Enterprise Ireland invested €70 million last year in venture capital in 51 small to medium "growth-orientated" enterprises, the Tánaiste said today.
Ms Harney said that these investments were expected to yield 1,600 jobs over the next three years. In the first quarter of 2003 13 start-ups received a total of €6 million in supports from Enterprise Ireland.
Including the €70 million investment in 2002, some €183.3 million has now been advanced under the investment scheme with the private sector, which has been running since 1994.
The Tanaiste said: "This number of start-ups during a time of difficult global markets is clear evidence of a strong level of serious entrepreneurial activity."
One third of the companies which received support in 2002 are located outside Dublin.
