IT in Ireland — Is a fresh influx of international workers seeking assignments down to data centres — or simply that it’s the perfect place to work, live and thrive?

Ireland is famous for attracting international tech titans. Now Global Mobility and HR professionals are seeing a resurgence in foreign direct investment, driven in part by data centres. It’s a success story putting further pressure on recruitment, retention and resources. In this edition of Reloverse, we bust a few myths and tell you all you need to know if you’re relocating talent (or yourself) to the Emerald Isle.

A Mecca for Microsoft and Meta

In 1956, IBM set up a small, satellite office in Dublin. Today, nine of the top ten global software companies and the same number of US tech organisations have substantial bases in Ireland, including every leading enterprise software house. Almost 1,000 US companies alone employ 400,000 people directly and through the local supply chain, including Apple, Google, Intel, Microsoft and Meta. It’s tough to go on a night out in Dublin or Dundalk without meeting an overseas assignee who works in IT.

Fiscal attraction

The main magnet for attracting international inward investment has traditionally been local tax regimes. Typically, destinations like Bermuda or the British Virgin Islands host thousands of organisations employing a lot of capital but precious few staff. But Ireland is not a paperwork exercise—it’s an EU jurisdiction offering opportunity to international workers, particularly in tech and pharma. After years of holding their attractive 12.5% corporation tax rate (which is often as low as 10% after allowances), the Irish Government announced a new top-up tax in January for companies turning over more than EUR€750 million. Around 1,600 multinationals with operations in the Republic will be affected, but that’s unlikely to dampen the appetite for continued investment and expansion in Ireland for three reasons: Enhanced research and development tax credits to offset the rise, professional prospects for global talent and the sheer quality of life international workers enjoy when they choose to work, live and thrive there.

Believe the hype

Tourism Ireland may wax lyrical about a lush green landscape, dotted with medieval castles and coastal paths—but it’s all true. Many international assignees find their first move from Europe or the US to destinations like Hong Kong or Singapore a claustrophobic culture shock, especially when that’s a family relocation. Travel 45 minutes from the sophisticated, metropolitan centre of Dublin and you can be in the wild, unspoiled Wicklow Mountains, or visit a prehistoric tomb in the Boyne Valley that’s older than Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids. So, it is very beautiful. And there are practical, professional benefits, too …

Quality of life

Most employees enjoy a minimum of four-weeks annual leave (often a lot more) and only 5% of staff work very long hours—half the average measured by the OECD’s Better Life Index. Healthcare is accessible, crime is low and public transport excellent in populous parts, while car rental is cheap, so it’s easy to get out and about. No wonder half a million people (10% of the entire population) working in Ireland today are non-nationals. On the flipside, the country’s reputation for rain is not overstated—only one in three days is dry on average. And nightlife can be very lively on weekends, as even smaller towns are popular for pre-wedding celebrations with groups from the UK and Europe.

Cost of living

On balance, this makes Ireland a destination in demand, creating the usual issues for Global Mobility professionals sourcing housing or school places. If you’re moving staff to Ireland from Jakarta or Johannesburg, they may find their generous accommodation allowance doesn’t go far in Dublin and that’s true in smaller cities such as Cork too, where Apple employs 6,000 people from over 90 nationalities. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has automated many junior roles in IT, but far from being a shrinking sector, it’s data centres that are driving growth. And they are much misunderstood from a public and Global Mobility perspective.

Driven by data

In June 2024, Google announced plans to build a 72,400sq m digital storage facility at Grange Castle on the Western outskirts of Dublin—its third data centre on that site. While Google employs over 5,000 people in the Republic, the plans have been criticised due to popular misconceptions. These include—that data centres don’t employ people, that they are simply large sheds taking a huge amount of power and that they could be built in more remote locations, not in our back yard. In fact, to create, operate and renew or decommission a data centre takes international talent that’s in short supply. Here are a few of those myths, busted.

Local and international input

Data centres underpin every part of our digital lives, personally and professionally. They handle complex processes such as online banking, government services and social media. AI could not exist without them, nor would AirBnB, eBay, Facebook, Netflix or YouTube. They’re also central to our mobile phone networks and messaging—and enable research in healthcare and climate change to progress at scale and speed.

Building data centres takes a lot of local labour and specialist skills—raising the income and living standards of local people. Once operational, they are far from autonomous: They require technicians and engineers from the international tech community, employed by big names like Amazon and an army of skilled subcontractors from the supply chain.

Power battle

Operating a data centre takes power. Two years ago, they were cited for 2% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet around 14% of the Republic’s total electricity consumption—in a country where 42% of electricity came from renewable sources last year. So, many people argue why they shouldn’t be built in places less reliant on fossil fuels, such as Scandinavia. But when it comes to data, distance matters. Last year, seven countries generated almost 100% of their electricity consumption through geothermal, hydro, solar or wind—and the list may surprise you: Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And whilst social media data can be held thousands of kilometres from home, when it comes to banking and big data, the tech giants of Ireland need their servers to be within 30km or so of operations. So, these anonymous sheds are built in or near the metro markets of Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt, London and Paris, employing teams of international experts to build, operate and maintain them—plus a whole supply chain in sustainable energy to keep everything compliant.

On the ground

Grainne Convery, Global Mobility Specialist at Santa Fe’s Ireland partners, Cronin Group, said “Data centres may sound dull, but they are driving an ever-increasing demand for high-quality accommodation and destination services support from international clients who work to build and run them. We’re in the right place, physically and personally to be able to help Global Mobility and HR professionals and their assignees to succeed here”.

Professional partnership

Whether you’re driven by data or a desire to help your talent and teams relocate to Ireland, we would love to support you. Simply drop an email to reloverse@staging.santaferelo.com and we’ll get back to you.