A target to generate in excess of 100,000 new jobs in Ireland is on track, an agency claims.

IDA Ireland announced it is on course to achieve its employment goal by 2014 following strong figures for last year.

The body has reported it assisted in the creation of almost 11,000 new roles in 2010, despite a difficult year for the country's economy.

In its latest report, IDA Ireland explained the five-year target to attract overseas investment resulted in 126 wins last year, rising from a total of 119 in 2009.

In addition, average employment per investment doubled in 2010 compared with the previous year, with the number of new positions created up from 4,615.

The figures were welcomed by Ireland's minister for enterprise, trade and innovation Batt O'Keeffe, who stated: "The pre-crisis levels of investment are coming from our traditional markets of North America, mainland Europe and the United Kingdom, as well as from new high-growth markets."

Last month, IDA Ireland announced the creation of 75 extra jobs in Letterkenny with the expansion of the operations there of US-based medical device company Zeus Industrial Products.

Posted by Alex Donnell