Westport firm creating 20 new jobs

A WESTPORT-based banking and consumer finance company, Lafferty Group, is to create 20 jobs over the next two years. The group is expanding its global reach in finance and banking research and publishing.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny was in Westport to welcome the roll-out of the additional jobs.

The Westport activites of the group, established over 30 years ago by Roscommon man Michael Lafferty, include the research and content division of the International Academy of Retail Banking (IARB), a new Lafferty business that began its international roll-out last year. The IARB has clients in over 20 countries.

The academy was designed by an international group of senior retail bankers to provide professional education programmes and examinations for the retail banking sector as well as acting as an international professional body for retail bankers. The worldwide content for the academy programmes is being developed in the Westport office.

Deputy Kenny opened the Lafferty Group’s new offices in Westport where 19 people are presently employed.

He said: “I congratulate Michael and all his staff. That they are now moving into new offices is testament to the hard work of the Lafferty Group and their employees here in Westport. The Lafferty Group have now positioned themselves as being at the forefront of market intelligence and research and the fact that a high performance company like this has seen such success shows that anywhere in Ireland is capable of competing in the global market. They have shown that it is possible for businesses like the Lafferty Group to create highly skilled jobs here in Ireland and to thrive.'