Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD and John Herlihy, European Director of Online Sales & Operations, Google Inc., today announced that Google, the world’s leading Internet search company, is to create over 600 new jobs, with the support of IDA Ireland.

Dublin is Google’s European Headquarters and its largest operation outside the US, with employees from over 40 nationalities.  It provides a range of technical, sales and operations support, financial and shared services to Google’s customers in over 35 countries. 

Over 600 new high level positions will be created in total over the next two to three years.  Google will be recruiting across the business – from operations, customer sales and engineering to legal, finance and human resources. 

Google aims to become the number one choice for all nationalities wanting to pursue a career in the European media or technology industries.  Google recruits employees at a very high skill level and many of the positions will require third level educated graduates with multilingual skills.  Google currently employs over 800 people across Europe.

In order to accommodate its growing work force, Google has also signed a lease for a further 100,000 square feet beside its current European headquarters building on Barrow Street, Dublin 4.

Minister Martin said, “Since its inception in Ireland in 2003, Google’s business has rapidly developed well ahead of expectations.  Following this investment, Google will become, in a very short period of time, one of the most substantial business support integration and development operations in Ireland.  This decision yet again demonstrates that Ireland is by far and away the primary location for the digital media industry in Europe and second only to Silicon Valley in the US”.   

The Minister went on to say that this decision by one of the most innovative and fastest growing companies in the world is a tremendous vote of confidence in Ireland’s ability to provide the levels of skills and expertise necessary for success.

“The Irish management and workforce are to be congratulated on the success of the company here to date – a factor that considerably influenced Google’s decision to expand in Ireland”, he added.  

Google staff in Dublin - Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who joined Mary Harney, Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) to formally open the Dublin European headquarters in June 2004.

Welcoming the Minister’s support, John Herlihy, European Director of Online Sales & Operations said: “Basing our European operations here in Dublin has proven to be a great decision.  We have found that the quality of the Irish workforce has enabled us to improve our products and services in a way that has proven to be highly beneficial for our customers, both users and advertisers.  We really appreciate the support of the Irish Government and the assistance of IDA Ireland in developing our business here.”