Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 February 2021
22. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which a demand still exists for the location of international call centres in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9325/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe international call centre industry, or the Customer Experience industry as is it also known, is an important sector and a significant employer in Ireland. In recent years it has evolved from traditional call centres to language and technology-based customer interaction and customer experience centres. In 2019, it was estimated that approximately 56,000 people were employed in this sector.
The availability of a highly-skilled, mobile workforce, a low-risk environment and access to multilingual talent, both locally and from across the globe, has made Ireland an attractive location for customer experience and support activities. Ireland’s customer experience companies serve key markets in Ireland, the UK, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the US and Canada. Increasingly, newer markets in Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America are being served.
Every job created in Ireland is hard won against increasing competition from a growing number of potential locations. Investors in this sector seek skilled employees, international connectivity, energy infrastructure, telecommunications and services infrastructure. In 2019, IDA Ireland, along with Enterprise Ireland and the Customer Contact Management Association, published a transformation strategy for the sector. That strategy cited technology adoption, people change and services transformation as key areas of focus for the sector to remain competitive against international competition.
IDA Ireland will work with its existing client base to assist and support their growth and expansion in Ireland and will continue to highlight Ireland’s strong value proposition to prospective overseas investors to attract mobile foreign investment.
