HEWLETT PACKARD'S IRISH CHIEF SAYS JOB CREATION KEY TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY - Computer manufacturer Hewlett Packard is creating 120 high-technology, multilingual jobs at its enterprise division in Dublin. 50 of the jobs are available immediately, and the other 70 depend on how the first fifty go. The qualified individuals need language skills, like French, German and Italian.
Martin Murphy, HP's managing director for Ireland, says the company's business plan is to create 120 new jobs and the first phase of this will see 50 new people joining the company's team. He says that Ireland has a proven track record of having the right skills, while it has also improved its competitiveness. He also says he is impressed with Irish companies' hunger for success and appetite for creating jobs despite the economic challenges.
On the December Budget, Mr Murphy says he would like to see a job creation or stimulus programme introduced for industry here. He says the Government must focus on a business plan for job creation. The Government must get specific on creating new jobs and get specific on cutting the Dole queues, he adds. He says the fact that corporation tax is set to remain at 12.5% is a reason for future confidence for multinationals and says it is vital that the Government concentrates on innovation, incubation and exports.
He would also like to see the elimination of red tape for business in the Budget, as well as proposals for SMEs to create jobs and large firms to take people off the Live Register.
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MORNING BRIEFS - New figures show that there are 30,000 houses or apartments, either unfinished or unoccupied around the country. And the Permanent TSB / ESRI house price index shows that national house prices in Ireland fell by 1.3% between July and September. House prices had fallen by 1.7% between April and June. In the first nine months of this year, house prices fell by 7.6% - that compares to a fall of 11.7% for the same time last year. Dublin house prices fell by 1.2% from June to September this year. The average price for a house nationally is now €198,689, compared with €311,078 at their peak. National prices have fallen 36% since the price peak at the end of 2006.
*** A new pre-paid mobile network launches today. Just Mobile is creating 25 jobs now, and up to 70 over the next two years. One cent a minute of each call is donated to the user's charity of choice. So far 40 charities have signed up to the network.
*** China says its economy has continued to grow in the third quarter of this year, but at a slightly lower rate. Official figures show a drop from just over 10% growth to 9.6%. This leaves China's growth still far ahead of any major economy, but experts fear the slowdown will reduce the contribution China can make to a global recovery.
*** On the currency markets, the euro is trading at $1.3922 cents and 88.16 pence sterling.
