Some 2,000 positions available for German speakers in Ireland, says expert

Small businesses in Ireland appear to be in need of more foreign language experts as they consider exporting their products abroad.

Indeed, according to the German Irish Chamber of Commerce's President, around 2,000 positions for German speakers are widely available in the country.

Ralf Zimmerman added, while speaking at its Christmas lunch, that 2,000 people are already employed in the country because of their German language skills.

And Frank Ryan, Enterprise Ireland's head, believes the government is well placed to act upon this and encourage further growth.

"I'm often asked what is the world's most important business language. The answer is your customer's language," he noted.

"I think the government's legacy should be that we boldly acted ... to become a multi lingual society."

Meanwhile, the government has announced that smaller firms are to get better access to finance in the coming months following the Budget delivered by Michael Noonan.

Posted by Emily Smith

Date published 18 Feb 2013 | Last updated 19 Dec 2012