The IDA says companies it supportedt created more than 12,500 new jobs in 2005 with 71 new foreign investment projects worth in excess of €700m. 46 of these were sited outside of the Greater Dublin area.
In its annual report for 2005, the IDA said that investment in research and development was up 85% on 2004 to €275m.
A spokeswoman said it had been the IDA's best year for inward investment since 2000. Last year some 132,000 people were working in IDA backed companies, a net gain of more than 3,400 on the previous year. This was the biggest net gain since 2000.
Chief executive Seán Dorgan said the agency saw good prospects for further investments over the coming months.
The IDA is also today launching a new international marketing campaign called 'The Irish Mind'. This features some of Louis le Brocquy's distinctive and well recognised 'head' portraits of famous Irish people.
A full page advertisement appears in today's Wall Street Journal featuring le Brocquy's recent portrait of Bono.
The idea is to use eye-catching and engaging images to market the country's creative and flexible pro-business approach to facilitate foreign businesses establishing here. The theme is to demonstrate that Ireland is a unique place to do business.
An IDA spokeswoman said Bono had allowed the IDA to use his image.
