Intel To Create 1000 New Jobs in IDA-Backed Investment - Harney Ireland selected as location for next generation semi-conductor facility for Intel - Tánaiste New investment will make Intel site the most advanced wafer fabrication site in Europe - Harney Today’s announcement endorses Government’s strategy of making Ireland a critical e-business hub in Europe - Tánaiste

Mary Harney Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced today (Monday 19th June, 2000) that Leixlip, Co. Kildare has been selected as the location for the next generation semi-conductor facility for Intel. The Tánaiste was joined in making the announcement by Dr. Craig Barrett, President and CEO of Intel Corporation.

The new development, which will begin immediately, will mean the creation of 1,000 new high skilled jobs, mainly for third level graduates, by 2004.

The project, which is being fully supported by IDA Ireland, will involve additional investment of IR£1.5 billion, bringing total investment at the Leixlip site to over IR£3.5 billion and continuing the earlier agreements concluded with IDA Ireland in 1989 and 1995.

"This new investment, which was won for Ireland against fierce international competition, will bring the Intel Leixlip site to the summit of manufacturing technology in the semi-conductor sector globally and will make it the most advanced wafer fabrication site in Europe," the Tánaiste said.

"It will particularly provide significant opportunities for people who have experience in the electronics industry to move into advanced employment at the cutting edge of technology, in an era where very many Irish people have twenty years, or more, experience working in the electronics sector," she added. "Intel’s arrival in Ireland in 1989 created a sea change in the perception of Ireland as a technology centre in Europe and generated a very significant and substantial chain effect in the industrial development process. This is another flagship day in the development of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Ireland and an important landmark in further advancing the quality and the skills levels in the high technology industrial base," the Tánaiste said.

"This investment is a new endorsement of Ireland’s capabilities and competitiveness by one of the world’s leading companies. In this new era of e-business today’s announcement will endorse Government and IDA Ireland’s strategy of making Ireland a critical e-business hub in Europe," the Tánaiste said.

The Tánaiste said that from the point of view of the Irish economy Intel had become one of the most important contributors to growth and development. "As a world leader in technology and financial strength Intel has delivered an economic contribution much greater than originally envisaged, making substantial Corporation Tax payments, having a significant economic impact in term of construction, wages and service purchases, and introducing workers to the highest levels of technology. Three quarters of Intel’s employees in Ireland are third level graduates from the Universities and Institutes of Technology," the Tánaiste said.

Construction work of the new facilities, which will take up to 18 months to complete, will involve an average of over 1,500 construction workers on site throughout the period and will lead to more that £350 million in locally sourced contracts in Ireland. The facility will be designed to transition from the current industry norm of 8"/200mm wafers to newly emerging and more advanced 12"/300mm wafers, as required.