Enterprise Ireland's annual report shows that employment at companies it supports fell by 19,000 last year.
But it said it expected new jobs this year to beat the 2009 figure of 7,443, adding that it expected its companies to create 60,000 jobs by the end of 2015.
The 2009 annual reports showed that exports from EI companies fell by 10% last year to €13 billion.
The agency, which is responsible for developing Irish firms, said this figure included new export sales of almost €700m. EI said a number of sectors - including software, life sciences and internationally traded services - recorded growth in exports.
In 2009, Enterprise Ireland invested in 73 new high potential start-up companies. It said these firms would create more than 900 new jobs and achieve total sales of over €600m within the next three years.
EI chief Frank Ryan said its companies had overcome difficult challenges in the past 18 months, and shown 'exceptional resilience'.
