Over 500 jobs created in Westmeath - but 134 lost

Some 527 full-time jobs were created in IDA and Enterprise Ireland-sponsored companies in Westmeath last year – but during the same period, in this sector, 134 jobs were lost.

However, the figures stack up well against much of the rest of the country.

In Longford, for example, just 140 jobs were created, but 88 jobs lost; in Offaly, 170 jobs were created, but 172 lost; in Meath, 683 jobs were created, and 397 jobs lost.

The breakdown shows that of the 527 jobs created in Westmeath in 2012, some 252 were in IDA-sponsored companies, and 275 in Enterprise Ireland-sponsored firms.

The losses were highest among Enterprise Ireland firms, where 104 jobs were lost, while 30 jobs went in IDA firms.

The figures were released to Meath West TD Deputy Peadar Tóibín in Dáil Éireann on foot of his request for a list of the number of jobs lost and jobs created by both bodies on a county by county basis for the last year.

The list was provided by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, who said the figures were drawn from the Forfás Annual Employment Survey.

"I am delighted to say that 2012 was a particularly good year for job creation in agency-supported companies, with IDA client companies creating a total of 12,722 gross new full time jobs and Enterprise Ireland client companies creating a total of 12,861 gross new full-time jobs," said Minister Bruton.