IDA Ireland, the state investment agency, will host investors online this year through a series of virtual roundtables with clients during St Patrick's week.
IDA client companies are responsible for over 250,000 jobs directly and account for expenditure in the Irish economy of over €25 billion and 67% of all exports from Ireland.
Senior Government members and IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan will join IDA clients to discuss current investment conditions in Ireland, the country's Covid-19 response and future investment opportunities.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Further and Higher Education Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris and Minister for Trade Promotion Robert Troy will host meetings with IDA clients in the US, Europe, UK and Asia.
During the same week, IDA Ireland will launch a global marketing campaign aimed at encouraging business decision makers to choose Ireland in an increasingly competitive environment for foreign direct investment.
The new campaign will be based across digital, print and broadcast platforms and capitalises on the goodwill towards Ireland that exists across the globe on March 17.
Martin Shanahan, the chief executive of IDA Ireland, said that like all other businesses, the agency has adapted to current circumstances.
"Moving our investor conversations online has been a great way to maintain dialogue in recent months," Martin Shanahan said.
He said that marketing Ireland is the IDA's day job, and this new campaign will be targeted at potential investors.
"Over St Patrick’s week our target market will see Ireland in TV ads, they will read about doing business in Ireland in their papers, and they will see our digital takeovers when they open their favourite news provider," he said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that foreign direct investment has proven to be extraordinarily resilient over the past year and will be key to the country's recovery from the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"So many Irish businesses also depend on the MNC sector, it is important that Ireland continues to attract and maintain current levels of investment," he added.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that despite an unprecedented and difficult year, Ireland still saw a net increase in FDI jobs of nearly 9,000 in 2020.
He said this is a testament to the attractiveness of Ireland as a destination for companies seeking to invest.
"The revenues generated by IDA companies allowed us to fund business grants, the PUP and wage subsidies, as well as extra investment in healthcare and education, to an extent that would not otherwise have been possible," Mr Varadkar said.
"This St Patrick's Festival will be very different to previous years but we will make the most of it and continue to use it as an opportunity to meet, virtually, with companies thinking of choosing Ireland as their home and those that have already done so," he added.
