Kim Kardashian might not have had her jewellery stolen in Ireland – not if you believe Enda Kenny.
The Taoiseach was speaking at an event announcing the creation of 85 jobs at the security firm Netwatch when he quipped about the recent robbery of the TV star at a French hotel.
“There was a good lady robbed in Paris...of jewellery. Maybe if they had employed Netwatch they mightn’t have been,” he said to widespread laughter on audio broadcast by Newstalk Radio.
“Send them a message and say over here we will mind you.”
The 35-year-old celebrity was targeted by a team of masked robbers who put a gun to her head before making off with an estimated €10 million worth of jewels from her luxury apartment on Monday.
Responding to the Taoiseach’s comments, Netwatch founder and chief executive David Walsh said: “The Taoiseach was trying to point out how successful the Netwatch system was. It was done in humour and he certainly wasn’t belittling the experience of Kim Kardashian at all.”
French authorities launched a manhunt for the assailants who were reportedly disguised as policemen and forced their way into the Hôtel de Pourtalès.
It is understood Ms Kardashian was tied up and locked in the bathroom during the robbery. She was later described as "badly shaken but physically unharmed".
Meanwhile, Netwatch’s 85 new “high quality” jobs will bring its total workforce to 250. Fifty of the new positions are to be based at their Carlow headquarters and 35 in the US.
Mr Walsh said it was a reflection of the strategy during the recession of investing in the company. Today it has US offices in New York, Pittsburgh and Boston and will shortly open in Chicago.
Mr Kenny told those at the event he had been following the company’s progress closely and had attended the launch of its first North American office in 2012.
“Netwatch has [RECENTLY]secured €19.5 million in investment, its largest funding announcement to date,” he said.
“More importantly, Netwatch will use this funding to hire top talent in areas such as software engineering, marketing and digital marketing, sales solutions, logistics, and accounts.”
The security firm markets unique video processing software and works with US companies in the utility and auto sectors among others.
