Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
210. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for details of all Canadian companies engaged with, by his Department, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, or equivalent bodies and encouraged to make investments in Ireland since 2018, in tabular form. [73239/25]
View answerIDA Ireland’s mission is to promote Ireland and its regions as a premier destination for investment, facilitate the expansion of multinational companies, and nurture long-term relationships with key industry leaders. The agency operates a network of offices across the United States and Canada, engaging with a diverse range of sectors including technology, life sciences, financial services, and advanced manufacturing. In Canada, IDA Ireland is co-located with Enterprise Ireland in Toronto and its presence in Canada is being reviewed by the IDA as part of the Government’s Market Diversification Action Plan.
This year, the IDA launched its new strategy, ‘Adapt Intelligently’ with goals of strengthening long term investments, scaling cutting edge innovation, driving sustainable change and to maximising regional opportunities. With this focus, the IDA advocates Ireland as an attractive, stable, and innovative gateway to the European market, leveraging Ireland’s highly skilled workforce, business-friendly environment, and robust regulatory framework.
Canada is an important source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for Ireland with the number of new IDA clients originating from Canada growing steadily over the last number of years, due to the growing links between the two economies and increased opportunities between Canada and Europe. Ireland is an attractive location for Canadian companies to invest due to access to the European/EU Market, the deep talent pool available and to grow and serve the customer base in a business friendly and pro-enterprise country.
At the end of 2024, IDA supported 65 Canadian operations employing 7,056 people. Canadian Inward Investment into Ireland has grown steadily over the last number of years and IDA’s Canadian investors include some of the strongest companies in Canada including: 6 of the Top 10 Canadian companies (by market cap); 4 of the top 5 Canadian banks; and 4 of the top 5 Canadian software companies.
There is a strong regional aspect to Canadian investment with 40% of client operations and 70% of employment by Canadian companies based outside of Dublin. The Canadian market is particularly strong in sectors such as ICT, financial services, fintech, business services and industrial technologies. These companies are engaged in a range of functions in Ireland including EMEA Headquarters, European sales & marketing, Manufacturing, R&D, Software Development and Business Services.
The outlook for Canadian investment in Ireland is positive, and IDA Ireland continues to engage confidentially with many companies on an ongoing basis to discuss potential investments. IDA does not publicly disclose the names of companies it engages with, to respect confidentiality, protect business-sensitive information and for competitive reasons. When a company is ready to announce significant investment and growth plans in Ireland, IDA supports this to maximise the impact of all announcements. The table below, outlines public announcements made by Canadian companies since 2018 to-date in 2025.
Announcements made by Canadian companies in Ireland since 2018 to 2025
|
2018 |
SOTI – R&D Hub in Galway Trulioo – EU HQ in Dublin Telus International – Expanding in Cork Circle K – Couche Tard – Expanding through Acquisition |
|
2019 |
TD Bank – Expanding in Dublin Greenfield Global – EMEA HQ in Ireland Manulife Investment Management – EU Offices Dublin |
|
2020 |
Bathfitter – EU HQ in Limerick Greenfield Gobal – EMEA Manufacturing in Portlaoise |
|
2021 |
Telus Digital - Expanding in Mayo Bausch & Lomb – Expaning in Waterford N’ware – EMEA HQ in Laois |
|
2022 |
Telus International – Expanding in Ireland Sun Life – Sustainability Investment in Waterford RBC – Expanding through Acquisition Clearco – EU HQ |
|
2023 |
Zymeworks – EU HQ in Dublin Sun Life – 25th Anniversary in Waterford Clio – 10 years of success in Europe OpenText – Expanding through Acquisition in Cork |
|
2024 |
Element Fleet Management – EU HQ in Dublin Mark Anthony Brands International – Expanding in Dublin |
|
2025 |
Klohn Crippen Berger – EMEA Office in Dublin Trulioo – New HQ in Dublin Clio – New HQ and Expanding Valsoft – Expanding through Acquisition |
As the Deputy may be aware I led a joint Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland four-day Trade Mission to Toronto and Ottawa in November, to boost trade relationships, promote world class Irish companies to the Canadian market and highlight Ireland’s attractiveness for Canadian companies seeking to expand to Europe. With Ireland is poised to fully ratify the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) - enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/trade-investment/free-trade-agreements/ceta.html - in 2026, the recent trade mission underscored a shared goal of deepening investment, expanding procurement access, and creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Insofar as Enterprise Ireland is concerned, EI has had a presence in Montreal since 2020, and in Toronto since 2006, to promote the potential of the Canadian market for Irish businesses. The recent Trade Mission to Canada reaffirmed Enterprise Ireland’s commitment to strengthening bilateral trade, promoting world-class innovation, and supporting the continued diversification of Irish companies in one of the world’s most dynamic and growing markets.
More than 500 Enterprise Ireland clients have done business in the Canadian market in the last three years, and Canada is increasingly recognised by EI Clients as being a stable market, technology forward and generally have a favourable economic outlook.
Although not brokered by Enterprise Ireland, a Canadian company known as Sofina through its acquisition of Eight Fifty Food Group in 2021, is now the ultimate parent of four Enterprise Ireland client companies: Callan Bacon, Karro McGee, M&M Walshe and Carroll Cuisine. Also, the Mark Anthony Brand acquired 100% of an EI client company Glendalough Distilleries in 2019.
