Companies supported by two of the state’s enterprise agencies added over 170 jobs in Clare last year.
New figures also reveal that over 11,000 people are now working in firms supported by the IDA and by Enterprise Ireland.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys has told the Dáil that the IDA and Enterprise Ireland supported companies to deliver a net increase of 21,000 jobs throughout Ireland last year.
Of these, 176 were in Clare.
40 were in client companies of the IDA, which is responsible for attracting foreign companies to invest here, and the remainder came in indigenous firms supported by Enterprise Ireland.
The total number for this county is among the lowest in Ireland – five counties saw fewer net jobs created with the assistance of both state agencies, while Longford and Kildare saw reductions overall.
Despite this, Clare does have a higher proportion of inward investment than most other counties, with the total number of people employed by the IDA’s 68 client companies here now standing at nearly 6,800.
