs week for Dublin.
A string of big firms have announced the creation of more than 1,500 new jobs in Dublin in recent weeks, including Indeed (500 jobs), BrowserStack (100), Accenture (300) and now Microsoft (600).
According to Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber: “These announcements are a massive vote of confidence in Dublin and send a clear message to the world that Ireland is open for business.
“The commitment of multinationals such as Microsoft and Accenture in growing their presence in Dublin is a signal to other firms who may be considering setting up and or expanding their operations here.”
Ms Burke added: “The investment being made by Microsoft in Dublin could have been made in any of the other cities that they are based in around the world. The fact that they have chosen Dublin is testament to what we have to offer.”