US investment hailed by Stormont leaders

Plans by the New York stock exchange to set up a software facility in Belfast have been held up as a demonstration that the north of Ireland is a normal place for business investment.

The exchange’s plans to set up a service centre in Belfast have been described as “groundbreaking” and “extraordinary”.

The plans were trumpeted by NYSE executive Duncan Niederauer in Stormont Castle alongside DUP leader Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness.

The move follows a decade-long campaign to attract US investment to the north of Ireland.

In May 2008 the “US-Northern Ireland Investment Conference” brought industry leaders from 80 American companies to be briefed on investment potential within the Six Counties.

Mr Niederauer said: “I am happy to report that you can count on us to be an active participant in the Northern Ireland business community and hopefully accept a good example for other companies to come behind us.”

The 400 jobs for programmers and technicians will be based in Belfast Adelaide Exchange Building in the city centre and rolled out over the next two years.

Speaking at the Stormont event, Martin McGuinness said: “I would like to place on the record once more our appreciation of the assistance that we have received from successive US administrations.

“This was illustrated once again with the recent visit here by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”

Mr Robinson said: “It is the skills of local people that have been the deciding factor here.”

The Alliance Party and SDLP Enterprise spokesmen, Sean Neeson and Alasdair McDonnell, both welcomed the announcement, hoping they were the first of a new wave of investments from the US.

Urgent Appeal