Údarás enjoys year of growth despite Covid

There were 3,180 full-time jobs in companies supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta in the Galway Gaeltacht at the end of last year – the highest level ever in the history of the organisation.

The Údarás annual report reveals that 337 new jobs were created in client companies in 2021 – the highest level of new employment created in any of the counties overseen by Údarás for the second year running.

Even when the number of jobs lost was taken into account, that was still a net increase of 7.6% or 225 jobs in full-time employment on the previous year.

Most of the new jobs were created in companies operating in the medical devices, science and engineering sectors, including Freudenberg/Cambus Medical, Aran Biomedical, CLS, ÉireComposites, Zoan Nuáil Teo, Micron Clean, and HiTech Health.

During 2021, the Board of Údarás approved new projects which will ultimately create 108 jobs in the Galway Gaeltacht – with an estimated total investment of €3.09 million when these projects are underway.

The annual report also reflected on a number of significant announcements for the Galway Gaeltacht during 2021 – topped by Aran Biomedical’s 150 new high-quality jobs and more than 40 new highly skilled jobs created by Cambus Medical/Freudenberg Medical as part of a €1.9m expansion.

ÉireComposites also revealed plans to create 40 new jobs after signing a multi-million Euro contract with Spirit AeroSystems.

There was also notable positive reaction to the the Conamara Láir ‘Filleadh Abhaile’ campaign with over 120 relocation inquiries.

And the launch of the Ros an Mhíl Harbour report predicted that 900 jobs could be created in the renewable energy sector.

Two significant five-year Actions Plans were also published last year, both aiming to drive job creation, industry and tourism – both in An Cheathrú Rua and the Iorras Aithneach area.

Overall, the Údarás report revealed that 825 new full-time jobs were created in Gaeltacht companies in 2021, the highest number of jobs created in one year since 2008.

When job reductions are taken into account, there is a net increase of 446 in overall employment – the largest annual net increase since 1996.

Údarás na Gaeltachta Chief Executive Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh said that Gaeltacht communities and companies ‘deserve huge recognition for their perseverance during this pandemic’.

“The resilience shown has resulted in an increase in Gaeltacht employment over the past year,” he said.

“The challenges placed on Gaeltacht businesses and communities by this pandemic and Brexit are yet to be overcome but it is a source of considerable encouragement to see greenshoots of recovery by companies including the surge in the medical device sector in the Gaeltacht.

“Some of these indigenous companies are a real source of inspiration to others, those businesses that started out with just one or two employees and are now among the largest employers in the Gaeltacht,” he added.